FIRE-PROFESSIONALS.com Blog

ALMANACNEWS.COM is reporting that local fire fighters had to extinguish a fire at one of their stations. The building had smoke alarms, but no sprinklers. According to the story, “The firefighters left the station at 3:36 a.m. to attend to someone with a severe diabetes reaction. Because the victim recovered and chose not to go to the hospital, the call was about an hour shorter than usual and brought the firefighters back to the station and a faint smell of smoke at about 4:25 a.m., Chief Harold Schapelhouman said. A search for something burning outside turned up nothing, but when a smoke alarm went off inside, they looked and found a smoldering mattress in one of the bedrooms.”
A firefighter responding rapidly to the medical call had apparently bumped a magnetically attached reading lamp on his way out of bed, Chief Schapelhouman explained. “He didn’t notice it, rushing to get out of the room,” the chief said.An incandescent bulb in the lamp burned its way through the sheet and mattress pad and into the mattress. Fire investigators will likely recommend avoiding the use of incandescent bulbs because they get so hot, he said. The fire station, built in the 1950s in an era before sprinkler systems, is due to be replaced in about a year, he said, adding: “We’re not looking to speed that up” by burning down the dormitory area.
The new station will have sprinklers and likely a computerized system that turns off unnecessary electrical devices as the firefighters leave the station on a call, he said.

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NBC6.NET IN MIAMI is reporting that a “Residents of a condominium complex at Northwest 16th Avenue and 15th Street  said their trash has not been collected in four or five months. The result is a pile of garbage that is about one story tall.
“Inside the building, there were puddles in the stairways, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Fire officials went to the building Monday night because there was no electricity, meaning the fire alarms did not work. Code enforcement officers and fire officials planned to inspect the building Tuesday.”
According to the story, “Because the fire alarm did not work, an official from Miami Fire Rescue stayed at the condo complex all night Monday to make sure nothing happened. The trash mound could act like a wick if a fire did start.” The two-year-old building has 51 units, but only 17 were occupied. Some of the units have been broken into and some air conditioning units have been removed.

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SECURITYINFOWATCH.COM is reporting that “UTC Fire & Security, a fast growing global provider of fire and security products and services, celebrated its fifth anniversary this month. Since 2004, the company has doubled revenues, more than tripled profits and increased investment in research and development by nearly 50%. UTC Fire & Security is a unit of United Technologies Corp.”
According to the story,  “In 2005, the company acquired Kidde, a global leader in fire safety, and Lenel, a premier electronic security software provider. Other recent acquisitions included Initial Electronic Security Group’s operations in the U.S., U.K., France and the Netherlands in July of 2007, further strengthening the company’s electronic security footprint. In the same year, the company acquired Marioff, the world-leader in high pressure water mist technology – an important environmentally friendly fire suppression solution.
“Other growth plans for UTC Fire & Security include building its portfolio of strong brands through continued acquisitions, targeted expansion in emerging markets, and the introduction of innovative product and service offerings that provide total system solutions to its customers worldwide.”
 

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CLICK2HOUSTON.COM is reporting that “Harris County Commissioners Court will now have to decide if the cost of repairing the aging Astrodome is justified. The county has been trying to sell the Astrodome for several years.”
According to the story, the “Houston landmark was hit with numerous building and fire codes violations. Repairing these violations is estimated to cost taxpayers millions of dollars. The county already spends roughly $500,000 a year for its upkeep. 
The city of Houston considered these problems to be minor, but still required repairs. The city gives an applicant two years to make repairs before a certificate expires. According to the story, “work has been done to repair many of these problems.
“During that February inspection, the Fire Marshals Office also cited the Astrodome for several violations. Senior Fire Inspector Joe Leggio said all but one of those violations was corrected when the Astrodome was re-inspected in June. Leggio said the Dome’s fire alarm system was inoperable and still has not been fixed.
During that follow-up inspection, it was also discovered the Astrodome’s fire suppression system wasn’t functioning and will likely have to be replaced. The Astrodome was hit with an additional nine fire code violations during that inspection. ‘”These are major violations,’ said Leggio. ‘Without a working fire alarm and fire suppression system, the building should not be occupied and is a hazard.”‘
According to the story, “The executive director of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, Willie Loston, told Local 2 Investigates that inspection prompted 44 areas that needed to be corrected. Loston said those areas included plumbing, electrical, structural, heating and air conditioner problems and faulty emergency lights, among other issues.”
“SMG then moved all 36 employees who have offices in the Astrodome out of the building. Loston also said the Astrodome will no longer host any events or functions until repairs are complete.”

