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Best of the Web
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Why Fire Suppression System
Panel Discussion
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| FSSA Webinar: Hot Aisle Cold Aisle |
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| Hiller Turns 100 |
1/29/19
The Hiller Companies
Hiller Celebrates 100 Years of Safeguarding Lives & Protecting Property
The Hiller Companies, Inc. turns 100 this year, and the company has much to celebrate.
Founded as a single shop in 1919, Hiller began as a modest venture in New Orleans, Louisiana under the name of its owner Herbert S. Hiller. Initially, the company served to provide fire protection equipment for commercial and shipyard customers. As the business (and the need for fire suppression technology) grew, they relocated their headquarters to Mobile, Alabama and today Hiller boasts a global reach as well as over 20 offices around the United States.
Quietly working behind the scenes, the Hiller name is not always well known outside of the fire protection industry. However, Hiller systems can be found around the globe with such clients as the New York City Mass Transit Authority (MTA), the Harvard Library, The National WWII Museum, the Smithsonian, the Louvre Museum, and the Indian Navy. There is also a Hiller system on every active U.S. Navy combatant ship.
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here to read the full article.
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| $3.6M in Meth Seized from Inside Fire Extinguishers |
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(Photo: Fayette County Sheriff's Office)
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1/15/19
CBS Austin
The Fayette County Sheriff's Office says they seized 3.6 million dollars in meth from inside fire extinguishers. It all happened when Sgt. Thumann and his K9 partner "Kolt" stopped a Ford F-350 at 658-mile marker on Interstate 10 for a traffic violation. After meeting with the driver, Thumann observed many familiar signs of nervous behavior and narcotics trafficking, the release says. With the help of "Kolt," Sgt. Thumann inspected the vehicle. That's when the dog alerted Thumann to the presence of illegal odor coming from a fire extinguisher in the bed of the truck.
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here to finish this story.
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| Lawsuit Against Fike Claims Fire Alarm Not Loud Enough |
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1/8/19
By Jeannie O'Sullivan
Law360
A New Jersey-based chemical company urged the Third Circuit to undo a finding that its consumer fraud claims against two fire suppression system makers actually fell under product liability law, arguing the $5 million in damages it incurred from an explosion stemmed from the companies' false claims about the effectiveness of a fire alarm.
Sun Chemical Corp. filed New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act claims, and not claims under the state's Product Liability Act, against Fike Corp. and Suppression Systems Inc. because they allegedly misrepresented the effectiveness of their alarm, a Sun Chemical attorney told a three-judge panel sitting in Philadelphia for oral arguments. The company wants to reverse a New Jersey federal judge's dismissal of the suit.
Sun Chemical claims the alarm system wasn't loud enough to be heard by the employees of its East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S. Ink facility the day the facility exploded in October 2012. The PLA only applies to claims for bodily injury or property damage to a plaintiff caused by a defective product or warning, Sun Chemical contends.
Finish reading this article
here.
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| UTC Reports High 4Q Profits and Preparations for Separation Done by the End of 2019 |
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(Photo Contributed) United Technologies Chairman and CEO Gregory Hayes.
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1/23/19
By Joe Cooper
Hartford Business Journal
Farmington conglomerate United Technologies Corp., which plans to split into three separate companies, said its fourth-quarter profits soared 72.7 percent on booming aerospace sales and a favorable U.S. corporate tax rate.
For the quarter ended Dec. 31, the maker of Pratt & Whitney jet engines, Otis Elevators and Carrier air conditioners reported net income of $686 million, or $1.95 a diluted share, compared to $397 million, or $1.60 a diluted share, in the year-ago period.
Net sales jumped 15 percent to $18 billion, surpassing industry forecasts of $16.8 billion.
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| Vandals Discharge Fire Extinguishers inside Phoenix Church |
 1/5/19
By John Trierweiler
ABC15 Arizona
AHWATUKEE, AZ -- An Ahwatukee church was left to clean up a huge mess after they were vandalized.
Church personnel at Desert Foothills United Methodist Church say that around 2 a.m. on a Friday, a vandal or vandals got in through a side door that had been left open and started to destroy the inside.
Knocking over furniture and discharging two dry chemical fire extinguishers, fire suppression dust was spead throughout the building.
Read the full article
here.
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| Extinguisher Douses Fire on Egypt Bound Boeing 737 |
 1/8/19
By Svilen Petrov
Wings Herald
Sunexpress Deutschland aircraft Boeing 737-800 reported smoke in the cockpit during climbing from Nuremberg (Germany) en route to Hurghada (Egypt). The aircraft was performing flight XG-4665, but shortly after takeoff there was smoke in the aft galley and the pilot diverted to Munich (Germany), where landed safely on runway 26R about 30 minutes after departure. Meanwhile, the crew took immediate action and discharged the fire extinguisher into the hotspot, preventing a more serious accident.
