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Tyco Acquires Westfire..

Tyco Acquires Westfire, Will Fold It Into SimplexGrinnell

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November 14, 2013 | Comments (0) | Post a comment

Tyco announced today it has acquired Westfire Inc., a provider of fire protection services with operations in the United States, Chile and Peru. Westfire, which specializes in hazard analysis as well as system design, installation, testing, inspection and maintenance, will become part of Tyco SimplexGrinnell.

The acquisition will strengthen SimplexGrinnell’s ability to meet the special hazards fire protection needs of customers in the mining, telecommunications, energy and data storage industries, according to a press release.

"Westfire is a powerful addition to Tyco's capabilities. It expands our service footprint and recurring revenue base along with adding a highly-skilled and experienced team of engineers and technicians. In addition, we are adding vertical market expertise in special hazard detection and suppression applications," says Brian McDonald, Tyco's COO for Installations & Services.

Westfire’s U.S. operations are concentrated in the Western United States, with offices located in Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Seattle. SimplexGrinnell has more than 100 company-owned and operated offices in the U.S., including offices serving the territories covered by Westfire. The company is expected to generate approximately $80 million in annualized revenues in fiscal year 2014, according to Tyco.

“Westfire’s engineering, installation and service expertise, combined with Tyco SimplexGrinnell’s comprehensive special hazards capabilities, creates an exceptional combination of solutions to help customers throughout North America,” says Bob Chauvin, president of SimplexGrinnell. “In addition, this acquisition expands Tyco’s service capabilities for the mining industry in Chile and provides an entry into the Peruvian market, both of which are important growth markets for Tyco.”

The transaction closed on Nov. 8. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

 

To view the original article click here: http://www.securitysales.com/channel/fire-life-safety/news/2013/11/14/tyco-acquires-westfire-will-fold-it-into-simplexgrinnell.aspx

FSSA NEWS

DOT vs NFPA REQUIREMENTS FOR TESTING OF SYSTEM CYLINDERS Do DOT Regulations or NFPA Standards require fire system cylinders containing gaseous fire extinguishing agents to be periodically removed from service, emptied and hydrostatically tested? Please click here to download the White Paper* from the Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA) to help you answer that question. *This document provides general guidelines and is not intended to provide all information necessary to determine test requirements for all cylinders. Always refer to the most current equipment manufacturer’s instructions and recommendations, DOT regulations, NFPA Standards, along with other codes and regulations that may apply.*

FSSA HAS NAMED NEW VICE CHAIR OF MANUFACTURERS DIVISION The recently vacated Vice Chair of the Manufacturers Division  has been filled.  A vote was conducted by the principle Manufacturers and the results are in. The FSSA would like to congratulate and welcome Kevin Murray of Siemens Industry to the Board of Directors.

FSSA 2014 ANNUAL FORUM REGISTRATION IS OPEN The FSSA 32nd Annual Forum registration is now open.  Mark your calendar for February 22 - 25, 2014 in San Diego, CA. Click here to make your reservation now.  Sponsorship opportunities are still available. The forum agenda is currently being crafted by the Program Committee and may be viewed here.  Stay tuned for more updates!

PASSING OF CHARLES WILLMS Charles Fredrick Willms, 84, passed away September 14, 2013. Born in Hudson County, NJ, on June 28, 1929, he was the son of the late Sadie and Fredrick Willms. An award winning rifleman, Charles served in the US National Guard, and was honorably discharged with the rank of Master Sergeant. Charles attended NJ Institute of Technology where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering. A registered professional engineer, he was a member of the Tau Beta Phi National Engineering Honor Society, Phi Tau Sigma, ASME, CGA, IAC, US TAG, and served as technical director of the FSSA, and chairman of the NFPA. Charles worked as Director of Engineering for Fire Protections Systems for Walter Kidde, in NC, and was then self-employed as a Product Liability Consultant for fire protection products. He enjoyed playing the drums and spending time with his family. Charles was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 58 years, Maryann E. Willms. He is survived by his loving daughter, Beverly, of Raleigh, NC; son, Roger, and his wife, Melinda, of Charlotte; grandchildren, Dean and Madolyn, of Charlotte; brother, Fred Willms, of NJ; and several nieces and nephews.

FSSA TRAINING PROGRAM The FSSA Training program is live!  If you reserved a spot at the forum invoices were emailed in May. For questions regarding the training program or to reserve your space, please contact Vince Mullhausen at FSSA HQ.   Information was received via email from the FSSA publication "Annunciator." To join the distribution list please visit http://fssa.net/

Thank YOU!

