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Video of the Month
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| Amazing 747 Fire Suppression System |
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The Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA) will be hosting its next webinar on new technology that will lend a major hand to the future of special hazards detection.
Advanced Detection Using Video Analytics and Integration with Other Technologies
Thursday, November 21, 2019
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT
Click here to register.
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| Shareholders Green-light Raytheon-UTC Merger |
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| Pratt & Whitney Middletown facility. Credits: UTC |
10/15/19
By Harry Lye
Air Force Technology
Raytheon and United Technologies shareholders have overwhelmingly approved the two companies' 'merger of equals' to create Raytheon Technologies.
The deal will see United Technologies' aerospace business, which includes Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, merge with Raytheon. In a press release, UTC and Raytheon said the new company would "create Raytheon Technologies Corporation, a premier systems provider with advanced technologies to address rapidly growing segments within aerospace and defence".
The financial aspect of the deal is set to close by mid-2020 and will see UTC shareholders hold 57% of the company and Raytheon hold 43%. Both companies' boards of directors had already approved the deal in August.
Click
here to read more about this.
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| UTC May Have to Sell Military GPS Business to Complete Merger with Raytheon |
10/31/19
By Zachary F. Vasile
Journal Inquirer
United Technologies Corp. may have to part ways with its military radio navigation unit if it hopes to complete its pending merger with defense contractor Raytheon, company officials said.
In an emailed statement, a spokesman for UTC subsidiary Collins Aerospace said the division is "exploring the divestiture of its military GPS business" at the request of federal regulators reviewing the historic $120 billion tie-up.
Click
here to finish reading this story.
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| Multiple UTC Subsidiaries Targeted in PFAS Lawsuits |
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| John Fitz, left, and Carlos Mendez, right, field technicians for Environmental Services of South Windsor, work to contain firefighting foam found in Rainbow Brook on Oct. 7. Environmental crews have been treating the surrounding water around Bradley International Airport after hazardous firefighting foam containing PFAS was used in the B-17 bomber crash on Oct. 2. (Stephen Dunn/Special to the Courant) |
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10/14/19
By Gregory B. Hladky
Hartford Courant
At least four current or former subsidiaries of Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp. have been named as defendants in numerous lawsuits seeking damages for alleged pollution from potentially hazardous PFAS firefighting foam.
UTC-related entities that include Kidde-Fenwal Inc., National Foam, UTC Fire & Security and the company formerly known as GE Interlogix Inc. are all entangled in a massive web of federal legal actions involving PFAS pollution claims.
Finish reading this story by clicking
here.
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JCI Responds to Non-Compliance
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The City of Marinette Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), located near the shipyard, receives wastewater from five main intake lines, three of which serve the Tyco Fire Products facility. Historically, area farmers accepted accumulated biosolids from the WWTP as fertilizer for their fields. However, following the identification of PFAS-contaminated impact zones in both, private drinking water wells and Marinette's biosolids, the city halted spreading of biosolids. (EagleHerald/John Liesveld)
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10/28/19
By John Liesveld
EagleHerald Staff Writer
MARINETTE -- In the ongoing issue of per- and fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued a letter of Notice of Non-Compliance to Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) and its subsidiary Tyco Fire Products, LP Oct. 16. The notice addressed a prior request by the DNR for the implementation of a sight investigation (SI) work plan by JCI and Tyco of the fields where PFAS-contaminated biosolids from the City of Marinette Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) were spread between 1997 and 2017.
To read this article in full, click
here.
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| National Air Transport Association Says "No" to Hangar Foam |
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| With accidental hangar foam discharges such as this becoming more and more common and causing great expense to hangar keepers and insurance providers, NATA and other industry stakeholders are urging the National Fire Protection Association to remove the requirement from its next aircraft hangar standard revision. |
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10/28/19
By Curt Epstein
AIN Online
With the window on public and industry comments for the revision of the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) standard for aircraft hangars -- NFPA 409 -- set to close on November 14, the National Air Transport Association is running an online petition for the safety organization to remove the requirements for foam fire suppression systems for most business and business aviation hangars, excluding those that house inherently hazardous operations.
"Research and our members' experience indicate that foam fire suppression systems are unnecessary in most general aviation hangars," said Megan Eisenstein, NATA's director of regulatory affairs.
Continue reading this story
here.
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| Washington (State) to Incinerate Firefighting Foam |
10/15/19
By Chad Sokol
The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash. (TNS)
With the window on public and industry comments for the revision of the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) standard for aircraft hangars -- NFPA 409 -- set to close on November 14, the National Air Transport Association is running an online petition for the safety organization to remove the requirements for foam fire suppression systems for most business and business aviation hangars, excluding those that house inherently hazardous operations.
Read the full article
here.
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| Company Gaffes Delay Fire Fighters |
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Firefighters battled a massive fire at Crockett, CA, oil storage facility that was ignited by an explosion that sent a giant fireball into the air.
