BS 7273-4:2015 Code of Practice for the operation of fire protection measures BSI, the business standards company has revised BS 7273-4:2015 Code of Practice for the operation of fire protection measures – Part 4: Actuation of release mechanisms for doors. It was developed using collaborative input from the fire and safety industry with such organizations as The Fire Industry Association (FIA), Fire Protection Association and National Landlords Association offering guidance. Fire doors are typically designed to be kept closed at all times so that fire and heat are contained and their spread minimized. This is achieved through use of well-engineered fire doors. However, on occasion they may be held open to facilitate convenience and/or accessibility around a building and in this situation mechanisms to hold them open, should follow BS 7273-4. This standard relates to the engineering of fire alarm systems and in particular mechanisms to interface with fire doors and secured fire exits. It addresses safety critical arrangements that enforcing authorities rely on to ensure a building can be evacuated safely – where fire doors are held open or exits secured which need to be released by the fire alarm system. It is vital that there is a common approach to fire alarm design with regard to these interfaces. Especially as there is a responsibility for key stakeholders to meet relevant fire safety legislation. Previously, a device local to the doors effectively switched the doors to fail safe mode and released electrically secured fire exits and closed fire doors held open on magnetic door retainers. However, this is not always the case and a truly fail safe mode is not achieved. Therefore in some circumstances fire doors fail to satisfy enforcers that recommendations of BS 7273-4 are being met. As such BS 7273-4:2015 will help to clarify the expectations of users and match it to the technology available to the fire alarm industry. Anthony Burd, Head of the Construction Sector at BSI said: “Until the development of BS 7273-4 in 2007, there was no code of practice with recommendations governing the interface of fire doors and the fire detection /fire alarm system, although there was guidance for the devices themselves. Imagine not having the security of knowing that a fire was contained because the doors had not gone into fail safe mode. Crucially, this revision gives fire safety enforcers the criteria for fail safe operation, and the standard goes even further by defining three different categories of actuation – ‘Critical, ‘Standard, and ‘Indirect’, each of which has a set of criteria for fail safe operation under defined conditions.” Key changes to BS 7273-4: • Text has been shortened and simplified to make the standard more straightforward to use. Some of the commentary has been moved to new informative annexes and some of the previous text has been tabulated • The diagrams relating to the location of smoke detectors in relation to electrically held-open fire doors have been revised. This is intended to make the recommendations clearer and to remove possible confusion where a single diagram has been used to convey several principles applying to detector siting and spacing • There have been changes in terminology to assist users of the standard. The designations, A, B and C for categories of actuation are now referred to as ‘Critical’, ‘Standard’ and ‘Indirect’ • The guidance in BS 7273-4:2007, Annex A of the previous standard is now normative and, therefore, the standard includes recommendations (in tables in Annex B of this version) as to which category of actuation is appropriate for a particular application BS 7273-4:2015 is of interest to fire alarm manufacturers and installers, enforcing authorities including building control bodies and fire and rescue authorities, fire consultants fire risk assessors. Some of the others organizations involved in the development of BS 7273 include : British Cables Association , Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, Chief Fire Officers Association , Electrical Contractors’ Association, Fire Safety Association, Institute of Fire Prevention Officers, Loss Prevention Certification Board, National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation, National Security Inspectorate, Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

For its “Wi-Fyre” wireless detectors and sounders Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry, is supplying primary lithium batteries to Eurofyre, a UK specialist manufacturer of fire detection and alarm equipment. The Saft lithium-thionyl chloride (Li-SOCl2) batteries will provide up to three years of reliable autonomous power for the company’s ‘Wi-Fyre’ range of wireless detectors and sounders. The project with Eurofyre is an important development in Saft’s strategy to establish a major presence in the fast growing global wireless sensor network market. Eurofyre’s Wi-Fyre range enables wireless devices to co-exist seamlessly with hard-wired fire alarm systems, regardless of the type, age or technology of the existing system, creating a hybrid system topology. This enables inaccessible or difficult to cable areas to be protected with minimal disruption and quick installation. The products comply with European Standard EN-54 part 25. The hybrid wireless and hard-wired approach is especially useful for companies that are refurbishing or expanding their premises, and in architecturally significant or sensitive buildings that need to be treated sympathetically. Batteries are a critical component of the technology. After a thorough technical review, Eurofyre chose Saft as its sole supplier of primary lithium batteries, because of their long life and high reliability combined with Saft’s high quality service. "We are especially pleased to have been