In the spirit of being thankful this season, A-Gas RemTec would like to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone that helped make all of our trade shows this year a success. Without our loyal customers and friends we would not be able to provide all of the services and products that we do!


Please keep in mind that we want to purchase any Halon 1301 you may have to get rid of before the end of the year! Let us boost your numbers and pad your wallets for the upcoming Holiday season!!! 

Updated Green Team!!

Bulk, Recharge, Refurbish!

GAFSED Scholarship Program- ENTER NOW!

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATION ENTRIES FOR THE GAFSED / RANDY CARLISLE MEMORIAL EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM YOU'RE A WINNER!!! Well you could be, if you have a child entering college or already a college student! Those of you in attendance at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Conference Center, for the September continuing education classes sponsored by GAFSED, have heard the announcement that the GAFSED / Randy Carlisle Memorial Scholarship   program has been rolled out! The GAFSED Board of Directors wants to make sure all of our members know about this awesome opportunity of winning a chance to help pay for your college education, or your child's education beyond high school. The average cost of college books per year is $800.00 and up; so $1,000.00 can sure help to ease the financial burden placed on college students and their families. It's just our way of giving back to you the membership and to say "Thank you" for all you do for our association and this industry. The winner of this $1,000.00 scholarship will be awarded in March of 2014.       The cut-off date for submitting an application AND essay is December 31st, 2013. Applicants must be between the ages of 17 and 25 AND be an employee, a child of an employee, or owner, of an Active GAFSED member in good standing. The application and details are on the GAFSED website,Find the "Scholarship" link and simply click to get started! Visit our web link  RC MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM In closing, as I picture Randy with a huge smile on his face ... full of enthusiasm, I can still hear him say, "...never let an opportunity to learn something pass you by." So, with those encouraging words we hope you will take advantage of this opportunity and make the most of it! Thanks again, and Good Luck! Your GAFSED Education Scholarship Committee DAWN BODEN,  ADMIN@GAFSED.COM

Life Kit for Battery Fires on Aircrafts.

SpectrumFX Making the LIFE Kit Available to Airlines Worldwide to Fight Lithium Battery Fires in the Cabin of Commercial Aircrafts

Lithium battery fires aboard commercial airlines are a new and dangerous threat.

Tulsa, OK, October 02, 2013 --(PR.com)-- In the preceding 10 years, fire safety and fire potential aboard commercial aircrafts has changed and the challenges faced by the aviation industry to put these fires out while airborne have increased 10 fold.

Just a few years ago technology brought aboard commercial passenger airlines did not include: cell phones, lap top computers, DVD players, Readers or iPads. All of these everyday use devices can cause a new risk of fire and explosion in the passenger cabin and in cargo shipments. All of these devices and much more use the battery technology of Lithium and Lithium-ion batteries – these batteries pose a new threat aboard our commercial airlines.

Certified and aboard our commercial airlines to fight most contingencies of fires is an extinguishing product referred to as Halon, a commercially available agent that will extinguish a multitude of fires using last century technology and science. However the FAA also states; “…Halon 1301, the fire suppression agent found in Class C cargo holds, ‘is ineffective in controlling a lithium metal cell fire’ and lithium metal battery explosions can lead to 'rapid fire spread' in cargo compartments.”[1]

The range of Halon products now being used in the airline industry are no longer manufactured. By worldwide treaty Halon is being phased out because of its ozone depleting properties.[2]

A small Aviation Safety Company in Tulsa, OK, SpectrumFX, Inc., is taking new steps to offer groundbreaking safety measures to control this new risk of fire danger. SpectrumFX is now marketing its biodegradable agent in a product called the LIFE Kit. This Kit, to be carried on board, is the first known product that will assist the cabin crew in extinguishing a Laptop or other fire caused by Lithium-ion batteries aboard airlines worldwide.

For more information you may contact SpectrumFX at info@spectrumfx.net or call 918-392-9799 and you can visit their website at www.spectrumfx.net

[1] AVFLASH NEWS October 8, 2010

[2] http://www.epa.gov/ozone/intpol/

Read the full story here: http://www.pr.com/press-release/517853

A-Gas RemTec- Shipping

Check out this video on proper shipping of Halon cylinders. For more video's about what we do and how we do it, please find us on youtube!

Clean Agent System Bottle Inventory

9/11/01

In Honor of all who serve, near and far. 

