Firefighter death
ONE FIREFIGHTER died and another was injured while tackling a blaze at a bar in Edinburgh. Some 70 firefighters and 16 fire engines were involved in the incident at the Balmoral Bar in the early hours of 12 July. Ewan Williamson and a colleague – a breathing apparatus team – entered the building but were injured by the collapse of an internal floor. Mr Williamson, 35, died at the scene. At least 20 members of the public were rescued from the block of flats above the bar, although nine were treated in hospital. Both the fire and police services in Lothian and Borders are investigating the incident, along with the Health and Safety Executive.
Open-plan flats
NEW RESEARCH into life safety in open-plan flat layouts is to be published by the National House-Building Council Foundation in partnership with the BRE Trust. The research findings are due to be launched at a seminar, organised in conjunction with the Association of Building Engineers, in Northampton on 22 September 2009. Titled Open plan flat layouts: Assessing life safety in the event of fire, the event (see www.abe.org.uk) will enable delegates to learn about the findings directly from those involved in the process.
Fireworks blast
AT LEAST 17 people died and 40 others were hurt in a blast at a fireworks factory in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on 7 July. There were eight fatalities at the site – a licensed firework manufacturing factory in a suburb of Madurai City – and the other victims died of serious burns in hospital. Part of the building collapsed when firework crackers exploded. The ensuing blaze spread to a firework storage area, triggering further explosions. According to reports, the owner has been arrested for breaching safety rules and for employing children at the factory, two of whom were among the casualties.
Residential fire
SOME 68 residents were evacuated from a residential complex for the elderly in the US state of Texas after a fire broke out when a mattress was accidentally set alight. The incident happened at the Park Meadow Apartments in Forth Worth on 20 July. Some residents were evacuated from second-floor apartments by ladder. Six people were taken to hospital suffering minor smoke inhalation and one firefighter was treated at the scene for heat exhaustion. According to the fire department, a female resident was using a cigarette lighter to search for items under her bed and set fire to the mattress.
Call for papers
THE ORGANISERS of this year’s HazMat 2009 conference, which takes place on 13-14 October at the Hilton, London Stansted Airport, are looking for speakers with interesting papers to present at this year’s event. The conference will discuss a range of first responder and emergency leadership topics, including hazard planning and decision-making at complex incidents, emerging technologies and best practice. It is aimed at all practitioners in the hazardous materials and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosives response sectors.
Further details can be found at: www.hazmatconference.com
Landlord fine
A LANDLORD in Derby has been fined more than £30,000 for nine breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order in England and Wales. Dharmemdrasinhji Chauhan pleaded guilty to various failures – including a lack of basic fire precautions, and six internal doors that were not fire doors and did not restrict the spread of smoke and fire – at the premises he lets out in Derby. The failures came to light after an occupant sustained serious injuries, including a broken neck and smoke inhalation, when he tried to escape from a fire in his room.
New CFOA head
THE NEW president of the UK Chief Fire Officers’ Association (CFOA), John Bonney, has outlined four key areas he will focus on during his 2009-10 presidential year. Mr Bonney – also chief officer of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service – said he will give priority to: the sharing of good practice between fire and rescue services; improving diversity; ensuring that CFOA operates efficiently; and persuading the Government and fire authorities that the industry needs a world-class training institution and research academy. He took up his presidential duties in June.
Australian survey
A RECENT survey has found that two-thirds of households in Australia do not have basic firefighting equipment to deal with small fires, even though one-in-four residents has experienced a fire in the home. Carried out by AAMI, the Firescreen survey involved more than 2,500 householders in the country. It revealed that although 94% of homes are fitted with smoke detectors, about 65% do not have basic equipment such as a fire extinguisher or fire blanket. The research also found that people who rent are at greater risk than homeowners, since they are less likely to have firefighting equipment or home insurance.
Canadian training
SEVENTY-SEVEN fire departments across Canada are to benefit from a $1 million firefighter training grant. Under the partnership between the Canadian Volunteer Fire Services Association and training provider Medteq Solutions, volunteer and combination fire departments will be offered online training for a six-month period, which started in July. Large and small departments across the country will have access to the funding, particularly those in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.
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