Read the full article
here.
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Lawsuit Against Foam Manufacturers Could Grow to Hundreds of Plaintiffs
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1/7/19
By John Sammon
Florida Record
OCALA -- Though the number of plaintiffs in a lawsuit alleging exposure to fire retardant chemicals caused people to develop cancer currently stands at eight, their attorney said a class action could increase the number of plaintiffs to hundreds.
"It is not just firefighters but others who have manifested injuries, and hundreds of people are being monitored, so we expect the class will grow," Jim Ferraro, attorney for the plaintiffs and owner of the Ferraro Law Firm based in Miami, told the Florida Record.
Read the rest of this article here.
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| Gas Station Suppression System Fails - Fire Fighters Douse Flames with Foam |
1/3/19
Daily Freeman
CATSKILL, N.Y. -- Firefighters extinguished a blaze at a gas station on county Route 23B, Leeds Fire Chief Tom McCullough said.
The chief said everyone at the gas station "took proper precautions" but the overhead fire-suppression system failed to activate automatically or manually. He said employees were able to activate an emergency pump shut-off, preventing "gas from spewing out of the hose" if it had ruptured.
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here to finish reading this story.
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Current Suppression Systems Incapable of Extinguishing Lithium Battery Fires
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1/3/19
By Amit Singh
The Times of India
Each day thousands of cabin baggage are removed at the boarding gate of the aircraft by airline personnel due to size or weight limitation since there is limited overhead bin capacity in the cabin to accommodate handbags. The screening ought to have been carried out at the time of passenger check-in by the check-in staff. These bags are then placed in the cargo compartment of the aircraft. Millions of passengers carry millions of batteries in their personal devices on themselves and/or in their cabin baggage. Guidance on carriage of lithium batteries by passengers is given in the IATA passengers dangerous goods corner. As of December 15, 2018, FAA, USA, has recorded 238 air/airport incidents involving lithium batteries carried as cargo or baggage that have been recorded since March 20, 1991.
Read the entire article
here.
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Car Carrier on Fire in Pacific - Some Crew Abandon Ship
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12/31/19
By The Associated Press
The Seattle Times
HONOLULU -- A Panamanian car carrier heading from Japan to Hawaii caught fire in the Pacific Ocean, with some crew members abandoning the ship and the U.S. Coast Guard and other vessels heading to its rescue.
The Coast Guard said in a statement that crew members launched a life raft and four of the 21 mariners aboard left the Sincerity Ace wearing life jackets. The agency could not confirm if they reached the life raft. The remaining 17 crew members stayed on board to fight the fire.
Read the full story
here.
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| Huge Fire Rips Through Airbus Factory |
12/31/19
Simple Flying
A major fire at an Airbus subsidiary factory has caused millions of euros worth of damage and could impact on the plane maker's ability to hit targets in aircraft delivery.
The fire broke out at a factory of their subsidiary Premium Aerotec in Southern Germany, apparently in the electroplating shop, and is estimated to have caused losses in the tens of millions of euros. The cause is not yet known but took firefighters several hours to bring under control.
Read the rest of this article
here.
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| Sirina Fire Protection Secures GSA Contract |
1/9/19
By Sirina Protection Systems Corp.
Cision PR Newswire
NEW YORK -- Sirina Protection Systems Corp., a leading full-service fire protection contractor, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded GSA Schedule 84 Contract (47QSWA19D000M) and are now certified to supply "Total solutions for Law Enforcement, Security, Facilities Management, Fire, Rescue, Clothing, Marine Craft, and Emergency/Disaster Response" to the Federal Government. Acknowledging the growth in federal spending through the GSA, SIRINA have listed their Goods & Services on the government's electronic ordering system, GSA Advantage!®.
Read the full article
here.
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| Suppression System Discharge Causes Airport to Shut Down (Trinidad) |
12/31/19
By Staff Editor
Stabroek News
Discharge of gas caused the evacuation of staff in the Area Control Centre of Piarco International Airport, disrupting air traffic services and resulting in delays in flights.
According to information from the T&T Civil Aviation Authority, the problem developed around 12.30 pm when there was a discharge of FM200 gas.
Continue reading this story
here.
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Marine Fire Safety - A Poor Start to the Year
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1/10/19
By Michael Grey, Columnist and Correspondent
Seatrade Maritime News
The year has not started off well for the shipping industry and the cause of marine safety. The fatal fire aboard the vehicle carrier Sincerity Ace cost the lives of five seafarers and will have destroyed 3,600 cars and most probably the vessel herself.
Meanwhile the ongoing fire aboard the containership Yantian Express demonstrates the vulnerability of these vessels to even a single box catching alight, with the ship having to be abandoned as the stormy North Atlantic weather helped to spread the inferno.
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here to finish this story.
