A next gen virtual training tool for emergency responders To further enhance its training courses and allow in-depth training for any thinkable incident, the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department has purchased and implemented the RescueSim virtual incident command training platform. The agreement follows an extended testing period of the simulator throughout Q1 2014. The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department (TFRD) is currently integrating RescueSim into their Training Curriculum. Lieutenant Victor Ellis and Captain Gregory Tillman from the TFRD have already been successfully trained as simulator instructors by RescueSim developer VSTEP, making them capable to lead all virtual training scenarios and exercise real-time simulator control during virtual incident training. Serving a population of 284.000, the TFRD has 18 fire stations located strategically throughout the city of Toledo (OH, USA) and is staffed by over 475 professional firefighters. In addition to responding to fires, all Toledo firefighters are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians with 160 also being certified as paramedics. Each year the TFRD responds to over 50,000 calls for emergency service including fire, hazardous materials incidents, water rescue, confined space rescue, and homeland security. RescueSim is a next gen virtual training tool for emergency responders and Fire and Rescue services that allows emergency crews to virtually train and experience a diverse range of incidents as they would in real-life. They assess the situation and determine the best response strategy, implement it and then observe the consequences of their decisions and consider effectiveness during post incident debriefing. Useful for training any thinkable incident, RescueSim also has specialized modules for incidents in ports, airports as well as industrial incidents and motorway/traffic incidents. Thomas Jaksetic, Deputy Chief of the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department: “RescueSim allows Toledo Fire and Rescue Department members to train in a safe and controlled environment (virtual world) whenever and wherever convenient. Training scenarios are limited only by instructors’ imagination. RescueSim is cost effective. For example, TFRD staff spent $55,600 in grant funds to deliver a Mass Causality full scale exercise in September 2013. This exercise was a one day event. RescueSim allows us to create that same exercise and deliver critical training lessons to an unlimited number of personnel an unlimited number of times. I am very excited about introducing RescueSim training technology to TFRD and believe it will become a training standard for Mass Causality, Incident Command, Officer Development, Hazardous Material Response, and Strategic and Tactics training. In addition, RescueSim will enhance table top and functional exercises for all involved. It was a pleasure working with international sales representative Jeroen Boon. His knowledge of the product and teaching ability is outstanding. I look forward to working with VSTEP sales and support staff to help train our personnel in safe environments.” For more information about The Toledo Fire & Rescue Department, visit www.toledofirerescue.com

About 600 people were evacuated About 600 people were evacuated after a fire broke out at a market in Camden, north London. Firefighters were called to the Stables Market after the blaze broke out at about 20:00 BST. It was brought under control about two hours later. London Fire Brigade (LFB) sent 10 fire engines and more than 70 firefighters to tackle the blaze. The Stables Market is the largest of a number of markets in Camden, selling books, clothing, and jewellery. A nearby supermarket was also evacuated. Shortly after the fire broke out, LFB tweeted: "The fire at Stables Market on Chalk Farm Road can be seen from miles around." It later tweeted: "Fire is in the roof voids of the shops at Stables Market in #Camden. We’ve stopped the fire from affecting the overhead passenger train line." David Byard, who works in the Barfly pub opposite the market, said: "We noticed thick black smoke billowing from the market. The fire brigade were at the scene with a hydraulic platform." He said that the fire appeared to have been put out by about 21:00 BST. Ash Jones, who was in a pub close to the market, said: "An alarm went off and we were evacuated. Buses were abandoned as the roads were closed and 200 or 300 people were left standing in the street." The Metropolitan Police confirmed Chalk Farm Road had been cordoned off at Camden High Street. The market is located in the historic former Pickfords stables and Grade II-listed horse hospital which served the horses pulling Pickfords’ distribution vans and barges along the canal. Many of its stalls are set in large arches in railway viaducts.

For the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Insitu Pacific has conducted a successful demonstration for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) using the ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The demonstration took place in January over the Wollemi National Park, 150 km northwest of Sydney, where fires have burned more than 35,000 hectares of bushland since December 2013. Insitu Pacific successfully demonstrated the operational utility of ScanEagle to monitor and report on the movement of the fire front at night – a task rarely undertaken at low altitude by manned aircraft due to the high risk factors involved. The success of the trial is attributed to a collaborative effort between Insitu Pacific and General Dynamics Mediaware. Insitu Pacific employed General Dynamics Mediaware’s next-generation video exploitation system, D-VEX, to stream full motion video imagery alongside geo-location information in near real time. Fire commanders used the imagery to assess the movement of the fire front and pinpoint the locations of high-risk spot fires well ahead of the front itself. As a result, response assets were mobilized more quickly and safely, because their position relative to the location and movement of the fire could be actively monitored from the emergency services headquarters. "This technology is a game changer for emergency services and first responders," Insitu Pacific managing director Andrew Duggan said. "We have proven systems that offer substantial capability advantages in this domain and will also enhance the safety of the personnel responding to an emergency. This event was a great success and the main objective now is to continue to work with CASA to enable flexible airspace approvals for various emergency response scenarios."

