This report examines the business of the manufacture of fire apparatus in North America. Product types examined include aerial ladders, aerial platforms, pumpers, rescue trucks, wildland/brush trucks, and aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) trucks. The study is a one-time picture of North American manufacturers, with the key objective of identifying who is who in the business.
Businesswire.com
A Pickering couple has been fined $30,000 for operating an illegal seniors’ home out of their house. According to court documents Murney Brook and his wife Jane Brook both pleaded guilty to fire code violations and were fined $15,000 each. This isn’t the first time they have run this type of operation. Ajax Fire Services confirms the couple operated a similar illegal seniors’ home several years ago in Ajax.
York Region News
Scientists have discovered a new way to create high-output lithium ion batteries that do not pose a fire risk as the world continues to make greater use of the technology. These batteries are the first of their kind to have both high output and high life-span despite their solid state – potentially making them ideal for the modern market.
A major appliance manufacturer has reissued a recall for 12 brands of dehumidifiers, affecting about 2.5 million units in the U.S. and 55,000 units in Canada. More than 90 fires, and over $4 million in property damage have been reported. This recall involves dehumidifiers with the brand names Danby, De’Longhi, Fedders, Fellini, Frigidaire, GE, Gree, Kenmore, Norpole, Premiere, Seabreeze, SoleusAir and SuperClima.
This is a graphic video of the danger of putting water on a grease fire. You may want to add it to your fire prevention video collection. The article says the previous advice from fire prevention personnel to throw a damp tea-towel over a pan on fire was scrapped by the government in 2008 after fears it did more harm than good. A quick search of the internet provides many examples of where this advice is still the norm.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/chip-pan-fires-what-chip-7021101
This state wide volunteer firefighter recruiting and retaining program includes an online “Train the Recruiter” course. It only takes about an hour and the course is full of useful information and tips for conducting recruitment activities. It includes available resources for promoting recruitment, tips for turning potential volunteers into department members and recommendations for getting the word out.
Members of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association went to the site of a warehouse fire to hand out flyers warning of the peril Toronto residents would face when the city proceeded with a plan to save money by closing one fire station and taking four fire trucks out of service.
New statistical information highlights firefighter work-related illnesses that present later in life. The report, which was prepared by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and MassCOSH, states that 19 percent of worker deaths that occurred in Massachusetts in 2013 were firefighters, representing one of the largest concentrations of death for any occupation. Of the nine instances, four were attributed to work-related cancer and five were attributed to work-related heart disease.
Several train cars carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire with three black tankers ending up in the water and leaking some oil. It is the most recent crash involving oil trains that has safety efforts pushing for better oversight.
The NFPA recently announced that its Standards Council has approved the development of a test for open-flame sources, such as candles, matches and lighters. NFPA believes that the test will give furniture manufacturers a clear marker for determining fire resistance of upholstered furniture and will hopefully provide consumers with an important layer of fire protection.