Exova Warringtonfire, the specialist fire engineering, testing and certification provider, has announced its latest expansion in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The move further establishes the company as one of the region’s leading providers of fire safety expertise.   With established operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Exova Warringtonfire has opened its new Qatar fire consultancy business, creating an initial five new skilled roles. The Qatar consultancy, the first independent global fire engineering specialist to establish in the city, will offer fire safety engineering and inspection.   Stuart Kerr, Exova Warringtonfire’s General Manager in the Middle East, said:   “Motivated by customer demand, this expansion will allow us to service a growing number of customers in Qatar that require technically demanding fire engineering services, and to support the Qatar Civil Defence Department.   “A mood of improved economic confidence has resulted in a rapid growth of development and investment in the region, and this, coupled with an increased focus on fire safety and regulation at a Government level, means that the time is right to formalise a presence on the ground.   “The Doha facility will significantly strengthen our Middle East offer, and underlines the recognition by our customers in the region that Exova Warringtonfire is a leader in its field.”   With extensive infrastructure investment in the country, including developments for the football World Cup in 2022, Exova Warringtonfire, which leads the market in fire engineering for mass transit facilities, is already working on buildings, stadia and metro systems to implement and engineer fire safety strategies.

The fire may have been started deliberately  Asos has confirmed that a fifth of its stock was "compromised" after a fire broke out at its main distribution warehouse. The online fashion retailer said that at the end of May the company held £159m worth of stock at cost price, with 70% of it held at the warehouse in Barnsley. Although the stock damage at cost price is estimated at around £20m, the value may exceed £30m at retail prices. The company said in a statement: "None of the technology, automation or structure of the building has been affected by the fire. "Our initial estimate is that approximately 20% of the total stock at the site has been compromised by fire damage and the sprinkler systems." "The clean-up process commenced on Saturday morning and progressed quickly. "Consequently, at 2am this morning we recommenced taking orders. We are fully insured for loss of stock and business interruption." In early stock market trades, shares were down more than 2% before bouncing back to around the session’s starting price. Customer Hannah Williams, from Birmingham, had ordered a pair of shoes on Friday for next-day delivery. "Obviously it didn’t arrive on Saturday and I’ve since received a generic letter saying it’s on its way," she told Sky News. "I’m hoping it arrives today. It’s pretty inconvenient, but I suppose worse things happen in life." The fire affected four floors of its warehouse in Park Spring Road, Grimethorpe, and led to 500 workers being evacuated after the alarm was raised at 9.50pm on Friday. After initial investigations, South Yorkshire Police determined the fire was deliberately lit and have launched a criminal inquiry. The force appealed for anyone with information to get in touch. Asos said it was "co-operating fully" with the investigation. The warehouse is thought to handle over 10 million packages at any one time. It is more than 60,000 square metres in size – bigger than seven football pitches. In early June, the fashion giant’s share price dropped 40% after the retailer issued an unexpected profit warning. At the time Asos said it would be less profitable this year due to higher promotional activity, the strong rate of growth in low-margin products, and foreign currency weakness because of the strong pound. Previously, ever since it floated on the stock exchange in 2001, it had been a darling for investors who saw its value rise sharply. Asos – which was originally called As Seen On Screen – has worldwide sales of £750m. It has been one of the most successful businesses at capitalising on the large number of British consumers who have switched from high street shopping to buying clothes online.

Including LTI ladders, platforms and tractor-drawn aerials Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. announced that it has acquired the assets of LTI, including LTI ladders, platforms and tractor-drawn aerials, Squrt and TeleSqurt boom-ladders and Snorkel articulating aerial platforms. This acquisition enhances Smeal’s product offering to the fire service, adding an extensive line of aerial apparatus to the company’s already expansive line of industry-leading steel aerial ladders, platforms, and tillers. With the addition of LTI aerials, Smeal now offers the largest selection of aerial models available to the fire service. “LTI has an outstanding reputation in aerial apparatus dating back to decades and decades, but it’s the exceptional reliability, safety and design features of their current products which make them an outstanding addition to the Smeal aerial product offering," said Mark Huber, Smeal’s president. "This acquisition provides our customers with more choices, and it provides additional opportunities for us to serve urban aerial customers who are looking for the reliability, performance and packaging of the LTI, Squrt, TeleSqurt and Snorkel lines." Huber said Smeal’s priority is to support the many fire departments that have LTI, Squrt, Telesqurt and Snorkel aerials in their fleets currently. "Smeal has brought these products into our company for the long term," Huber explained. "As a result, we understand the need to quickly provide parts and service support for these customers. We will be supporting them through an experienced aftermarket team and comprehensive parts support program with local service available through Smeal’s nationwide network of dealers.” As part of the acquisition, Smeal acquired the technical data files for units sold previously to help ensure continuity of service LTI, Telesqurt, Squrt and Snorkel customers. The newly acquired products will be integrated into the Smeal product line and available on Smeal s450 and S600 chassis and on Spartan custom fire chassis.