On latest gas sensing technologies Honeywell Company City Technology is one of the keynote speakers at this year’s SENSOR+TEST 2014 exhibition in Nurnberg, Germany, from 3-5 June. The international fair is held every year to showcase the latest innovations, technology and talent in sensors, measurement and testing. City, the world’s largest gas sensor manufacturer, is exhibiting at stand 607, Hall 12. Dr Keith Pratt, Principal Scientist at City, is delivering a keynote presentation on Thursday 5th June from 2-2:30pm in Hall 12 on the latest advances in electrochemical gas sensing. The content will cover City’s new long life oxygen sensors for safety and emissions and new high performance ammonia sensors. John Warburton, Marketing Leader for City, said: “2014 is an important year for City. Not only have we rebranded our company, which has been trading for over 35 years, we are also introducing some key technologies which will have a major benefits for both users and manufacturers of gas detection products. Sensor + Test, with its combination of scientific and commercial content is a great vehicle to introduce our new brand and communicate our core values of reliability, innovation and safety. Many of our key international OEM customers attend the show to gather the latest information on solutions that will help them offer more reliable and efficient gas detection products. We are expecting a great deal of interest in the new long life oxygen sensor which will extend sensor lifetime and performance in extreme environments as well as complying with the EU RoHS directive. As the leading provider of life saving gas sensing solutions, City Technology is – and always will be – committed to improving the quality of gas detection through innovative technology." The 2014 show will be run together with the 17th ITG/GMA Symposium “Sensors and Measuring Systems”. This year’s special forum topic will be “Safety and Security”. For more information please visit www.sensor-test.de

Puts data at the fingertips of first responders and emergency services personnel Safer Systems, a leading chemical emergency response solutions provider has announced the debut of Safer Mobile Response, a smartphone and tablet supported application integrating the 2012 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2012) with the power of Google Maps, Google Traffic, and live weather updates and forecasting. The app puts data at the fingertips of first responders and emergency services personnel first called to the scene of a dangerous goods incident. The app is now available for free via iTunes or the Google Play store. ‘First responders the world over have come to recognize the ERG as a trusted source for initial protective action distance information and response guidance. That crucial ‘but static’ printed information is now freely available for download onto smartphones and tablets where they are brought to life in Safer Mobile Response,’ said Safer Systems President Allen Edmund. ‘Safer Mobile converts the ERG protective distance charts into visual hazard zone plots and identifies key points of concern at risk using Google Maps and Google Places.’ ‘The app takes the widely accepted ERG hazard zone guidance to the next level with real-time weather and traffic data to help responders plan their way to the incident scene and identify key municipal amenities at risk,’ said Safer System Vice-President of Sales and Marketing, Bob Gerow. ‘SAFER Systems has taken the guide and facilitated access to its crucial information by putting it on platforms that most responders have continuous access to, to help ensure the information is available, anywhere, anytime.’

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Label: Power Plants Title: Inspection, testing and maintenance of fire systems Teaser: Power plant protection is often out of date Label: Aviation Label: Mark Fletcher Label: Detection Title: Fire safety in hotels Teaser: The cost of fire versus the cost of assets Teaser: The need for greater awareness of the risks