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ACCORDING TO ITS WEB SITE, the “nation’s leader in building code development, the International Code Council, today (July 17, 2008) told Congress that it is committed to helping communities construct energy efficient buildings that are safe, sustainable and green.”
According to the ICC press release, testifying before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, “Code Council CEO Rick Weiland said the Council supports increasing energy efficiency in the built environment. Weiland told the Committee that compliance with energy efficiency codes could be better achieved with financial support for code officials, America’s First Preventers. The House of Representatives approved and sent to the Senate the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act, legislation that would provide funding to local building departments to support code adoption and compliance.”

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AERO-NEWS.NET is reporting that the “Department of Transportation issued a mandate requiring all new aircraft to include technology designed to significantly reduce the risk of center fuel tank fires within two years. In addition, passenger aircraft built after 1991 must be retrofitted with technology designed to keep center fuel tanks from catching fire.”
According to the story, “‘We want to do everything possible to make sure safety examiners won’t have to investigate another plane shattered by an exploding tank,” said US Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters during her announcement of the final rule, along with Acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell. ‘We can’t change the past, but we can make the future safer for thousands of air travelers, and this rule does just that.’
“The Secretary — speaking the day before the 12th anniversary of the crash of TWA Flight 800, which prompted the requirement — said the new rule was needed to help avoid a similar incident. The rule requires aircraft to have technology to neutralize or eliminate flammable gasses from fuel tanks under the center wing of commercial passenger planes.”

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SOURCESECURITY.COM is reporting that “A whole range of products from Siemens Building Technologies (BT), including a fire alarm system and 1,200 Sinteso fire detectors, have been utilized as part of a ‘single-source’ solution for the Moevenpick Hotel in Frankfurt.”
According to the story, “integration and interoperability are an essential focus for Siemens Building Technologies and this was clearly in evidence in a project which saw Siemens fulfil a brief for a life-cycle approach to implementing a full electrical and building automation package.
“Siemens fire protection, building automation, access control, power supply and electrical installation technology were all involved in the construction of the Moevenpick Hotel Frankfurt City, located in the middle of the new Europaviertel district being developed on the site of a former freight yard.”

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THE SOCIETY OF FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERS has added language to its Canon of Ethics that calls on fire protection engineers to respect the environment through their work.
According to a press release from the organization, “To call attention to the important role fire protection engineers play in protecting the environment, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) has revised the Canon of Ethics for Fire Protection Engineers. A new Canon has been added that requires fire protection engineers to perform their professional duties in such a manner that respects the environment.”
Furthermore, “When designing ‘green’ buildings, one sustainable design approach currently being utilized by fire protection engineers is the use of reclaimed water for fire protection system water supplies. When reclaimed water is used as a water supply for a water-based fire protection system, the fire protection engineer will perform an analysis to identify any concerns with water quality that would affect the proposed systems. This analysis can include examining pipe-corrosion potential and the need for back flow prevention.”

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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY is reporting that the GSA has received authorization to provide discounts on Homeland Security items that agencies buy in bulk. According to the story, the new law authorizes the GSA Administrator to allow state, local, and tribal governments to buy homeland security goods and services through the cooperative purchasing program. Officials will be able to use GSA’s Schedule 84 to buy items such as “alarm systems, facility management systems, firefighting and rescue equipment, law enforcement and security equipment, and marine craft.”
The story states that “the new law is in keeping with its stated mission of providing superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions, and management policies at best value, allowing federal agencies to focus on their core missions.”

Tags: Security, Equipment, Distributor & Installer, Manufacturer, Suppression System, Fire alarms, Life Safety, Fire sprinklers // 1 Comment »

FOR MANY FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY companies, one of the best ways to get your story out is through a case study. A case study highlights how your product or service uniquely fit a situation and made the most sense as a solution. A case study is also ideal for a presentation and right now, NFPA is accepting proposals for presentations at its next show. When I was the executive editor of NFPA Journal, I was often asked “How do I get to make a presentation at the NFPA show?” Well, now is your opportunity. Click here to get the information needed to file a proposal with NFPA.
Proposals are due September 19, 2008.

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