Offering users installation, maintenance and customisation benefits World-leading manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining and fire protection systems, Victaulic has made design improvements to its FireLock Series 745 Fire-Pac system to offer users installation, maintenance and customisation benefits. Victaulic Fire-Pac is a pre-assembled fire protection valve and trim system pre-wired to a fire alarm control panel or junction box and enclosed within a metal cabinet. The system is typically installed in airports, data centres, high-security, industrial and mining facilities, parking garages and high-rise buildings. Maintaining the same compact Fire-Pac footprint, the enhanced Victaulic Fire-Pac is now suitable for both indoor and outdoor installations. A key design improvement in the new FireLock Fire-Pac fire protection system involves moving the electrical connection box from the top of the cabinet to inside; the new lower profile (2m) now allows the cabinet to fit through standard doorways for ease of installation. New insulation and heating components enable the use of the Fire-Pac in a wider range of operating environments including ambient temperatures as low as -6°C. Weatherproofing of the FireLock Series 745 unit to NEMA 4 standards keeps out moisture and dirt for long-term durability. David Sharkey, Vice President Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia explains that a key objective of the design improvements was to reduce installation time. Several options are now available for clients to customise the Series 745 Fire-Pac system to suit their needs. These include sealed cabinets with heating and insulation options for outdoor installations, more inlet pipe and drain connection options, and a greater ambient temperature range, all within the same footprint. Customers can also choose to locate the pipe feed and drain on the left, right or bottom panels for faster connections. Hard piped water drains inside the cabinet eliminate potential leakage issues. The new panel designs offer addressable capabilities with other intelligent devices in addition to the Notifier RP-2001 releasing control panel, containing a power supply, standby batteries and battery charger. A stainless steel cabinet is also available for corrosive applications. The FireLock Fire-Pac is available in a 40-200 mm size range, incorporating any of these valve configurations: Dry – Actuated and/or accelerated; Deluge – Wet pilot, dry pilot and electric actuation; Preaction – Non-interlock, single-interlock and double-interlock; Preaction – AutoConvert preaction to dry. The Fire-Pac also includes a water supply shutoff valve, a sprinkler system fire protection valve, alarm line pressure switches, air supervisory pressure switches, optional air compressor or nitrogen connection, optional upper systems control valve and pressure gauges, viewable through the cabinet door. The FireLock Series 745 Fire-Pac is FM approved and cULus Listed; all electrical enclosures and connections are UL Listed, and all materials and wiring conform to NFPA requirements.

24 hour strike over a row with the Government over pensions The24-hour firefighter strike started at 9am today (June 12) in response to an ‘unworkable’ pension scheme. There will be a second strike on June 21 from 10am-5pm whilst fire-fighters will not carry out any voluntary overtime, which is routinely needed to maintain fire cover, between the beginning of the first strike and 9am on June 22. The two strikes will be the thirteenth and fourteenth over pensions. Today’s strike is the longest yet in a three-year campaign. Fire-fighters typically now pay £4,000 a year from a £29,000 salary, and the Government will impose another increase in 2015. The FBU say more members are considering leaving the pension scheme as a result of its decreasing affordability. Under the Government’s proposals, fire-fighters who retire before the age of 60 will have half of their pension taken away.