KTVU-TV Screen Shot
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10/18/19
By Matthias Gafni, San Francisco Chronicle
Firehouse
A locked gate, an inactive emergency fire suppression system and other issues held up firefighters battling a massive oil storage facility blaze in Crockett.
As firefighters descended on the volatile blaze engulfing two giant tanks at a fuel-storage facility in Crockett, they reached the front gate and found it locked.
And once they made it inside the facility with its 24 storage tanks, they discovered an abandoned operation: NuStar Energy's handful of workers fled the scene and the emergency fire suppression system was not activated, Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia told The Chronicle.
For additional information, click
here.
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| Is Massive Recall of Fire Alarms Possible? |
 By Larry Anderson
SecurityInformed.com
Could millions of burglar and fire alarm control units be recalled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission?
That could be the upshot when the independent agency of the U.S. government rules on a 'Complaint of Non-Conforming Products' investigation requested on behalf of a consultant/forensic expert who says he has identified non-compliance dangers and vulnerabilities related to the devices.
To read the full story, click
here.
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| Lithium Ion Batteries Fire Hazard Remains Unsolved |
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Ruins of a lithium-ion battery factory in Oelbronn-Duerrrn, Germany, remain after a March 2018 fire. There were no injuries.
PHOTO CREDIT: UWE ANSPACH/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA/AP IMAGES |
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10/23/19
By Thomas F. Armistead
Engineerings News-Record
Six months after an explosion and fire destroyed a grid-connected energy-storage battery facility in Surprise, Ariz., investigators are still trying to figure out all that happened. The incident sent eight firefighters and a police officer to the hospital, and three required extended stays.
What happened at the Arizona Public Service Co. site was a shocking reminder of the potential fire hazards of lithium-ion battery energy storage, which makes up virtually all such new systems in the U.S.
Read the full article
here.
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| Plane Catches Fire as Passengers are About to Board |
10/22/19
Wings Herald
Nearly half a thousand people who were about to get into the cabin of the Airbus A380 at the Seoul airport were evacuated successfully and put to good safety.
On Friday, October 18, there were moments of panic at the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea, when one of the engines of an airplane was engulfed in flames.
Click
here to read the full article.
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| MSHA Issues Alert on Underground Diesel Equipment Fires |
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Photo: Alfio Manciagli/iStockphoto
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10/16/19
Safety + Health
Arlington, VA -- Prompted by a fire on a diesel-powered water car in May, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert addressing fire hazards associated with diesel equipment in underground mines.
According to MSHA, the incident occurred when the vehicle's automatic and manually activated fire suppression systems failed to function properly. The vehicle had been converted to a water transport vehicle from a personnel carrier. The systems malfunctioned because an actuation hose had been damaged as a result of routing through the engine compartment. Crews extinguished the blaze using a fire hose from the water system near the conveyor belt drive. No miners were injured in the incident.
Click
here to finish reading this article.
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| FDNY Finds 4000 Tanks of Flammable Gas Stored Illegally |
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Firefighters emptied a huge cache of oxygen tanks Tuesday from behind a Queens welding company that sits just a two-minute walk from Citi Field. (Obtained by The Daily News)
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10/15/19
By Molly Crane-Newman, Thomas Tracy and Larry McShane
New York Daily News
FDNY fire inspectors averted a potentially lethal post-season blast near Citi Field, removing some 4,000 flammable gas tanks from a Queens welding company just two minutes away from the Mets' home field.
The FDNY descended on the T & T Supply Co. on Willets Point Blvd. in Flushing after an Oct. 9 inspection by the Bureau of Fire Prevention Salvage Yard Task Force uncovered the plethora of tanks, most used to hold propane or acetylene, authorities said.
To continue reading this article, click
here.
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 How Acoustics Impact Data Center Efficiency
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10/9/19
By Derek Sandahl
Bio-IT World
Data center equipment and solutions have advanced rapidly, especially around improving storage capacity and data efficiency. To keep pace with these developments, healthcare facilities are one of the many industries recognizing the benefits for advanced data storage and security, particularly for patient data. Such data is primarily stored within hard disk drives (HDDs), equipment that can successfully hold large amounts of data but can also be sensitive to vibrations from acoustic sound output. This output can emerge in the form of supersonic discharge from activated fire suppression systems, creating vibrations within HDDs and severely impacting its performance and data integrity. Other building systems and environmental factors, such as construction materials, can also increase HDD exposure to acoustic vibrations, heightening the risk of system interruption and downtime.
Click
here to read more of this article.
