Tech-News & Views

February 2017
 

FIREFIGHTERS CRANK UP THE HEAT!

North Vancouver, British Columbia - It’s very seldom you can use the term “ignite” and “firefighter” in the same sentence, but the people behind Camp Ignite are doing just that.  Take a few minutes to check out the website at http://www.campignite.com and let’s see if it doesn’t  spark some serious support!

PRINCE GEORGE FIRE ALARM TRAINING!

Prince George, British Columbia - We’re covering some key points regarding fire alarm installation for members of the IBEW in Prince George on February 25th and 26th.  We’ll provide some links to sign up shortly.

CANADIAN FIRE ALARM TRAINING!

Surrey, British Columbia - We’re touring the country in May and June with stops in Richmond, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, and St. Johns (Nfld).  For more information (and to sign up for classes), please visit the Electricity Forum Training Institute.

MISSING EQUIPMENT MYSTERY HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR VIGILANCE!

Hamilton, Ontario - Police in Hamilton are looking for some unusual items taken from two Hamilton area apartment buildings, along with the individuals responsible.  Several metal nozzles were apparently removed from the fire hoses located in the common area hallways.  Tampering with a building’s life safety equipment is a serious offense.  Apartment managers and owners are reminded that a walk-through of their building should be performed on a DAILY BASIS.

The DAILY CHECK should include:

> checking to ensure that there is no large accumulations of combustible materials, rubbish, or containers with flammable liquids in any area of the building;

> checking to ensure that all the exit signs are in good order, and that adequate lighting in the public corridors and stairwells is maintained;

> checking to ensure all the fire doors operate properly and that none are wedged in the OPEN position;

> checking all the exit routes are free from obstructions;

> checking to ensure all fire hoses and extinguishers are unobstructed, in good order and ready for use;

> checking water and air pressure gauges (if applicable) for the building fire sprinklers and for signs of tampering;

> checking all water valves controlling the building’s fire sprinklers are in their correct positions;

> checking the fire pump controller’s visual indicators (“ON” and “NORMAL”);

> checking the fire alarm control panel to ensure it is free of obstructions, the locks have not been tampered with, the AC POWER indicator is “ON”, and the system is trouble free;

> checking corridor and public area fire and smoke detectors, pull stations, audible and visual appliances (bells, horns, strobes) to ensure they are clean, undamaged and unobstructed.

The daily check doesn’t require you to fill out a form, however, the MONTHLY TEST does!  You can download a monthly testing form from our FORMS page.

OUTDOOR MOUNTED FIRE ALARM ANNUNCIATORS - ADDRESSING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM!
UPDATED!

Surrey, British Columbia - It all started innocently enough.  The phone rang and I answered like I always do:  “Fire Technicians Network, good afternoon!”.  And on that bright Thursday afternoon in November, things suddenly “went south” in a big way.  The old cliché about the shoe dropping comes to mind.  Only in this case it was the heavy steel-toed variety.  And BOTH hit the floor together.
 

The contractor on the other end of the line had just received a visit from a local inspector.  The fire alarm outdoor annunciator enclosure he was in the middle of installing wasn’t properly marked.  No CSA.  No NEMA (not that this part matters in Canada).  No ULC.  So I asked him whose equipment it was...  Read more in our December 2016 Tech-NEWS  EXTRA!

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