Metro presents Shannon with the President’s Award of Distinction The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs (Metro) Association honored James M. Shannon, president of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), with the Metro President’s Award of Distinction and the special Metro designation of Honorary Metro Fire Chief. The special honors were presented to Shannon at the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference in Baltimore, Maryland on June 3rd.   The President’s Award of Distinction is presented to a person who has gone above and beyond to promote Metro values and its mission. Honorary Metro Fire Chief status is reserved for non-members who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in fire and life safety. In the Metro’s 49-year history, Shannon is the second person to receive this honor following former NFPA President George Miller.   “Jim has been an outstanding leader at NFPA, a world leader in fire and life safety,” said G. Keith Bryant, president of Metro. “Not only has Jim led NFPA to new levels of influence, no one has done more than him to support the Metro Chiefs. In great appreciation for all he has done for Metro and the fire service as a whole, we are pleased to present him with the Metro President’s Award of Distinction.   “Further, on behalf of the Metro Executive Board and all Metro member chiefs, we honor Jim with a very special designation of Honorary Metro Fire Chief, only the second designation in our 49-year history,” Bryant added.   Shannon will conclude his 12-year tenure as NFPA president in June, with a legacy of support for the nation’s fire service. Under his leadership, NFPA has considerably advanced its mission of fire safety, better protecting the general public and members of the fire service.   Shannon spearheaded the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, which quickly led to every state passing legislation that required cigarettes to meet a specific fire safety standard. In collaboration with the fire service and others, this initiative will save hundreds of lives, including the lives of firefighters who are at risk every time they respond to a cigarette-related fire.   Following the success of the Coalition for Fire-Safe Cigarettes, Shannon intensified NFPA’s work to advocate for mandatory installation of home fire sprinklers in all new one- and two-family homes, another critical safeguard to enhance public safety and better protect our nation’s fire service.   Throughout his time at NFPA, Shannon has been an ardent supporter of the needs of the fire service, especially its ability to respond to ordinary and extraordinary events. He testified before congressional hearings, advocated for increased funding through grant and government programs, and committed the support of NFPA staff and resources to every major fire service organization in the country.   About the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs (Metro) Association The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs (Metro) Association brings together fire chiefs from large metropolitan fire departments to share information and focus on major issues effecting policy changes in the U.S. and abroad. The Metro is a Section of both the NFPA and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and its members are the fire chiefs of jurisdictions with minimum staffing of 350 fully paid career fire fighters. For more information, contact Metro Executive Secretary, Russ Sanders.   About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. NFPA develops more than 300 codes and standards to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other hazards. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.

Business headquarters/Americas manufacturing facility achieves milestone The Solberg Company, the world’s foremost innovator of firefighting foam concentrates and systems hardware announced today the company’s Headquarters/Manufacturing facility for the Americas, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin has been awarded Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification. LEED is a third party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000 through a consensus based process; LEED serves as a tool for buildings of all types and sizes. LEED certification offers third party validation of a project’s green features and verifies that the building is operating exactly the way it was designed to. Solberg’s certification process took eighteen months to complete. “At Solberg we produce the world’s most complete line of environmentally responsible foam agents. It is only appropriate that these foam concentrates are produced in a LEED factory that has zero emissions to the environment. To do otherwise would be hypocritical,” explained Solberg’s General Manager, Steve Hansen. “LEED is a direct complement to our product strategy of developing and commercializing high-performance, environmentally sustainable firefighting foam concentrates like RE-HEALING™ Foam, the first multi-certified fluorosurfactant, fluoropolymer-free firefighting foam for Class B fuel fires.” Hansen went on to say, “LEED building criteria included: sustainable sites, water efficiency, waste efficiency, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design. In short, we live the environment in everything we do.” The Green Bay facility totals 20,750 square feet (1928 m2) of floor space within two buildings located on 10 acres of land. The manufacturing / office building encompasses 16,650 square feet (1547 m2). A separate 4,100 square foot (382 m2) building – 64 ft. high (20m) is a state-of-the-art fire research and test laboratory where firefighting foam products are developed and tested to industry compliance standards. Solberg is an Amerex Corporation company with a European heritage. “Environmental commitment and sustainable operations is not new to Amerex,” stated Executive Vice President Dennis Kennedy. As a McWane Company, “our environmental legacy is not only to focus on today’s community, our goal is to protect the environment for today and tomorrow.” McWane is an active member of the USGBC board of directors at both the national and the state chapter levels to ensure sustainability remains a focus. Currently, McWane has three LEED accredited professionals on staff. Based in Green Bay, Wisconsin with operations in Bergen, Norway and Sydney, Australia, Solberg has been involved with the manufacture of firefighting foams since the mid-1970s. Solberg is recognized throughout Europe and the Asia Pacific Region for its environmentally sustainable fluorosurfactant and fluoropolymer-free products that are an innovation in Class B firefighting foam. Additionally, Solberg manufactures a complete range of traditional foam concentrates, Class A and High-Expansion foam concentrates including foam systems hardware. Solberg’s unique technology is preferred by customers in the aviation, chemical, energy, fire services, oil and gas, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, solvent & coatings markets.

