The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched an international research initiative to develop improved aircraft fire fighting foams. The physical and chemical behaviour of foams is crucial in fire management and this research has been initiated by the CAA on behalf of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). This research will also allow a review of more recent developments in foam chemistry which would  include more viscose foams such as those formulated with gum, more commonly associated with alcohol resistant fuels but not permitted within the current ICAO standards.

Last year the Rotterdam-based company VSTEP successfully launched a new training tool called RescueSim IIM (Industrial Incident Management). This is a virtual scenario based training tool, which enables industrial response teams to exercise in a virtual environment, saving cost and reducing hazards.

Brian Jones, UK manager for Norwegian fire detection company Autronica has noticed that the trend within the offshore industry has moved from infrared point gas detectors towards open path detectors.

High-pressure water mist systems are now widely accepted as an excellent alternative to the controversial CO2 or other gas-based systems for fire fighting in engine rooms, including total flooding and local application systems.

Groveley Detection recently launched a new concept ultrasonic gas leak detector at ONS (Offshore North Sea) 2008 in Stavanger, Norway.

In ships and marine technology fire extinguishing systems for protection of galley deep-fat cooking equipment are becoming particularly popular. Over the past 10 years the use of more efficient cooking appliances and the increased use of vegetable cooking oils has increased the level of risk. Heating cooking oil to its auto-ignition temperature (around 365 °C) can lead to a very intense fire  that is very difficult to extinguish and which can involve the inside of the hood and exhaust duct – usually covered with grease and dust – resulting in an uncontrolled fire in the galley area.

Water mist is an old technology, and physics shows the obvious characteristic where small droplets evaporate faster than large droplets. However, the attempts to use water mist for fire fighting purposes in the 1930s and the 1950s were not as successful as one might think.

HOTA offers two state of-the-art emergency response suites where incident managers can exercise disaster scenarios in the most realistic manner possible, explains General Manager of HOTA, Linda Ellis. “We can replicate any type of disaster an offshore installation might face, ranging from minor gas release, explosion and fire to full evacuation of the platform.

In Germany most petrochemical and chemical facilities run full professional fire services that attend every incident. Some just have a part time force which may receive insufficient training due to having to combine a conventional job in the plant with the function of emergency responder. “If a call comes in they get alerted to go to the scene, and then they  switch from being plant workers to firefighters,” explains Tonhaueser.

The Oshkosh Striker has gained almost iconic status in airport emergency response history, but apart from its famous angular appearance and its sheer firefighting power, a lot of thinking has gone into firefighter safety.

There are many health and safety issues to overcome with industrial firefighting vehicles. The main challenge remains the plethora of different industrial applications, says Alfred Bidlingmaier from Iveco Magirus Brandschutz Technik in Germany. “A vehicle meant for a chemical or petrochemical plant, is totally different from one that is for an assembly or production factory.”

What are the principal difficulties facing buyers in the industrial arena?

While doing everything in our power to eliminate industrial and public incidents, we can implement systems that detect the very first signs of combustion, intrusion, terrorist activity or other hazardous event.

Jeff Berman, 55, came up with the idea for an Audible Guidance Beacon after gaining a Master of Science degree in Electronic Product Design. His Master’s practical project involved building a system that enabled blind people to practise the sport of archery – the “VectorSight” enables blind archers to aim at a target with the help of eight specific sound signals.

Mobile public address systems allow emergency response personnel to give occupants of a building/train or industrial complex, additional live information about the nature of an evacuation. The system must be loud enough and powerful enough to reach all those people who need information – and who might not be linked to an existing warning system, text, email – or where an existing system is inoperable.

With a bit of luck President Bush won’t be showing his face in Dubai as part of a well-intentioned Middle East Peace Tour, as happened last year. The last-minute declaration of a national holiday resulted in extensive road closures – and only the most intrepid made it on that day.

The biannual show now is expected to attract over 25,000 visitors and 800 exhibitors from all risk management sectors you can imagine, meaning that there should be something for everyone.