Social media lessons from the Boston bombings and Australian bush fires
Three fundamental changes to mind-set that are critical to any effective use of social media when managing an emergency. 1. From 'We hold the information the community needs and we expect them to come to us' to 'We realise we need to go to the community' 2. From 'We...
One firefighter remains hospitalized after engine overturns with 5 onboard
One firefighter remains hospitalized after an engine overturned with five on board. It is time to remind your EVO’s that winter conditions are upon us. This type of incident is avoidable.
Fighting Fires Is Big Business for Private Companies
“Why is fire management on public lands being turned over to profit-seeking corporations?”, asks the Executive Director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology. The main concern is that private companies may put profit first. ...
Six workers, including 4 women, killed in Delhi factory fire
Fire broke out at a two-storey building housing a purse manufacturing factory in Delhi. At least six workers, including four women, were killed and 10 injured in the fire that destroyed the factory.
Arson cases in Winnipeg neighbourhoods put residents on edge
On Sunday morning, crews battled nearly a dozen deliberately-set fires in St. Boniface. Police said it’s too early to tell if the fires are the work of one person or a group of people....
Train disasters will be the new normal unless safety rules change
“Three years ago, there was almost no oil being moved by rail. It's been growing incredibly rapidly and its projected to keep growing that way and the safety standards in Canada simply have not kept up to the new ways to move new kinds of oil," a Greenpeace...
Molotov cocktails set police cars on fire
A police vehicle was set on fire in New Brunswick as police began enforcing an injunction to end an ongoing demonstration against shale gas exploration. http://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/100780/Cop-cars-set-on-fire-by-molotov-cocktails
Help for hearts is loaded into police, fire vehicles in Vancouver, WA
When a sudden cardiac arrest strikes every second is crucial so 60 police patrol vehicles and 19 fire department staff vehicles in Vancouver, Washington have been equipped with automated external defibrillators. ...
Samsung hopes new battery technology will end fires, explosions in mobile devices
From time to time, we hear about a battery catching fire or even exploding in a smartphone or tablet. Samsung is trying to change that with new flexible battery technology. The difference has to do with metal deposits that can cause leakage and short...
New York Court Rejects Computer Fire Modeling
A New York court held that a defendant had not presented sufficient evidence that computer fire modeling was generally accepted as reliable in the fire investigation community....
NIST Developing ‘Richter Scale’ for Fires
Researchers have been working on a system to measure and predict the destructiveness of wildfires - similar to the way officials use the magnitude scale for earthquakes. In the 1970s, wildfires destroyed about 400 homes across the US. Since 2000, wildfires have...
Sometimes it’s Better and Safer to Back Away from a Fire
Dude fire (1990) - six firefighters die. Esperanza fire (2006) - five Forest Service firefighters die. Yarnell Hill (2013) - 19 firefighters die. For what? “It is OK to retreat from danger until conditions become more favourable for safe and successful...
Winnipeg Councillors Suspicious of Fire Chief’s Dismissal
The Winnipeg fire chief, who was named chief two years ago, had been embroiled in controversy over an unusual land swap and sale of fire halls. His dismissal comes shortly before the anticipated release of a detailed audit report on the land swap deal. ...
British Firefighters Strike Over Changes to Pensions
Government imposed changes to British firefighter pensions have the union fighting back. Although the mandatory retirement age is 60 firefighters have to wait until 65 to receive full pension....
Career Fire Captain Dies When Struck by a Pickup Truck While Working at the Scene of Two Traffic Incidents – NIOSH Report
Another firefighter fatality during response to a MVI. Do you have the right training and Operational Guidelines to avoid a similar tragedy? The NIOSH report on the incident is a must-read for fire departments everywhere....
North Bay Fire dept. staffing under review due to FUS
North Bay Council has called for more study in response to a fire underwriter’s survey that suggests it would take an $8-million capital investment, including the construction of another reservoir to store more water, as well as the hiring of more fire fighters and...
Three Toronto firefighters fired over inappropriate tweets
The termination of three Toronto firefighters Monday over comments made on social media has sparked anger from their union, which insists the firings do nothing to promote a culture of respect in the city's firehalls....
London Fire Brigade to axe 550 jobs and close 10 stations
The London Fire Brigade, which employs approximately 7,000 staff, 5,800 of whom are operational firefighters and officers operating from 112 fire stations, prepares to axe 550 jobs and close 10 stations. ...
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