Firefighters

The risk of further fire tragedies following the fatal Grenfell Tower blaze has been raised by leading engineering services Trade Association the ECA in its response to the ‘Raising The Bar’ consultation. In the aftermath of the tragic blaze at the Grenfell Tower high-rise block in…

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has called on the Government to undertake urgent research and take stronger action on “buildings that fail”. Buildings that were designed to have a ‘stay put’ policy have been closely looked at by the Brigade, which is now encouraging the Government…

A pamphlet issued by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and launched at the Labour Party’s Annual Conference claims that Government bears ultimate responsibility for the Grenfell Tower fire and that deregulation by consecutive administrations led to the tragedy. ‘The Grenfell Tower Fire: A Crime Caused…

In a recent study conducted by the Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA), 22% of those respondents surveyed felt there was no necessity to include sprinkler installations in industrial and commercial buildings. The reluctance to install automatic fire safety sprinkler systems in commercial and industrial buildings is…

Fiona Twycross, the Deputy London Mayor for Fire and Resilience, and the London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton are calling on the Government to tighten up Building Regulations in order to prioritise the need for sprinklers and address the shortage of skilled fire engineers. Although the…

Phase One of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has concluded and, in the closing statements, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) gave a series of recommendations. The FBU has requested a review of Fire Service procedures and training to plan for residents of all high-rise buildings to be…

The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) and the Building Research Establishment (BRE) have joined forces in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of fire doors and to help advance standards in their design, manufacture and installation. Fire doors are the first line of defence against…

Body-worn cameras may have started life primarily as a niche tool used in law enforcement and similar surveillance scenarios. However, due to enhancements such as an increase in battery power, their uses have expanded exponentially over the last few years, writes Richard Revis. They’ve been…

Firefighters in England are approximately 95% male and white. Only 5.2% of firefighters in England are women, while just 3.9% are from an ethnic minority background (BAME).With this in mind, the Home Office is launching a new campaign designed to help Fire and Rescue Services…

The rate and complexity of tall building construction is increasing worldwide, with cities forecast to house many more people in such structures as the years progress. In parallel, the tragedy that occurred at Grenfell Tower in London back in June, along with several other similar…