Creates a provider of lifecycle building consultancy services Baltimore-based Hughes Associates and Chicago-based Rolf Jensen & Associates (The RJA Group) have announced a merger agreement. The transaction creates a provider of lifecycle building consultancy services that will include risk analysis, system design, commissioning, research, testing, and project management solutions that encompass fire protection, security, and related disciplines. “The built environment is going through a transition where engineers are involved throughout the design, development, and construction of a project,” said David Boswell, president of Hughes Associates. “In order for our business to continue the growth cycle we’ve been experiencing, we have to add the skilled and complementary services needed to fulfill the requirements that our clients are seeking. RJA brings to the table a flawless global record and reputation as well as an unprecedented staff with widespread technology expertise.” Combined, both companies have more than 79 years of experience and bring together 500 employees, offices throughout the world, and more than $100 million in revenue. Hughes Associates will now expand into a larger international footprint while RJA will utilize the extensive research and development for which Hughes is known. “This merger is mutually beneficial for Hughes and RJA,” said Martin Reiss, president of The RJA Group. “We will be able to further leverage our technical resources in order to provide even greater opportunities to service our clients. This partnership will also provide great career growth potential for our employees.” Phil Rogers will assume the position of CEO of the merged companies and will bring over 38 years of experience in facilities management, engineering, energy construction, and real estate. The transition and integration of the companies will be completed by year’s-end and will include a new name and branding. Hughes Associates is a fire protection and life safety engineering and consulting company. It offers services in the areas of fire protection engineering and design, building and fire code compliance and representation, accessibility code consulting, and fire protection systems commissioning. Hughes is a technical provider in specialized consulting, including fire research and testing, dust hazards, forensic, and risk and external hazards. Core fire protection capabilities are supplemented by electrical engineering, environmental, training, and security services. The company serves healthcare, transportation, higher education, accident and emergency services, government, DoD and DoE, power generation, transmission and distribution, historic buildings and museums, and industrial and petrochemical clients. The RJA Group is a professional consulting firm providing an extensive range of value-added engineering and construction management services on projects involving life safety, fire protection, and building codes for commercial, institutional and industrial clients worldwide. RJA is recognized as a global provider in fire protection engineering, construction management, life safety and building code consulting.

Attractive conference program supplements the exhibition The countdown for INTERSCHUTZ 2015 in Hannover has begun. Exhibitors from 38 countries have already registered. Even with about a year left to go, the International Exhibition for Rescue Services, Fire Prevention, Disaster Relief, Safety and Security is already proving to be a major magnet, with a total of four exhibition halls and the open-air site almost fully booked. This might even make it necessary to expand the site in order to meet demand. The show’s mixture of commercial and non-commercial exhibitors is entirely unique, and attendees can look forward to lots of added value thanks to a rich conference program featuring top experts and all the latest developments. Two display categories will be much-enlarged in 2015: fire prevention and “non-police hazard prevention”. The ambulance service will figure prominently. In its role as a co-promoter of INTERSCHUTZ, the German Fire Protection Association (vfdb) is planning a ground-breaking Rescue Conference. In addition, the aid organization Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe has chosen INTERSCHUTZ 2015 as the venue for its annual symposium, which regularly attracts around 600 attendees. A further new feature at INTERSCHUTZ 2015 is the central platform for rescue associations and organizations in Hall 26. This will be accompanied by a forum for product and company presentations. “Above all, the exhibitors and visitors will have an opportunity to build on their existing contacts and exchange ideas,” emphasizes Dr. Jochen Köckler, a member of the Managing Board at Deutsche Messe AG. There are similar plans for the other sections of INTERSCHUTZ. A central meeting place (located in Hall 13) is planned for the “Fire Prevention section”, while “Safety and Security” will have its own meeting place in Halle 12. INTERSCHUTZ 2015 will also host “CR!ISE – Critical Infrastructure Event”, which will take place under the umbrella of the German Fire Protection Association’s annual conference.