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| Suppression System Successfully Extinguishes Asphalt Tanker Fire Near NY Port |
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The disabled Hong Kong-flagged tanker Feng Huang AO sits at anchor off New York City, Oct. 8, 2018. Coast Guard photo.
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12/20/19
By Kirk Moore
WorkBoat
A newly repaired 479' asphalt carrier that was disabled by an engine room fire in October had another blaze ignite in the same space in December, leaving the vessel stalled once more off New York, Coast Guard officials said.
The Hong Kong-flagged Amber Bay - formerly known as the Feng Huang AO - was departing the New York Harbor area with 22 crew aboard when the fire broke out shortly before 8 p.m. The fire was quickly extinguished using the engine room fire suppression system, and the crew notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New York at 8:05 p.m.
Read the full story
here.
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| Siemon Introduces Active Cold Aisle Containment |
12/20/19
By Siemon
Cision PR Newswire
WATERTOWN, Conn. -- Siemon, a leading global network infrastructure specialist, announced the launch of its active cold aisle containment solution, featuring roof panels that open automatically during an alarm event to facilitate access to sprinkler systems and other fire suppression systems. Compatible with all Siemon data center cabinets deployed in a pod configuration, the active cold aisle containment solution improves efficiency and expands the capacity of a data center without the need for supplemental cooling while leveraging existing fire suppression systems.
Read the rest of this article
here.
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 Lisa Roy of JCI - Vice President Commercial Sales
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11/27/19
By Paul Ragusa
Security Systems News
With nearly 25 years in the industry, Roy reflects on where we are today
MILWAUKEE -- As VP of commercial sales, Lisa Roy leads commercial sales for Johnson Controls Building Technologies and Solutions Group in North America, which includes all lines of business-systems, services and energy performance contracting.
"I'm responsible for driving sales strategy and commercial excellence for the direct channel business and its profitable growth year-over-year," she said. "Johnson Controls firmly believes in taking proactive measures to prepare for a more productive, more secure and more sustainable future. We create intelligent buildings, efficient energy solutions, integrated infrastructure and next generation transportation systems that work seamlessly together to deliver on the promise of smart cities and communities."
Click
here to read more about Lisa.
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| USSC Group Acquires Vista Brake Lock |
1/7/19
By USSC Group
Cision PR Newswire
USSC acquires revolutionary brake security system invented by a 34-year career firefighter
EXTON, Pa. -- USSC Group, (USSC), a manufacturer of custom seating and fire suppression products for the transit, military and first responder markets announced the acquisition of Vista Brake Lock, LLC. Vista Brake Lock, located in Sanford, Florida, manufactures and sells innovative safety and security systems for all emergency vehicles. Invented by Randy Smathers, a 34-year career firefighter, and retired Division Chief, Vista Brake Lock for apparatus equipped with air brakes, and Vista Park Lock for apparatus with automatic transmission shifters are designed to prevent theft of emergency vehicles while on call.
Click
here for the full article.
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| Century Fire Completes Two Acquisitions |
1/11/19
Financial Buzz
TORONTO -- FirstService Corporation announced that its subsidiary, Century Fire Protection, has recently acquired Commercial Fire & Communications, Inc. and Allied Fire Protection, Inc. The leaders of both businesses have retained equity interests and will continue to run day-to-day operations. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
Commercial Fire, established in 1980, is a leading provider of installation and inspection services for fire alarm and sprinkler protection systems on behalf of clients in the healthcare, property management and hospitality industries across southwestern Florida.
For the full article, click
here.
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| Dust Hazard Analysis |
1/1/19
By Jason Reason
Occupational Health & Safety
It is important to know the qualifications, reputation, and experience of the outside vendor or individual who performs the DHA.
The Dust Hazards Analysis (DHA) was recently created to identify and combat the potential hazards associated with combustible dusts and combustible particulate solids. For a DHA to be effective, it must analyze all of the potential fire, deflagration, and explosion hazards associated with the affected process equipment and building compartments. While this approach may seem simple, many of the factors that can contribute or be affected by these hazards are not always adequately analyzed during many DHAs.
To continue reading, click
here.
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| False Fire Alarms and Facility Management |
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A service technician checks the smoke detector sensitivity setting from a fire alarm control panel. (Photo: GPS Fire)
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12/26/19
By Allan B. Colombo
Facility Executive
More than just an annoyance, false alarms and nuisance alarms can pose dangers to building occupants.
The company or institution whose fire alarm system repeatedly cries wolf will surely face hefty fines, which is intended to send management a strong message: "Get it fixed! Keep it fixed!" It doesn't take long for the average facility manager to seek the help of a fire alarm contractor capable of doing whatever must be done to keep everyone on-site safe when it comes to fire prevention.
Click
here to keep reading this article.
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| Most Popular Stories from 2018 |
There were so many great stories that we highlighted in 2018 that it was hard to just pick a few. So here are the top 20 most read stories in the Halon Herald in 2018:
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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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