chosen by Eurofyre for its innovative wireless fire detection and alarm systems," said Thomas Alcide, General Manager of Saft’s Specialty Battery Group. "We see these kinds of applications for wireless sensor networks as a growth area, with huge potential." Technical specifications Saft is supplying Eurofyre with LS14500 (AA format) and LS26500 (C format) Li-SOCl2 primary lithium batteries. They are designed specifically for long-term (3- to 20-year) applications, optimized for base currents of a few µA with periodic pulses in the 5–150 mA range. Saft primary lithium batteries feature a high operating voltage, stable over the specified application lifetime, along with the some of the highest nominal capacities on the market. They offer an operating temperature range of -60°C to +85°C, and provide exceptional shelf and standby life thanks to a low self discharge rate of less than one per cent per year (at +20°C). They also provide excellent resistance to humid environments, and a low magnetic signature.   About Saft Saft (Euronext: Saft) is a world leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry. The Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of nickel batteries and primary lithium batteries for the industrial infrastructure and processes, transportation, civil and military electronics’ markets. Saft is the world leader in space and defence batteries with its Li-ion technologies which are also deployed in the energy storage, transportation and telecommunication network markets. More than 4000 employees in 18 countries, 14 manufacturing sites and an extensive sales network all contribute to accelerating the Group’s growth for the future. Saft batteries. Designed for industry. www.saftbatteries.com

At The Emergency Services Show Increasing the dialogue and co-operation between the emergency services and the voluntary sector will be a key focus of The Emergency Services Show which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from 23 to 24 September 2015. Free to attend, The Emergency Services Show features a dedicated Emergency Response Zone where key organisations and charities from across the voluntary sector can showcase their expertise and support services at no cost. Bay Search and Rescue, British Red Cross, Maritime Volunteer Service, Mountain Rescue England & Wales, National Association of Community First Responders, National Search and Rescue Dog Association, Royal Life Saving Society, Royal National Lifeboat Institute and The Salvation Army are among the many names who will be exhibiting there this year. Visitors are urged to engage with exhibiting organisations to gain a deeper understanding of the capabilities of the voluntary sector and the breadth of work it undertakes. Many will be surprised to discover free support services, training opportunities and the potential for joint operations. Among the organisations with rescue capabilities is the RSPCA. HQ superintendent Timothy Minty, says: “Generally people are not aware we have capabilities in rope, boat and water rescue.” Another is urban search and rescue team, Search And Rescue Assistance in Disasters (SARAID). The NGO, which offers its services at no charge, is keen to meet with UK-based resilience organisations, emergency services and flood rescue teams. Meanwhile on the Leicestershire & Rutland 4 x 4 Response stand visitors can find out more about this group of volunteers who utilise their own vehicles and equipment to provide assistance to the emergency services and community in times of severe weather or disaster. Also exhibiting in the Emergency Response Zone are The Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network (RAYNET) and UK Civil Air Patrol. Established for over 60 years, RAYNET provides voluntary emergency communications using amateur radio and PBR, and does not charge for its services. UK Civil Air Patrol encourages volunteers with the right qualifications to fly light aircraft, including helicopters and autogyros, to support the blue light emergency services and local government civil contingencies with affordable air observation and air to ground photography. Chairman Tony Cowan MBE explains: “The use of a light spotting aircraft is particularly useful when the emergency involves an industrial or chemical accident, wildfires and serious flooding.” St John’s Ambulance also hopes to raise awareness of this aspect of its work. Peter Huckle, national events and emergency operations manager, says: “Many are aware of the first aid our volunteers provide in their communities and at events, like football matches, marathons and music festivals, but they don’t always know about the work we do in schools training hundreds of thousands of young people or our campaigning work or the free direct education we provide.” In the light of austerity cuts it is not surprising that the voluntary sector is emerging as a key partner. David Brown, event director, The Emergency Services Show, explains why: “The emergency response voluntary sector has a substantial resource of trained and skilled people, vehicles, equipment and premises that provide practical and emotional support before, during and after an emergency. This allows the emergency services to concentrate on the immediate needs of a crisis, freeing up vital resource.” The Voluntary Sector Civil Protection Forum (VSCP) confirms that the voluntary sector employs over 15,000 and has around 260,000 volunteers it can call upon in the event of an emergency. It operates more than 2,000 vehicles including ambulances, 4x4s, lifeboats and aircraft. To register for free entry visit www.emergencyuk.com The NEC is physically linked to Birmingham International Station and Birmingham Airport and is directly accessible from the UK motorway network. Parking for visitors and exhibitors is free of charge.

