Recalled smoke alarm causes fire
The investigation into a house fire found the smoke detectors were originally installed in 2005 and that they had been recalled by General Electric in 2010 because a capacitor could overheat – which this unit did.
Manitoba creates task force to look into sprinkler retrofits
The Manitoba government said it is looking at sprinkler retrofits in personal care homes if further improvements need to be made in hospitals, personal care homes and other facilities. The province also said it is dedicating up to $7 million annually for sprinkler and fire safety upgrades in health-care facilities.
Fire codes forcing elderly out of their homes
Fire codes in New Hampshire require residents of care facilities to be able to evacuate the building within thirteen minutes. The president of the New Hampshire Association of Residential Care Homes said the problem of elderly residents being forced out of assisted living facilities is “a very significant issue.”
WorksafeBC overhaul announced in light of botched fire investigation
Worksafe BC paid insufficient attention to important legal precedents that underpin the legitimate gathering of evidence for prosecution purposes, even though the Criminal Justice Branch had previously shared its concerns on the collection of evidence.
Massachusetts’ fire-safe cigarette law appears to decrease likelihood of residential fires
A six-year-old Massachusetts law requiring that only “fire-safe” cigarettes (FSCs) be sold in the state appears to decrease the likelihood of unintentional residential fires caused by cigarettes by 28%, according to a new study by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-02-massachusetts-fire-safe-cigarette-law-decrease.html
Seven keys to fire safety with photovoltaic installations
To gain a greater understanding of PV technology UL sceintists constructed a functioning PV array to serve as a test fixture. UL discovered seven new findings regarding roof-mounted photovoltaic systems that impact firefighter safety.
http://www.solarnovus.com/7-keys-to-fire-safety-with-photovoltaic-installations_N7491.html
Pioneering’s Safe-T-element cooking fire prevention technology is now ready for the general public
Temperature limiting control technology has been installed on over 100,000 stovetops without a single stovetop cooking fire reported. There is now an easy to install consumer version that can be installed simply by taking the existing element out and sliding the new one in.
Ottawa Fire sets standard for new breathing apparatus
The City of Ottawa received $5-million spread between the 2013 and 2014 budgets to replace breathing apparatus for hundreds of their firefighters.
Highway to hazmat hell
A highway accident results in a spectacular and impressive series of explosions captured on video.
Evaluation of dermal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in firefighters
The Health Hazard Evaluation Program carried out a study at a fire service training facility to determine if airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other aromatic hydrocarbons generated during live fire training contaminate and pass through the skin of fire fighters.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2010-0156-3196S.pdf