FireWatch

FireWatch is a service that provides links to news stories from the fire community that have attracted our attention.

Is firefighter PPE being cleaned effectively?

Is firefighter PPE being cleaned effectively?

A newly funded research project aims to determine if current methods are sufficient for removing toxins from firefighters' personal protective equipment. Click here to read more.

NASA adapts heat shield technology to fire shelters

NASA adapts heat shield technology to fire shelters

When19 Granite Mountain Hotshots were trapped by a raging wildfire in Arizona in 2013 and died inside their emergency shelters Mary Beth Wusk, a materials expert at NASA Langley Research Center, took notice. Click here to read more.

High tech fire prevention

High tech fire prevention

A Kelowna tech company has launched a new product that can help prevent kitchen fires. Click here to read more.

Firefighters battle to change narrative around PTSD

Firefighters battle to change narrative around PTSD

Post traumatic stress disorder is a dangerous aspect of the job for firefighters. But until recently, it was rarely talked about. "You always thought you had be to macho and not accept any responsibility for what is going on in your mind," said City of Nanaimo...

Apple patents smart smoke detection system for iPhone

Apple patents smart smoke detection system for iPhone

According to a patent granted to Apple iPhones, iPads and other branded equipment could one day sport onboard smoke detection hardware to alert users, and interested parties, of a potentially dangerous situation. Apple's patent sounds a lot like similar...

Food truck fire safety hazards remain a concern

Food truck fire safety hazards remain a concern

The popularity of food trucks over recent years hasn't waned, likely due to their mobility and trendy menu items. As the food truck industry grows, so do the fire risks. The International Association of Fire Chiefs partnered with FEMA to present a webinar on Fire/Life...

How firefighters can embrace fire prevention

How firefighters can embrace fire prevention

In general, fire prevention is not a coveted assignment. Although some departments do a better job integrating prevention and community education than others, there is still an overall perception that prevention lies outside the "core" duties of a firefighter. The...

Fire chief believes photoelectric technology saved couple

Fire chief believes photoelectric technology saved couple

A pregnant woman and her husband are alive today "simply because they had the right kind of smoke detector in their home," Fire Chief Frank Zugan said. Zugan said the home was fully engulfed when the fire department arrived, three minutes after a call. The family...

Paramedics, firefighters at odds over symptom relief meds

Paramedics, firefighters at odds over symptom relief meds

A battle over whether Ontario's firefighters should be able to administer six "symptom relief" medications - including aspirin - is heating up across the province. Earlier this year, the Ontario Fire Fighters Association sent a discussion paper to the province urging...

Premier offers up cash to reduce wildfire risks to communities

Premier offers up cash to reduce wildfire risks to communities

To reduce the wildfire risk to communities, Premier Christy Clark announced a top-up of $10 million to the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative and tasked the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resouce Operations to look at ways to reduce wildfire risk through...

World’s highest pumping capacity fire engine

World’s highest pumping capacity fire engine

Ferrara Fire Apparatus has unveiled the Inundator Super Pumper, a Guinness World Record titleholder for the highest pumping capacity fire engine. The pump is a whopping four times the size of a regular fire truck pump. It debuted in June at Interschutz 2015, an...

Airbnb: where does fire safety come into play?

Airbnb: where does fire safety come into play?

Airbnb, a peer-to-peer site which matches those with accommodation to let with holiday makers and business travellers, has a network of close to 1 million properties across 190 countries. Whether you are looking for a single room for the night or a six bedroom villa...

How modern furniture endangers firefighters

How modern furniture endangers firefighters

Ironically, the most dangerous thing about an occupation that involves running into burning buildings isn't the flames, but the smoke. Cancer is the leading cause of firefighter line-of-duty deaths in the U.S. and, according to the International Association of...

Thermal Imaging Mask Will Save Lives, Firefighters Agree

Thermal Imaging Mask Will Save Lives, Firefighters Agree

Barry Lavoie, an engineer at BAE Systems, says he can give firefighters in burning buildings the gift of sight. His invention, Thermal on Demand, is a face mask and imaging system that looks like a prop from a cyborg movie. Its three thermal-imaging settings allow...

An Alternative Approach to Fire Inspections

An Alternative Approach to Fire Inspections

Most fire service leaders agree that fire prevention is far cheaper in all aspects than fire suppression. A lot of resources are required for local governments to provide fire inspections. A recent study found the majority of public buildings inspected are compliant....

Networked Heat Detector is the Future of Fire  Prevention

Networked Heat Detector is the Future of Fire Prevention

South Africa has 1.9 million people living in informal settlements. In these high population density communities, it is not uncommon for massive shack fires to erupt, spreading quickly and resulting in death and mass displacement. Lumkani, a South African based...

Toronto Illegal Rooming House Owner Fined

Toronto Illegal Rooming House Owner Fined

The owner of an illegal rooming house in Toronto’s west end has been slapped with a $60,000 fine after a fire at the home killed a tenant just under two years ago. The home’s owner will be on probation for 18 months and cannot possess or manage a rental...

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