The new Soteria range delivers a step change improvement in fire detection and notification technology Following the successful introduction last year, Apollo Fire Detectors has unveiled the new addressable detectors which form the initial line-up in the SOTERIA™ detection range, the next generation in fire recognition technology which is designed to improve detection, reduce false alarms and deliver improved reliability. SOTERIA is the start of an on-going technology innovation which will see the product range evolve over the next 2 years. Comprising a range which covers all detection areas such as heat, optical and CO individually or in innovative combinations, the exclusive technology incorporated into the range has been shown to reduce the incidence of false alarms whilst ensuring ease of installation and will reduce the risk of the wrong detector being installed. The range which has been extensively tested at the state of the art in-house testing facilities at Apollo, meets and indeed exceeds EN54 standards and has been developed using the most sophisticated manufacturing equipment to ensure consistent high quality products and fast response to customer requirements. The unique technology behind SOTERIA, known as PureLight incorporates both enhancements to the smoke entry process and the new design of the Cone sensing chamber, which together has been proven to lower the possibilities of false alarms and enhance the reliability of smoke detection. The ‘serpentine’ designed smoke entry path provides a wide degree of separation of smoke and dust, and enables smoke to pass to the cone chamber but acts as a barrier to dust and insect ingress. This is supported by the innovative Cone technology which allows light from the LED to be entirely absorbed reducing reflections in the chamber. Launching alongside SOTERIA is Apollo’s enhanced protocol aptly named CoreProtocol™, the next generation in fire loop communication from Apollo giving greater control and more loop power. The new protocol builds on the established capabilities of XP95 and Discovery; with forward and backwards compatibility and the ability to manage a significantly increased number of devices. Charles Smith, Head of Product Management, commented: “The new Soteria range delivers a step change improvement in fire detection and notification technology. Core advances will be achieved in detection capability, reliability and false alarm rejection. These developments will be underpinned by CoreProtocol, building on the established XP95 and Discovery technology.” This initial launch will include three key products namely an Optical Smoke detector, Heat detector and Multi (Optical/Heat) detector. Later this year, the range will be extended to include three further detectors encompassing CO/heat, Tri Sensor and an Optical 4. For more information on the new SOTERIA range of detectors visit www.apollo-fire.co.uk/soteria. Follow @apollofireEMEA for up-to-date information.  

Magirus Camiva has just opened its new site in Chambéry. With a surface of 12,200 sqm Magirus Camiva has just opened its new site in Chambéry. With a surface of 12,200 sqm, 4,465 of which are covered, Magirus Camiva’s new site is becoming the brand’s new centre of excellence in France. It will focus on turntable ladders but also on fire engines, forest fire vehicles, and special vehicles. Designed to equip over a hundred vehicles per year, the Chambéry site uses standardised methods to produce customised vehicles. It includes a maintenance facility for aerials and fire fighting vehicles, a customisation workshop to apply finishing to new vehicles, a tank pumper and fire hose testing station, a testing station featuring an 11-metre pit, a spare part and accessory department and an after-sales department for the global market, a showroom and a dedicated delivery area in which clients will receive their new Magirus Camiva vehicles, as well as offices for the company’s commercial and administrative services. Long-standing knowhow The forty-one employees working on the premises have acquired proven, recognised knowhow over the years. As fire fighting vehicle specialists, they equip and customise each vehicle according to its specifications. Indeed, Magirus Camiva has been established in the Chambéry area for over 60 years. Over 10,000 vehicles have been produced in Saint-Alban-Leysse’s workshops since they began operating. Thanks to Chambéry’s excellence