NEWS
EDITOR’s Comment
A
s wildfires continue to rage around the world in one of the hottest summers on record, you will notice that we don't have a wildfire feature in this issue. That's because our expert contributors are out in the field responding to some of the most violent and intense fires ever seen. I want to highlight what an amazing job they are doing and thank them for their efforts, about which you will no doubt read in more detail in a forthcoming issue. I would also like to welcome two new faces to Fire & Rescue who will be managing additional business development going forward. Brenda Homewood formerly worked on oil and gas magazines and will be focusing mainly on Europe, while Rick Markley, a paid on-call firefighter who serves on the board of directors of the International Fire Relief Mission, a humanitarian-aid organisation that delivers fire and EMS equipment to firefighters in developing countries, will focus on the US and Canada. Finally, this issue continues our campaign for improving firefighter health, this time with a focus on instructors. Repeated fire exposures mean instructors are at a greater risk of ill health but new research has highlighted the benefits of pre-cooling in reducing the physiological strain caused by frequent exposure to live fires. As ever, however, it is up to fire services and firefighters to take these recommendations on board and adopt the latest thinking into operational procedures. Ann-Marie Knegt, editor
‘Sticky science’ saves London school from fire London Fire Brigade has become the first brigade in Europe to use a new glutinous liquid to prevent building damage from fire. LFB crews used PVStop when they were called to a fire at a school in Twickenham. The substance prevented serious damage to the roof by stopping the fire from spreading to the solar panels. PVStop is a black liquid coating designed to cover solar panels like a liquid tarpaulin. It is sprayed onto panels using an extinguisher or from the head of an aerial appliance. After trialling the coating last year, LFB used it for the first time at the Twickenham school fire. Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters attended the fire, which is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault in an extractor fan. There were no reports of injuries. Operational policy watch manager George Mahoney said the fire started on the ground floor and spread into the roof void, where the school had solar panels installed. ‘Incidents involving solar panels can be especially dangerous as it’s difficult to isolate the electrical current they generate if they are damaged or involved in a fire,’ he explained. ‘PVStop works by blocking the sunlight that powers them so the process of converting light into electricity is stopped. The panels are then de-energised and the risk of electrocution is greatly reduced so crews can get closer and prevent fire spreading from a roof to the rest of the building. A combination of science and the quick thinking of firefighters saved this school from significant damage.' PVStop is environmentally friendly and non-toxic. Its use by LFB was the first time it has been used operationally in Europe. It is manufactured in Australia, where it has also been used once. It has now been distributed to eleven of LFB’s aerial appliances.
4
peli dual-beam safety light with auto sensor
A safety torch with dual beam and an automatic light sensor is the latest addition to Peli Products’ range of lighting solutions for hazardous working conditions. The Peli 3345Z0 automatically adjusts its brightness level to its surroundings. The sensor measures the ambient light and automatically adjusts the output, providing a low level of brightness at close range but instantly adjusting to full brightness when focusing at long distance. ATEX Zone 0 (Cat 1) certified, the 3345Z0 is an LED light that provides both spot and flood beams. It delivers up to 267 lumens with both beams, or 115 lumens in flood mode and 207 as a spot beam. The dual beam means it is possible to simultaneously illuminate objects at close and long range, and the automatically adjusting brightness levels regulate power output, improving its energy efficiency and helping to achieve a run time of up to 13 hours. IPX7 ingress protection means the torch can be used in inclement weather. It can be used in either hand-held mode or attached to a safety vest.
Nightstick dual tech Light Cuts Through Smoke Nightstick has added four models to its Dual-Light technology range that offer firefighters and industrial workers improved visibility in hazardous locations by combining a 45-degree floodlight with a 90-degree adjustable smoke-cutting beam. The new Intrant Class 1 Division 1, ATEX-approved, intrinsically-safe right-angle lights illuminate the user’s feet while walking in addition to providing an adjustable, sharp, 200-lumen LED smoke-cutting light beam to help reduce the possibility of slips, trips, and falls. The flashlight has a 401-metre ultra-tight beam that is ideal for cutting through smoke and lighting up objects at a distance. The user can select a brightness setting of either 200, 110, or 60 lumens. The floodlight can be set to either 100 or 40 lumens, and also has a survival-mode setting of 20 lumens that provides sufficient emergency situation lighting for a runtime of 33 hours. There are four models in the range, all of which are Culus, ATEX, and IECEX certified as intrinsically safe, and are IP-67 rated dustproof and waterproof. Two models, Intrant XPP-5566, are powered by three AA batteries and come in either green or red. The two Intrant XPR-5568 models are powered using a rechargeable lithium-ion pack and include a low-profile charging base, AC and DC charging cords, and AA battery carrier for backup power. They also come in a choice of green or red. All models have a sturdy stainless-steel clip for attachment.
< FIRE & RESCUE < third QUARTER 2018 Read our e-magazine at www.hemmingfire.com