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| Creating a Safer Future for the Maritime Industry |
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| Coltraco Ultrasonics' CEO Carl Hunter says the maritime industry needs to do more on safety |
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10/9/19
By Lindsay James
Cruise & Ferry
Coltraco Ultrasonics' CEO Carl Hunter believes the UK government's Maritime 2050 strategy provides a good starting point for preventing catastrophic events at sea
Why are cruise and ferry ships still lost at sea? Why is sinking the main cause? Why is fire the second most common cause? And why are hundreds of seafarers and maritime professionals still dying in peace time? Why are the worst operators in our global industry still refusing to pay fair wages? These are the key issues that I believe the maritime industry could readily resolve today with greater support from leadership.
Click
here to read the full article.
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| How Boeing's Dreamliner Protects Itself From Fire |
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There are two extinguisher bottles, both of which can be used in the same engine. (Image courtesy of Boeing)
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10/19/19
By Charlie Page
The Points Guy
Fire is a serious matter whether you're in your home or in a car. It's even more of an issue when you're six miles above the ground in an aircraft. With that in mind, aircraft manufacturers and airlines themselves take this threat very seriously.
The engines have a sophisticated system of not only fire detection, but also of fire extinguishing. Pilots are regularly trained on how to deal with an engine fire, shut the engine down and land the aircraft safely at a nearby airfield.
Read more of this article
here.
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| CertaSite's Jeff Wyatt To Open Branch in Indianapolis |
10/4/19
By Merritt McLaughlin
WishTV.com8
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- A new commercial fire protection and life safety company has launched in Indy. CertaSite is led by Chief Executive Officer Jeff Wyatt, a 30-year veteran of the fire and life safety industry who says the company aims to provide customers with a "simplified and dependable solution to managing all of the fire protection and life safety systems found in commercial buildings."
Wyatt spent 25 years at Koorsen Fire & Security in various leadership positions and was the company's former president. Wyatt was recruited to lead CertaSite by The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm that is CertaSite's primary investor.
Click
here to finish this story.
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USSC Group Acquires Firestorm Fire Protection (Australia)
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 10/1/19
The National Tribune
USSC Group, (USSC), a manufacturer of custom safety survivability and technology products for the transit, military and first responder markets today announced the acquisition of Firestorm Fire Protection PTY LTD. Firestorm Fire Protection, based in Australia, manufactures and sells innovative fire suppression systems to a variety of industries including mining & heavy industry, tunnels, construction, equipment, and transport sectors.
Finish reading this article
here.
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| Sciens Acquires SmartWatch |
10/14/19
PR Newswire
Yahoo! Finance
DETROIT -- Huron Capital announced its fire detection and integrated solutions ExecFactor® platform, Sciens Building Solutions, has acquired Mount Dora, Florida-based fire, security and sound firm SmartWatch Security & Sound LLC.
This transaction represents the most recent acquisition completed by Sciens since Huron Capital formed the company in 2016 to pursue a buy-and-build investment strategy in the fire detection and integrated solutions sector. The acquisition will further increase the company's presence in Florida, providing Sciens with beneficial expertise and resources in access control, video surveillance and sound, while expanding product offerings across new and existing customers.
Click
here to read this article in full.
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| National Fire and Safety (Arizona) Acquires RCI Systems |
 10/11/19
Private Equity Wire
National Fire & Safety, an end-to-end fire protection and life safety solutions platform and a portfolio company of Highview Capital (Highview), has acquired RCI Systems (RCI), a contractor of fire-sprinkler services headquartered in the greater Phoenix area.
RCI was founded in 1993 by Todd and Cynthia Little. The company's turn-key service offering includes the design, build, installation, inspection, repair and service of fire sprinkler systems servicing a range of occupancies and structures, including office, retail, medical, education, government, industrial, distribution, residential and parking. RCI will continue to operate independently under its current name and branding as part of National Fire & Safety.
Click
here to continue reading this article.
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| Researcher Considers Firefighting Foam to be Largest US Pollution Problem |
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Displayed is an Environmental Protection Agency report ahead of a news conference in Philadelphia, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. Under strong pressure from Congress, the EPA said that it will move ahead this year with a process that could lead to setting a safety threshold for a group of highly toxic chemicals in drinking water. Matt Rourke/AP
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10/18/19
By Amy Cherry
WDEL
The largest pollution problem the U.S. has ever faced--that's what one scientist out of the University of Notre Dame is calling the result of decades of use of toxic PFAS and PFOA chemicals.
Calling the chemical problem both pervasive and horrible, Dr. Graham Peaslee, a nuclear physicist at the the University of Dame, has been studying flame retardants and the presence of PFAS chemicals in firefighting gear. He told WDEL he first became interested in the topic after speaking with Diane Cotter, the wife of a Worcester, Massachusetts, firefighter who battled cancer, and was the subject of Part 2 of Fighting Fire with Fire.
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Most Popular Stories from September 2019
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If you have any questions, comments, would like to be featured in a future Halon Herald, or would like to be added to our mailing list for this newsletter, please contact Kari Buser at
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