centre, fire fighting departments will continue to benefit from the best possible services. A successful relocation The successful migration from Saint-Alban-Leysse to Chambéry took two years of intensive activity. As for Magirus Camiva’s new site, 41 of its employees are now based in its Excellence Centre. With the creation of the new center, the company will aspire to capture a leading in the market. Magirus Camiva in Chambéry Magirus Camiva customises all fire fighting vehicle equipment produced in Magirus’ plant in Ulm, Germany, and Brescia, Italy. Regardless of where the chassis was produced, Magirus Camiva equips vehicles weighing between 3.5 and 40 tons and above. Building on the combined experience of Magirus and Camiva, the new Chambéry-based Excellence Centre will provide Magirus Camiva’s customers with exclusive, customised vehicles produced in compliance with their highly specific technical recommendations. The 41 employees who now work for Magirus Camiva will strive to satisfy their demanding customers on this new site, showcasing Magirus Camiva’s knowhow in France. Magirus Camiva Magirus Camiva is part of the Magirus group, which is itself part of CNH Industrial N.V., a global capital goods leader listed in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CNHI) and the Milan Mercato Telematico Azionario (MI: CNHI). About Magirus Passion and precision, high-tech and craftsmanship: since 1864, Magirus has stood for innovation and tradition – for firefighters around the world. Providing a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art fire trucks, ladders, rescue and equipment vehicles as well as special solutions, pumps and portable pumps, Magirus is one of the largest technology leaders for firefighting technology in the world  

New simulator wing features DNV certified VSTEP Dynamic Positioning and Full Mission Bridge Simulators and type approved ECDIS classroom. The simulation center of the Technical University of Varna has officially opened its new simulation wing on May 21st, 2015. Following the opening of its simulation center in 2012, the TU Varna has known a steady growth and further expansion into a new simulator wing was required. All the simulators in the TU Varna training center are delivered and installed by VSTEP. The new wing features a NAUTIS Class B DP Simulator as well as a NAUTIS class A Full Mission Bridge Simulator and a new ECDIS Simulator classroom. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the Technical University and officials of the municipal government of Varna. The rector of the Technical University, Mr. Ovid Farhi, and the mayor of Varna, Mr. Ivan Nikolaev Portnih, were present during the opening. Simulator developer VSTEP was again the developer of choice to deliver and install its DNV certified NAUTIS simulators at the facility, including a NAUTIS DP Class B simulator and a NAUTIS Class A Full Mission Bridge Simulator. Using state of art simulation technology, the DP Class B simulator can be directly combined with the Class A FMB to form a fully multifunctional 360° Bridge setup. The bridge can also be transformed into a Full Mission Tug Simulator. In addition to the DP and FMB simulators, the existing NAUTIS ECDIS Classroom has been extended with 5 new ECDIS stations. The NAUTIS ECDIS Classroom is now fully operational to provide type approved training for all current ECDIS systems, including Maris, Kelvin Hughes, NavMaster and SevenCS’ E-Globe which are all integrated into the NAUTIS ECDIS Systems. Pjotr van Schothorst, VSTEP CEO: "The necessity and opening of this new simulator wing reminds us of the importance and growth of the TU Varna as a maritime educational facility in the region. Following our cooperation with the TU Varna simulation center in 2012, VSTEP is proud to have once again been selected as the simulator supplier for this new simulator wing. The new DP simulator and Type Approved ECDIS simulator classroom allows the TU to proceed with a very extensive and state of the art curriculum of maritime training courses." The simulation center of the TU Varna is one of the most advanced training and education hubs in the region. Simulation developer VSTEP was selected as simulator contractor for the center in 2012 and has since delivered three NAUTIS Bridge Simulators, five Engine Room Simulators, an Incident Command Simulator, a DP Simulator and a full classroom with desktop ECDIS trainers for the facility.  