All gave some, Some gave all... May we never forget.

 9/11/01

Airbus Wins Greentec Award for Innovative Fuel Cell Project

Airbus Wins Greentec Award for Innovative Fuel Cell Project

02 SEP 2013

Airbus’ has been awarded with the GreenTec Award 2013 for its research activities to integrate fuel cell technology into commercial aircraft. The “Multifunctional Fuel Cell Integration” analyses the replacement of the auxiliary power unit (APU) and the ram air turbine (RAT) with a fuel cell.

Günter Butschek, Airbus Chief Operating Officer said: “Airbus has always been a driver in making aviation more environmentally friendly and invests around €2bn per year in research and development to improve our aircraft’s performance. We are on track to meet the aviation industry’s short-term environmental targets that include sustainable and carbon neutral growth from 2020. Fuel cells are one of the most promising step change technologies to make our aircraft even more efficient, cleaner and quieter. The recognition of our fuel cell project at the GreenTec Awards underlines the relevance of our activities. I thank our partners and congratulate the whole team on this great achievement.”

Airbus’ fuel cell research activities focus on ‘multifunctional fuel cell’ systems which not only supply the aircraft with electric power, but also make efficient use of the by-products in various aircraft systems. The electrical energy can be used both for conventional aircraft systems but also for main engine starting and emission-free autonomous ground operations at airports. In parallel, the inert nitrogen gas replaces common halon-based fire suppression systems for the cargo hold and may be used for inerting the fuel tanks. Finally, the water can be used for the water supply system of the aircraft. Another benefit is the significant reduction in overall aircraft weight – hence reducing fuel burn and emissions in flight – as well as reducing noise and emissions during ground operations at airports.

The GreenTec Awards are awarded each year for projects on eco-management and environmentally friendly technologies. The jury is composed of experts from various areas like engineering, economy and media and is supported by representatives from the economy, science, politics and media.

     

Source: Airbus.

- See more at: http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/news-events/news-archive/2013/september/airbus-wins-greentec-award-for-innovative-fuel-cell-project#sthash.bs0oXQRP.dpuf

Recycling Center Fires Causing Huge Health Risk

Recycling Centre Fires Causing Huge Health Risk

Rob Ratcliff, Content & Community Manager
23/08/2013

A spate of blazes at recycling centres raises the question of whether our drive for sustainability comes at a price.

The night sky is painted orange, and a dark silhouette hovers on an aerial platform, spraying water into the light, tackling a blaze that has been burning for almost three days already. This isn’t a wildfire, or a building burning, but tonnes of waste waiting to be recycled.

The fire at Bredbury Recycling Centre, near Manchester, is one of at least five that IFSEC Global has been made aware of in August so far. It broke out on Tuesday night, and as of Friday afternoon shows little sign of abating. In his latest update, station manager Paul Whittaker speaks of meeting with the police, the environment agency, and the council "to develop a plan for the bank holiday weekend."

Meanwhile in Nottinghamshire, just yesterday, a fire broke out at another recycling centre for the second time in three weeks. The first blaze was sparked on Saturday, August 3, and took them over a week to bring under control. Then yesterday, a second fire broke out in another part of the recycling facility in Worksop.

So what is going on? Why are there so many fires, why do they last so long, and don’t they present a risk to public health and safety?

Difficult to tackle
The why is difficult to answer, but undoubtedly the vast amount of combustible waste, stored in close proximity and in tightly packed conditions, is a huge contributor and has a large amount to do with why the fires last so long.

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue’s Bryn Coleman explained the problem with the first fire at Worksop:

The fire is seated deep within a large amount of household waste therefore simply putting water onto it meant that only the top was being damped down, while the rest of it was still burning. The more water we put onto it, the more smoke there is, and clearly this is a concern for anyone living nearby.

In most cases firefighters are able to contain the fire and extinguish the majority of the visible flames, but the fire will continue to smoulder underneath the surface. The tactics that officers then use will be to turn the bales and damp them down gradually. Coleman explained on Friday, August 9:

At a meeting on site today, it was decided that the best way forward is to break down the burning rubbish into smaller chunks, damping it down as we go. The site owners will spend the weekend clearing enough space on site for us to do this, and our crews will return on Monday to continue the fire fighting operation.

For firefighters to leave the blaze, which is under control but still burning, is common in these incidents, but it shows how vast an operation this can often be.

