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Bernadette Hartley
BERNADETTE HARTLEY – a political lobbyist and a key founder of both the European Fire Sprinkler Network and the National Fire Sprinkler Network – died on 14 February. Her work helped advance the campaign for fire sprinklers, both in the UK and Europe – her latest project was to launch a campaign for ‘fire safe’ cities, with sprinklers as a core element of fire safety. Thanks to her efforts, sprinkler use is now widespread and has been given greater prominence and exposure. Ms Hartley died suddenly following a short fight against cancer and is a great loss to the fire community.
Website award
THE GOVERNMENT website Fire Gateway – so far accessed by over 25,000 users – has won the e-Government National Award for best online service. The website won the category ‘Building a fairer society with e-Government, improving lives on a large or national scale’. Commenting on the achievement, Fire Minister Parmjit Dhanda said that Fire Gateway is an important asset for the fire and rescue service in helping to save lives. The website – www.fire.gov.uk – enables users to access a wide range of fire-related services, from booking a free home fire safety check, to learning how to identify fire risks in the home.
College safety
THE US House of Representatives has passed a new College Opportunity and Affordability Act in America. The legislation contains two key components which require colleges and universities to report fire safety information, such as the number of fires that have occurred on their site; the number of deaths and injuries from fire; and whether halls of residence are protected by sprinklers or fire alarm systems. Colleges will also be required to report on their fire safety policies and on the levels of fire safety training received by students.
Austrian blaze
A CARE home fire in the Austrian town of Egg on 9 February caused the deaths of 11 residents and injured another six. Officials say all the victims were particularly frail and died of smoke inhalation. The 140-year-old building housed 23 elderly residents, many of whom needed help to evacuate after the fire broke out in an upstairs room. Some 250 firefighters tackled the blaze but retreated amid fears that the building would collapse. Thick smoke in upper rooms hampered rescue workers’ efforts. The cause of the blaze is unknown, however, a criminal investigation is currently under way. Sprinklers were not installed in the building.
New company
PAST INTERNATIONAL president of the Institution of Fire Engineers, Bob Docherty, along with colleague Alan Stoker, have launched a new company, Personal Emergency Evacuation Planning Limited. The company will specialise in personal emergency escape plans and provide employers, service providers and other organisations with a consultancy service in this area.
Further details are available from: http://www.peepsltd.co.uk/
Factory saved
A FIRE at a West Yorkshire tannery on 2 February was stopped by a single sprinkler, according to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. The fire started when a heater, used to warm up fat, was accidentally left on while the factory was closed for the weekend. The heater caused a plastic barrel containing fat to smoulder and ignite. On arrival at the scene, the incident commander reported that one (red bulb 68º) sprinkler had extinguished the fire with minimal damage. The factory was able to resume business on Monday morning. The company says that the sprinkler system saved the jobs of 56 people and potential insurance losses of £9m.
Brigade award
GREATER MANCHESTER Fire and Rescue Service has received the 2007 European Public Services Award (EPSA) in the category ‘Targeting with scarce resources’, for its novel personnel management system. The system, known as the five watch system, has seen new flexible contracts and job rosters being introduced into the brigade’s structure. It has resulted in significant cost savings of £3m per year, as well as improvements in service quality. It is hoped that other brigades will follow this system.
USAR dogs
a new dog squad is to be formed to help fire and rescue services in England to locate people trapped in collapsed buildings. The urban search and rescue (USAR) dogs will receive up to two years of training to develop heightened skills. A total of £430,000 will be invested in the new squad. London Fire Brigade will receive four dogs – 16 others will be assigned to specialist units across England.
German tragedy
A MAJOR blaze in a housing block in Ludwigshafen, southwest Germany, in which five children and four adults of Turkish origin died, is currently being investigated by police. Reports claim that the fire on 3 February was the result of a racially-motivated attack, however, police say no evidence exists to confirm this. Some 60 people were injured in the fire, many jumping to safety after the building’s staircase collapsed. Reports alleged that rescue workers failed to respond promptly to the incident.
GPS trials
THALES UK and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service are to start live trials of a new global positioning system (GPS) developed to work indoors. The system uses radio signals to help firefighters locate each other and to pinpoint people trapped inside smoke-filled buildings.
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