Label: RESUSCITATION Title: A reflection on US and UK fire-fighters’ use of CPR Teaser: and recussitation Label: FDNY 150 YEARS Label: COVER STORY Label: THERMAL IMAGING Title: Scott Safety are leading the industry in innovative thermal imaging Teaser: AKRON BRASS Teaser: technology for the fire industry

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Mike Tarbard, EMEA Product Manager at Scott Safety, tells International Fire Buyer about the revolutionary new X380 thermal imaging camera and its applications Tell us about the X380 thermal imaging camera and the technology behind it In the market at the moment, there are quite a few thermal imaging cameras for customers to choose from. You can break them down into three basic areas: There are price-led products, traditional, standard cameras and what we believe are the more advanced products. The reason we bracket ourselves in that last category with the X380 is to do with the situational awareness of the fire-fighter. Traditional cameras are excellent for search and rescue applications, as is the X380, but with the new camera you also have the ability to understand the environment a bit more. We use the term ‘situational awareness’. The X380 has a number of features that allow fire-fighters to understand the fire environment that they are in. For instance, we have a hot-spot tracker feature, which is a unique technology that pinpoints the highest pixel on the screen to find the hottest point at the fire scene. That can be used for a number of applications. With the rise of cold-cut systems, you can use our camera as part of the process: You would use the hot-stop tracker to find the hottest spot on the outside of the building, or the hottest part of a wall, and from there you can engage the cold-cut system to pierce through that area and extinguish the fire. Hot-spot trackers can also be used to look inside the fire and find the hottest point. It can be used to understand if there is potential for the ceiling to collapse around them. By identifying the hottest (and therefore most prone to collapse) areas on the floor above, fire-fighters will know which areas to avoid walking under. Equally, the X Series cameras are fitted with a cold-spot tracker, which can be used for a range of applications. Fire-fighters can use it to determine if there is a gas leak in the environment. It can also be used in a similar way to the hot-spot to find safe places to walk. You would point it at the ground instead of the ceiling if there is a basement fire, for example, and find the coldest parts to walk across. The cold-spot tracker has also been used to locate fallen fire-fighters. The breathing apparatus system on their back has quite a cold element to it, and the tracker can home in on that as the coldest part of the fire scene. In a smoke-filled room, the cold spot tracker will hunt down the coldest point. The X380 also features colourisation technology, which is common on many thermal imaging devices nowadays. However, ours differs because it is a transparent system. It has a number of sensor modes that helps provide a complete image of the fire scene. What our product offers that others don’t is a complete scale of colours and heat temperatures as soon as the fire-fighter enters the scene. What you tend to find with the X380 is that fire-fighters are learning that the floor that they are about to crawl on, to keep as low as possible as they were trained to do, is as hot as the highest point in the room. It’s allowing them to understand the scene so much better, as the information is so clear and is coming to them at such a precise level. The difficulty we have as an organisation is allowing fire-fighters to understand the potentials for advanced thermal imaging. It’s one of those situations where they need training. We have variations of the X380. There is the standard product where you can just turn it on and perform basic search and rescue tasks, but to the trained individuals that use it more often, they can really maximise its potential and make far better tactical decisions as a result. Was the product developed based on market feedback, or were all the ideas created in-house? A mixture of both, to be honest. We have a skill set here based on over 20 years of experience in thermal imaging cameras. We were one of the key founders of handheld thermal imaging technology – in fact, our Technical Director was the inventor of them back in the early 1980s. We have had our trials and tribulations and we are now really good at manipulating the core technology to be extremely sensitive and focused on what the fire-fighter requires. Over the years we have had experience of working directly with fire crews and organisations, who put the cameras through their paces. Of late, we have worked closely with a lot of brigades who have a slightly more advanced view and can truly make the most of the capabilities of our product, and they are starting to learn and teach fire behaviour classes as a result. In that respect, the camera can be a product that all levels of fire-fighter can use. It boils down to how much you, as an individual, want to learn about thermal imaging. What are the main applications for the product? We are in the process of introducing a new telemetry system, which allows the image from the camera to be transmitted back to the command centre. In a high-rise building fire, for example, the main challenge is in actually locating the fire itself. The camera can determine quite quickly whether the fire is above you or below you, depending on the degree of heat being produced. If it’s a raging fire and you aren’t sure where it is, then the camera is sensitive enough to find the hottest spots and pinpoint where it is. The telemetry is something that, once it’s launched, is going to revolutionise the way that fire-fighters understand what is going on in scenes like that. There will be more information going down to the command centre than ever before. How do you see the