Public health

Another significant problem with these blazes is the public health concerns. Many recycling centres are in central locations, unlike landfill sites, which are usually in an area with a lower population density. When these fires break out, Public Health England has to issue its usual advice. Indeed, we found this on each of the reports we read about recent blazes:

Smoke consists of a mixture of gases, liquid droplets and solid particles representing the decomposition and combustion products from fires. Any smoke can be an irritant and as such, if people have to be outdoors, they are advised to avoid outside areas affected by any smoke or ash or to limit the time that they spend in them.

Some of the substances present in smoke can irritate the lining of the air passages, the skin and the eyes. Respiratory symptoms include coughing and wheezing, breathlessness, sputum (phlegm) production and chest pain. If symptoms occur, people should seek medical advice or call NHS 111.

All of this means that firefighters have to work with scientists in order to test the air quality and the makeup of any smoke-carried debris. #smethwickfire

The scale of the problem facing fire services and public health officials was really underlined by a massive fire in Smethwick, near Birmingham, on June 30, believed to have been caused by a Chinese lantern. The incident was classed a “major incident” and saw 429 calls made to the emergency services -- more than three times the daily average. The fire could reportedly be seen over 40 miles away.

In the weeks following the incident, West Midlands Fire Service produced a remarkable video collating all of the data and information it had on the major incident. In response, the issue of Chinese Lanterns was debated in Parliament, and High Street shop Poundland stopped selling them. At the end of the video they make the point that there are 57 recycling centres in the West Midlands alone, which underlines the potential for incidents continuing to stretch fire service resources.

Around 20 fires have struck West Midlands recycling centres this year so far with another breaking out on Monday, August 5.

With so many recycling centres to protect from fire, how long will it be until firefighters are unable to contain the blaze within the confines of the site? With cuts facing fire services across the country, don’t we need to tackle the causes of these fires before serious harm is done to a community?

Click Here for the original Link : http://www.ifsecglobal.com/author.asp?section_id=414&doc_id=560952

Fire Extinguisher Accident

Freak accident with fire extinguisher

Posted: Aug 28, 2013 9:33 AM EDTUpdated: Aug 28, 2013 9:33 AM EDT

13abc.com Bill Hormann - email

 

Tom Orvis of Plainville, Conn., is fortunate he wasn't in the wrong place when a fire extinguisher flew nearly a quarter-mile through the air and into his house. Connecticut officials say a machine operator was cutting beams at a metal recycling company Tuesday and accidentally cut into the extinguisher, causing it to explode. Orvis says he was in the kitchen when he heard a loud noise, and now has a small hole in his roof. The company says it'll fix the damage.

Click the link for the original story from 13ABC.com : http://www.13abc.com/story/23276652/freak-accident-with-fire-extinguisher

Just a friendly PSA, remember that extinguishers can be dangerous if they are not handled properly!

We here at A-Gas RemTec hope you all have a safe and wonderful Labor Day Weekend!!! 

Sorry to announce

 

FSSA regrets to announce the passing of Philip DiNenno, president of Hughes Associates, Inc., and a member of the NFPA Board of Directors, died on August 18, 2013. He was 60 years old.

DiNenno had a long professional history in the fire protection industry and with NFPA, serving on many Technical Committees, including Gaseous Fire Extinguishing Systems, Merchant Vessels, Water Mist Fire Suppression Systems, Halon Alternative Protection Options, Fire Investigations, and Fire Tests. He served on NFPA’s Standards Council from 1998-2007 and was Chair from 2002-2007. In 2011, DiNenno received the Paul C. Lamb Award from NFPA in recognition of his volunteer spirit, leadership skills, tact and diplomacy, and dedication to the goals of NFPA. In 2013, his outstanding contributions to fire safety and the development of codes and standards were recognized when he received the NFPA Standards Medal. DiNenno spoke at several FSSA Annual Meetings both as a presenter and panelist.

He began work at Hughes Associates in 1985. Previously, he worked as a fire protection engineer at Benjamin/Clarke Associates and Professional Loss Control, Inc. He was a registered professional engineer in Tennessee and Arizona and held a B.S. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland, where he also lectured from 1977-1990.

The family will receive friends at Pritts Funeral Home and Chapel, 412 Washington Rd., Westminster MD on Wednesday from 6-8pm and Thursday from 2-4pm and 6-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday at 11:00 am at St. John Roman Catholic Church, 43 Monroe St, Westminster MD. Interment will be at Meadow Branch Cemetery, Westminster.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Phil DiNenno's memory to the Carroll Hospital Center Foundation, for the development of the new Cancer Center, 200 Memorial Ave., Westminster, MD 21157 or to the Ivymount School for Autism, 11614 Seven Locks Road, Rockville, MD 20854.

