Mar 4, 2015
The Charleston Fire Department is now better equipped to train first responders to perform pet CPR with the donation of two specially designed pet mannequins. The mannequins were donated by Invisible Fence Brand and Bees Ferry Animal Hospital. All CFD apparatus are currently equipped with animal CPR masks which can be used on pets in the event of a fire or emergency. These mannequins will allow the members of the department to obtain additional training in life-saving measures for pets.
CPR dog to help pets
Mar 4, 2015
It may have been an unusual tactic used by Tulsa firefighters that saved lives during a recent house fire. Three of five people pulled from the fire were given a rarely-administered medicine called a cyanide antidote. Tulsa Fire Department said this likely helped save the lives of two adults and one child who were inside the home. “It pulls the cyanide out of the system and literally converts it to a B-vitamin. It increases the chances for long-term survival,” a spokesperson said. The antidote helps the body overcome the intensity of the toxic smoke.
Mar 4, 2015
On 14 February 2015, a Canadian National crude oil unit train hauling 100 tank cars, 68 loaded with Petroleum Crude Oil and 32 loaded with Petroleum Distillates derailed and the crew observed a fire about 10 cars behind the locomotives. The temperature at the time was -31°C. During the derailment, a number of cars were breached, released product, and ignited a large fire that initially involved 7 of the derailed cars. Additional product was subsequently released, and a total of 21 cars sustained fire damage ranging from minor to severe.
update on derailment and fire crude oil unit train-Ontario
Mar 4, 2015
The New York Fire Department is using a tool called FireCast to predict which buildings are most likely to have fires. The software applies an algorithm from five city agencies, taking into account as many as 60 different risk factors—not only obvious ones, such as a building’s age, but also whether it was in the middle of foreclosure proceedings or had active tax liens. It’s not a big leap to see why a property’s financial plight could make it a bigger fire risk but, until now, fire departments had no formal way of knowing such things
how data and a good algorithm help predict fires
Mar 4, 2015
The Terrestrial Robotics Engineer and Control team at Virginia Tech is working on a firefighting robot named SAFFiR (pronounced “safer”). Specifically designed to fight fires on naval vessels, the bot has been equipped to navigate narrow passageways, climb ladders, and overcome obstacles. It must be able to see through flames, be smart enough to identify the source of a shipboard fire, and have hands sensitive enough to retrieve and operate a fire hose.
saffir-firefighting-robot
Feb 1, 2015
Expect a big bill if you cause a wildfire in BC. The province has recovered about $4 million from those responsible over the past five years. This money is separate from a fine or penalty. It’s a much larger sum.
BC recovers $4 million from human caused wild fires
Feb 1, 2015
On-Board Data Recorders on fire apparatus shouldn’t be feared by firefighters. “They’re not just used during investigations of accidents,” said Matt Pitzer who works for FRC which makes components that interfaces with the data recorders.
fire-apparatus-black-boxes-are-not-scary
Feb 1, 2015
Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority is directing local utilities to replace a certain model of smart meter “as a preventative step” after reviewing reports of problematic metres in Saskatchewan. Last summer, the Saskatchewan government ordered SaskPower to remove more than 100,000 newer model meters that had already been installed after reports of nine fires related to the equipment. OESA has ordered the removal of 5,400 meters in Ontario, which is a tenth of a per cent of the 4.8 million meters in the province.
Fire hazard fears prompt removal of Ontario smart meters
Feb 1, 2015
“The technology to help stop stovetop fires exists,” said Vision 20/20 Project Manager Jim Crawford. “This testing also provides critical data into a larger effort to produce a standard where manufacturers could develop products that inhibit unintentional kitchen stovetop fires. Work on this problem continues in a partnership between the National Institute of Standards & Technology and the Fire Protection Research Foundation.”
Stovetop heating element able to prevent fires
Feb 1, 2015
One year after a seniors’ home fire claimed the lives of 32 people in the small Quebec community of L’Isle-Verte, questions remain about the training and capabilities of volunteer fire services across the province.
Quebec’s volunteer services lag behind