Ensuring the safety of guests is naturally a fundamental requirement for all hotel owners, operators and licensees. The possibility of fire in any hotel should always be a concern, particularly given the impact that even the smallest outbreak might have. Apart from the obvious threat to the lives and safety of hotel guests and staff, fire can cause consequential damage that will pose a risk to the longevity and the brand values of the hotel itself. Destruction of the fabric of the building caused by even the smallest fire may well be expensive to rectify, but the harm to the hotel’s reputation might be even greater. It will also undoubtedly take much longer to repair.The installation of an inadequate fire system on the other hand, might well bring with it the unwelcome nuisance of false or ‘unwanted’ alarms. The disruption caused when alarm bells or sounders ring unnecessarily – or when full-scale evacuations are wrongly undertaken – can also have a lasting and damaging effect on any hotel’s business continuity. So, like their guests, hotel operators also need the assurance that the hotel is safe and well protected. This invariably means the implementation of a reliable, integrated fire protection system that offers the earliest and most dependable detection, along with timely evacuation concepts and clearly defined escape routes. Fire statistics for hotels and motels Statistics show that perhaps fire safety needs to be given greater priority by some hotel owners and chains. An average of one in every 12 hotels in the US* reported a fire every year1 and an estimated average of 3,700 structure fires in hotels and motels is reported annually, resulting in associated yearly loss of 12 deaths and injury to 143 other people1. 12% of fires in hotels and motels are said to have begun within guests’ rooms and – of all civilian deaths resulting from fires in hotels and motels – fires starting in guests’ rooms have accounted for 72% of the resulting deaths of guests and staff1. Smoking materials have been found to be the cause of the initial outbreak of fire in 79% of these civilian deaths1. Indeed, the blaze that swept through the Parco dei Principi in Rome in May 2004 that resulted in three people losing their lives, is thought to have been started by a cigarette2. In the Grand Park Avenue Hotel in Bangkok in March 2012, two people died in a fire probably caused by an electrical short circuit3 and one month later in Cornwall, England, the Falmouth Beach Hotel was completely destroyed by fire4. More than 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at the four-storey, 120-bedroom Best Western property but were unable to prevent the fire spreading throughout the building fanned by gale-force winds and causing the roof to collapse. In the USA alone, the cost of damage to hotel property averages, in simple monetary terms, around $127 million (£75 million) every year1. A safe and pleasant stay Fire prevention in any hotel should at the very least involve ensuring the installation of adequate fire detection systems in guests’ rooms, public and ‘back-of-house’ areas, as well as implementing safe working practices in high-risk areas such as the kitchen. According to statistics*, cooking equipment is involved in nearly 45% of all fires1. However, operators and guests alike also need to know that the guests will enjoy their stay. This, of course, includes the guarantee of a good night’s sleep on the hotel premises without disturbance – or the rude interruption of a ‘false’ fire alarm. False alarms are disruptive and irritating, but more importantly, they undermine the credibility of any genuine alarm. Any installed detection system needs to be accurate, reliable and ‘intelligent’ – that is, capable of detecting the earliest stages of a smoldering fire anywhere in the hotel to provide assured protection of the lives of guests and staff alike. Yet the same system must also be capable of differentiating steam from smoke and other deceptive phenomena to prevent the triggering of those unwanted alarms. The protection of guests’ assets and valuables is important, too. When staying at a hotel, the most valuable asset that guests bring with them is usually their motor vehicle. Therefore, hotel car parks should be adequately covered by any fire protection system, not only to protect the vehicles and assets contained therein, but also to protect the integrity of the building. This is because car park fires are capable of generating temperatures sufficiently intense to cause damage to even reinforced concrete structures. Car parks should also be fitted with systems to detect, alarm and deal effectively with the build-up of carbon monoxide to protect guests from high concentrations of the gas. Fire safety in corporate chains In the constant struggle to attract and retain custom, some operators find themselves faced with a dilemma if they have limited capital to invest. Should they spend more on protecting customers and ensuring their safety regardless of cost – or should they, for instance, make their hotel/s more appealing by investing in more attractions and customers services? Or should they keep expenditure to a minimum in order to sustain their competitiveness and maximise profits? Sometimes the latter approach leads to the investment made in fire safety standards to meet only the basic requirements of the relevant national legislation. Yet others rely heavily on the continued support of their corporate customers whose expectations and demands are very much on the rise. As a result, many travel managers now, as a matter of course, insist on the highest safety standards, with 25%** refusing to book rooms with hotels that do not have the highest standards of fire protection for their guests. Global brands operating across multiple geographical locations face even bigger problems when dealing with fire safety. In different countries throughout the world, the implementation, use and maintenance of fire protection solutions will be stipulated by many different regulatory authorities. Simply keeping abreast of all the legislative advances of the different bodies, along with the constantly changing technologies