 Jon Laerdal, Managing Director of Laerdal Medical, the company that created Resusci Anne, the famous resuscitation mannequin, takes a look at the evolution of CPR & AEDs According to the American Heart Association nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrests (SCAs) occur annually.[1] In the UK approximately 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside hospital and are treated by emergency medical services (EMS) each year.[2] SCA is an abrupt loss of pulse and consciousness caused by an unexpected failure in the heart’s ability to effectively pump blood to the brain and around the body. It is usually caused by life-threatening arrhythmias, abnormalities in the heart’s electrical system. The SCA victim first loses his or her pulse, then consciousness and finally the ability to breathe. In a cardiac arrest, the heart simply loses its normal rhythm and can go into ventricular fibrillation (VF), which can happen in a few seconds. Without immediate treatment, 90-95% of SCA victims will die.[3] CPR is the most effective method of keeping a victim of cardiac arrest alive long enough for treatment to be delivered. However, the only definitive treatment for SCA is defibrillation – an electric current that ‘shocks’ the heart so that a normal rhythm may resume. On average, fewer than 8% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survive. However, survival from a SCA can be greatly improved if a bystander has access to an AED quickly [4]. If a shock from a defibrillator is passed through the heart within two to three minutes, the patient’s chances of survival will be increased by over 50%. As CPR and defibrillation didn’t come from nowhere, it’s worth retracing their formative years to help us understand current practices and outline how fire-fighters, as first responders use CPR and defibrillation to save lives on both sides of the Atlantic. Background to CPR It may be surprising to learn that CPR is a young science. It was only in 1956 that US Chiefs of Anesthesiology, Dr. Peter Safar and Dr. James Elam conducted research studies, which confirmed that life-saving resuscitation could be performed with expired air by mouth-to-mouth ventilations. The problem that lay in its application was how to train people in this skill. In 1958, Dr. Peter Safar presented his findings at a conference of Scandinavian anaesthesiologists in Gausdal, Norway, also attended by Bjorn Lind from Stavanger Hospital (Laerdal’s home town). Aware of the difficulties of training this mouth-to-mouth skill, it struck Lind that Stavanger’s own publisher and toymaker, Asmund Laerdal, should go to the US to meet with Safar to discuss the making of a mannequin. Laerdal applied all his efforts to making a complete CPR training mannequin for use to practice artificial ventilation and external chest compressions. The result was Resusci Anne. Her story is inextricably linked to the birth of modern resuscitation and her legacy continues to inspire Laerdal Medical’s mission of ‘helping save lives’. To date, it is estimated that 400 million people worldwide have been trained in CPR on this iconic mannequin. Laerdal continues to set industry standards with the new Resusci Anne QCPR and Resusci Baby QCPR mannequins, which now facilitate the means to measure and assess the quality of CPR with meaningful feedback that guides continuous improvement and retention of this critical skill. These three values now define the range of Laerdal’s CPR training and therapy solutions and the company’s commitment to support all healthcare professionals who work in the field of resuscitation and non-clinical personnel who may witness a SCA. Background to AEDs Even though the effect of electricity on muscle tissue was known in the eighteenth century its benefits to the human heart weren’t discovered until much later. The first successful (open) human defibrillation was performed by Claude Beck in 1947 on a 14 year old boy who went into VF during surgery. It took until 1979 before the first portable AED was developed. AEDs are lightweight, portable devices that deliver an electric shock through the chest to the heart and are easy to operate for someone with no medical background. The shock from an AED can stop irregular rhythm and allow a normal rhythm to resume in a heart during a SCA. Modern AEDs are small, compact machines that automatically analyse the casualty via special pads stuck to their chest. The AED will advise on suitable action through easy to follow voice prompts. If the pads are applied to someone who is not in cardiac arrest the AED will recognise the electrical rhythm and prevent a shock from being administered. Time to first shock is the most important factor to consider in order to improve the chances of recovering from a SCA. With this in mind, the long standing partnership between Laerdal and Philips has resulted in innovative solutions to improve the outcome for the SCA patient by supporting the emergency responder and general public with easy-to-use defibrillators that harness both companies’ respective expertise in quality CPR delivery and ‘Quick Shock’ technology. Philips’ FRX and FR3 defibrillators have been designed to significantly reduce deployment time by eliminating steps to help start the delivery of the right therapy, CPR or defibrillation and are familiar equipment on fire engines globally. Use of AEDs in the United States In the United States, all 50 states and the District of Columbia now include using an AED as part of their Good Samaritan laws. The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act of 2000 encourages placement of AEDs in federal buildings and ensures federal liability protection for those who acquire or use an AED to help save a life. In addition, this act provides limited immunity to persons using an AED and the purchaser of an AED. These acts vary by state, but generally, they limit the liability of rescuers using AEDs and others involved in the AED programme.[5] US fire-fighters The fire service has formally been part of the 911 emergency care delivery system since EMS began in the late 1960s. Many of the original pre-hospital EMS providers were fire-fighters, who had ‘special’