We now have Halotron I!

Due to an increasing demand, A-Gas RemTec would like to announce that we now carry certified Halotron I™ and HFC-236fa in bulk! Our customer's needs are always our first priority, so when you ask, we deliver!

As the Halon supply continues to diminish, we will continue to provide you with the most effective clean agent alternatives in the market.

FSSA ANNUAL FORUM!

FSSA 2014 ANNUAL FORUM - SAN DIEGO

 

SAVE THE DATE!

 

The FSSA 32nd Annual Forum location is confirmed.  Mark your calendar for February 22 - 25, 2014.

 

Book your hotel reservations now at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort by calling 1-800-815-6397 and just mention the FSSA Room Block.  FSSA has a special group rate of $219/per night.

 

Thank you FFEDA

A big THANK YOU to Bill Johnson- President of FFEDA, for this very nice card. We are always so excited to help the state associations grow and  be able to continue to help our industry. Happy 50th Anniversary FFEDA, and THANK YOU for having such a wonderful organization for us to be able to support!!!

New Aircraft Emergency Training

PRESS RELEASE                   08/01/2013 For Immediate Release Contact: Barbara Haas 817-409-1100 ARFF Working Group

NEW TRAINING GUIDE HELPS AIRLINES AND AIRPORT FIREFIGHTERS CREATE THEIR OWN PROGRAMS FOR AIRCRAFT EMERGENCY RESPONSE   UPS, Independent Pilots Association team up with the Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting Working Group   Grapevine, TX, August 01, 2013:  The Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting Working Group (ARFFWG), in concert with UPS Airlines and the Independent Pilots Association (IPA), is pleased to announce the Facilitator's Training Guide for aircraft emergency response.  The Group developed this computer based training (CBT) module for airline, airport or ARFF personnel to facilitate training between aircraft operators and local airport fire departments.    "Several years ago, UPS and the IPA recognized the need to share freighter aircraft - emergency response knowledge with local air rescue departments, so we began a training program, " said Jess Grigg, UPS A300 pilot and IPA representative to the working group.  Since then, we have provided hands-on instruction to over 45 ARFF departments across the US, Europe, and Canada.    Through the course of instruction, UPS and IPA realized that there were many other departments that would benefit from the instruction; however, "it was simply impractical for us to reach all 550 US indexed airports, much less the remainder of the globe with commercial air service," Grigg added, "so we decided to develop this CBT."    The CBT program was not created to take the place of hands-on aircraft familiarization programs.  It is intended to provide a tutorial for the organization of an effective training session between the airline operator and ARFF, hence the title "Facilitator's Guide.  The CBT provided both guidance and helpful checklists that were developed by UPS and the IPA based upon the experiences of numerous ARFF Training events.  An essential step in the coordinated aircraft emergency response training process is to educate the first responder on emergency response methods unique to the type, size and mission of the aircraft being operated by the local airline.    "Establishing a relationship between a local ARFF department and an airline is the first step in the creation of an effective training program.  That is where the Facilitator's Training Guide comes in.  It is a step-by-step instructional module to assist in developing local training.  The benefits of on-aircraft training are multiplied by combining the ARFF department with key airline personnel at each location." said UPS Airlines fire Safety Expert Ken Hoff.  "It's not only an opportunity to train but to establish a network with key stakeholders and subject matter experts knowledgeable on aircraft and emergency response".    The CBT program will be available via the ARFFWG website at www.arffwg.org.  You do not have to be a member, but must register on the site to gain access.  The CBT is built on the Smart Builder® program that allows viewers with almost any high-speed connection and a Windows based operating system.  A tablet operating system version is expected in the future.    The Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting Working Group (ARFFWG) is a non-profit international membership organization dedicated to the sharing of Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting (ARFF) information between airport firefighters, municipal fire departments, and all others concerned with aircraft fire fighting.    The IPA is the collective bargaining unit representing the more than 2,600 professional pilots who fly in service of United Parcel Service, the world's largest transportation company.    UPS (NYSE:UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business.  Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries worldwide.  The company can be found on the web at UPS.com and its corporate blog can be found at blog.ups.com.  The get UPS news direct, visit www.pressroom.ups.com/RSS.