Fire hazards such as large quantities of fuel, combustible/flammable liquids, electrical hazards, combustible dusts, and warehousing are common in electric power generating plants. Although fires are not a daily occurrence, they usually will cause severe property damage and business interruption. Many power generation plants are ten to 20 years old, and sometimes the fire protection equipment systems have not received attention since they were installed. If these systems are needed, however, they are counted upon to perform reliably and protect vital plant equipment from fire. Fire protection systems are a combination of mechanical and electrical components and, like power generation equipment, need regular attention. In addition, some people in charge of fire protection do not have an adequate knowledge of necessary inspection and testing frequencies, or they use the minimum frequencies prescribed by their authority having jurisdiction. For example, some jurisdictions only require annual water flow alarm tests on sprinkler systems, a frequency which is considered inadequate by most fire protection professionals. The information contained in this article is based on the current standards established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the most widely used in North America, and generally accepted guidelines. Most fire protection systems are designed and installed according to these standards. Unfortunately, information on inspection, testing and maintenance is not contained in a single standard but is contained within the various system-specific standards, making it cumbersome and difficult to obtain an overview of the tasks which need to be accomplished. Other codes and standards such as UBC, UFC, BOCA, OSHA and MSHA also address fire protection, but their contents are usually based on NFPA documents and may not address testing/maintenance requirements. Members on the NFPA technical committees comprise a wide range of fire protection expertise and include representatives from manufacturers, testing laboratories, users, authorities having jurisdiction and insurance companies. Adherence to NFPA standards will satisfy most jurisdictions and insurance companies. Getting started The first step in establishing an inspection, testing and maintenance programme is to generate a list of all the fire protection systems at the plant. These typically range from portable extinguishers to detection systems and automatic suppression systems. Once this list is complete, plant management needs to decide which tasks will be completed by in-house personnel and which will be contracted out. This will depend on the number and complexity of the systems as well as the availability and qualification of in-house personnel. In some areas, state law dictates that any physical testing of fire protection equipment must be performed by a contractor with an appropriate state-issued license. A telephone call to the state fire marshal’s office should clarify this issue. The next step is to determine the frequencies of the tasks. The guidelines in this article will help to establish these. Other sources for determining frequencies include the property insurance carrier or an independent fire protection consultant. Keep in mind that different carriers have different requirements, although the gist is usually the same. Then, a documentation system needs to be implemented. This can consist of paper forms, a computerised preventive maintenance programme (PM), or a modern bar code scanner system. Bar code scanners with their associated software prompt the inspector to report to each assigned station and to input the required data, thus making this type of system a valuable tool for larger plants. Once the round is completed, data from the bar code scanner is downloaded into a personal computer. The associated software then generates reports and highlights any discrepancies, which should be reviewed by plant management. Documentation Documentation is an essential part of a good programme. The information contained on the reports should accurately reflect the tasks performed. The reports should be clear, concise, and well organised. For example, a work order stating ‘sprinkler inspection’ is not adequate because it does not provide information about alarms, system pressures, riser condition, etc. Although there is no ‘universal’ report form, NFPA standards, fire protection manufacturers’ associations and property insurance carriers publish forms which can be tailored to a particular application. Whichever method of documentation is chosen, the records should be thoroughly reviewed by management for discrepancies, acceptability of the results and any problems noted. The records should be filed in chronological order in an accessible location for review and use by other parties, such as for jurisdictional inspections and insurance company surveys. The usually required record retention time is three to five years. These records can also be used for trending analysis. Impairments An impairment is an expression for a fire protection system which is out of service. Impairments fall into two categories: planned and concealed. A planned impairment is usually the result of maintenance or repair; a concealed impairment is usually inadvertent. Frequent inspections help to prevent concealed impairments. Whenever an impairment occurs, several procedures need to be followed. First, the person responsible for safety/fire protection should be notified who should then inform the plant manager. Then, appropriate third parties should be notified such as the fire department, alarm company and the property insurance carrier. The severity of the impairment must be analysed by management. There may be alternative methods of fire protection available while a primary system is impaired or the decision to take the affected equipment out of service may need to be made. Before the system is taken out of service, the affected area should be secured. This would include stopping hazardous activities, shutting equipment down and posting a fire watch. A conspicuous tag should be attached to the system’s control valve to remind personnel that protection is temporarily unavailable, and to turn the system back on after the work has been completed. HSB Professional Loss Control provides its clients with impairment pamphlets, impairment stickers for fire protection equipment and red impairment tags. Microbiologically Induced Corrosion (MIC) A phenomenon found recently across the United States, but mainly in the Southwest and West, this condition has caused premature corrosion in sprinkler system piping and heavy tuberculation (scale which inhibits water flow). Some plants have reported that five-year-old sprinkler piping