The largest independent fire detector manufacturer in the world, Apollo Fire Detectors, has announced that it will be unveiling a new type of detecting technology during Firex in Birmingham, 11-14 May. IFJ visited the company’s headquarters in Havant, UK, to find out more about the revolutionary new detector, called MOST.
Traditional detectors are calibrated to detect airborne particulates. MOST, however, works on a different principle and detects the gases that are given off at pre-combustion stage. In theory, this means that the alarm could be given before a fire actually starts. Additionally, the detector is equally capable of detecting both flaming fires and smouldering fires, where current technology detects one or the other.

Is your site up to the latest standards? Jonathan Gilbert of Tyco Safety Products explains the jargon and offers some solutions for dust protection

By implementing an integrated fire and gas strategy based on the latest automation technology, plants can meet their plant safety and critical infrastructure protection requirements while ensuring operational and business readiness at project start-up, writes
Kees Kemps, Senior Safety Consultant at Honeywell.

Cranes, access platforms, forklift trucks and numerous other types of mobile equipment are used every day in refinery and petrochemical operations.
Malcolm Davis from safety company Pyroban explains that explosion prevention is possible and financially viable – even for short term use.

Justin Clift of Hazard Control Technologies and John Astad, Head of the Combustible Dust Policy Institute in Texas, on why complacency is not an option with dust.

What is the strangest incident you have responded to recently?
“Not long ago, a Singapore Airlines freighter due for Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing at Munich airport because the onboard detectors had gone off. When we arrived at the Boeing 747, there was nothing wrong and everyone on board was absolutely fine. We did not figure out what the cause of the alarm was until we contacted Singapore Airlines. Their first reaction to the incident was just: “Oh no, not another one!” It turned out that the jet was transporting a certain type of flower whose smell was so strong that it had set off the alarms. And this was definitely not the first time a Singapore Airlines plane had had to make an emergency landing for this reason.

Groningen Airport Eelde’s fire service in the north of the Netherlands has implemented a new way of responding to incidents which gains precious seconds for responders – Basic Tactical Reponse (BTR).

Texas Engineering Extension Service’s Chris Framsted met up with IFJ in Houston to talk about the latest developments at the famous training academy.

David O’Riley, Business Development Manager with ProjectFire, writes about sustainability in fire suppression. Not only is it possible, he argues, but it can save time and money for all parties.

Oursourcing emergency response operations can be an easy and cost-effective way of protecting a facility to the highest possible standards. Ann-Marie Knegt talked to two industry experts who live and breathe industrial fire safety and security.

Where water is a limited resource or when lower water volumes are an engineering necessity, specialist extinguishing systems such as the Fire Attack System made by ABC MacIntosh can prove invaluable.

Not having the right foam proportioning equipment could seriously hurt your bottom line.

Tom Cortina of the Fire Fighting Foam Coalition puts forward an alternative view on the Norwegian State Pollution Control Agency’s report on polyfluorinated organic compounds.

Dr Roger Klein explains the potential environmental implications of the Norwegian Pollution Control Agency’s studies on polyfluorinated organic compounds at four fire training facilities in Norway.

As one of the largest manufacturers of commercial and custom designed chassis in the USA, KME Fire Apparatus builds a full range of bodies designed to tackle all aspects of fire and rescue.

Visitors to Fire and Rescue Expo in Birmingham (12-14 May) will be given the chance to find out for themselves exactly what made Cosalt’s technical rescue suit an industry award winner at the recent Company Clothing awards (Blue Light category) held at the Hilton Park Lane, London.

Belgium-based manufacturer of protective clothing Sioen Industries has launched a number of innovative products to make marine/flood emergency response safer both for firefighters and rescue organisations.