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Pretoria fire
AT LEAST six people were feared dead and many others were treated in hospital following a fire in a 32-storey block of flats in central Pretoria, South Africa on 22 July. Many residents were forced to the roof of the building where several helicopters airlifted people to safety while firefighters battled the blaze. According to reports, two people died when they jumped from the building in an effort to escape; three others were trapped by the fire. The cause of the other death is unknown. The fire is believed to have started in the building’s rubbish chute.
Care home blaze
A MAN has died after a serious blaze at the Hockeridge care home in Westgate-on-Sea in Kent. Firefighters fought the blaze, which started at about 11pm on 6 July, with a main jet, two hose-reel jets and a hydrant. Eight firefighters entered the three-storey building to search for trapped casualties. Some 25 people were evacuated and attended to by paramedics. At the height of the blaze, five fire engines, including specialist support vehicles, police and ambulance teams, attended the scene. Kent Police says the fire is not being treated as suspicious, although an investigation is under way.
Fire & Rescue 2008
HAZEL BLEARS MP will pay tribute to the work of firefighters during her closing keynote address at Fire & Rescue 2008 – the ‘must attend’ conference and exhibition for the fire industry (see p.18). The Communities and Local Government Minister says that the fire and rescue service should be praised for its ‘tireless and dynamic’ work in making communities safer. Fire & Rescue 2008 takes place on 27-29 August at the Arena and Convention Centre in Liverpool, Merseyside.
For more information, visit website: http://www.fireandrescueexpo.com/
New fire stations
COMMUNITIES AND Local Govern-ment has announced that 16 state-of-the-art fire stations – five in Cumbria, four in Lancashire and seven in Merseyside – are to be built under the North West Fire and Rescue Service project. The project – a Private Finance Initiative worth £66.4m – will enable fire services to host fire safety events for the public in modern facilities.
Earthquake initiative
THE FEDERAL Management Agency (FEMA) in the USA has partnered with the Safe America Foundation to launch a new initiative called QuakeSmart. The initiative will encourage businesses that are at risk from earthquakes to take measures against damage to their premises in the event of such a disaster. Small and emerging businesses in the midwest and west coast USA will be targeted through a series of community forums which will address key actions that businesses can take to be better prepared, such as mitigation resources and business interruption planning.
Queen’s Awards
APPLICATIONS ARE being sought for the 2009 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise. Companies can apply to enter up to three categories: international trade, innovation, and sustainable development, and must demonstrate outstanding or continuous business achievement in their field. Some 13 of the 136 winning companies at this year’s awards were in the safety and security related industries. The awards represent a quality standard of business excellence and offer winners numerous benefits, including the marketing use of the Queen’s Award logo for five years. The deadline for entries is 31 October 2008.
For more information, visit website: www.queensawards.org.uk
Call for papers
THE SPANISH Association of Fire Protection Companies, Tecnifuego-Aespi, is calling for papers for its international conference, due to be held in Madrid, Spain, on 10-12 June 2009. Abstracts will be selected on their technological innovation, technical content, relevance to the fire protection sector and ‘newness’ with regards to their engineering application. Entries must be made by 15 October 2008 and should not be longer than 2,000 characters. The title of the paper, including the name and curriculum vitae of the author(s), must also be submitted.
For more information, please e-mail: cientifico@congreso-sci.org
Firefighter violence
FIREFIGHTERS ARE under a constant threat of attack during their normal working day, according to a recent BBC report. The report says that physical and verbal attacks from some members of the public are stopping firefighteres from doing their jobs. The claims come after several firefighters were pelted with bricks by youths while attending a rubbish fire in Dumbarton, west Scotland, in the early hours of 22 July. Police were called to resolve the situation.
Rescue formula
FORMULA ONE legend, Sir Stirling Moss OBE, has backed a major partnership to help save the lives of those involved in road traffic collisions. The partnership between Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Auto-Rescue Logistics (ARL) will enhance the work of the brigade and enable firefighters to use ARL’s heavy rescue and lifting equipment, its fast-response teams and expertise, to aid casualties of road traffic collisions. The move will specifically help with serious crashes involving heavy goods vehicles, where the attendance of specialist operators, heavy rescue vehicles and extrication equipment is imperative to save lives.
Road safety appeal
THE ROAD safety charity Brake (http://www.brake.org.uk/) is appealing for fire services throughout the UK to get involved in this year’s National Road Safety Week, which takes place on 10-16 November. The charity hopes that the excellent work in road safety education initiatives currently undertaken by fire brigades can be tied in with the week-long event to help raise the issue of road safety further through local media coverage. Firefighters are in an ideal situation to relay the message of safe driving and road use, says the charity, since they witness first-hand the aftermath of road collisions.
To become involved in Road Safety Week, visit the ‘emergency services’ section of website: www.roadsafetyweek.org
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