Securex South Africa, A-OSH EXPO, Facilities Management Expo and Firexpo to open their doors at Gallagher Convention Centre from 3 and 5 June 2025
This year sees Firexpo hosting a three-day workshop with key industry leaders presenting on various topics.
Fire protection plays a critical role in safeguarding property and lives. Through advanced detection technology solutions, active systems like sprinklers and fire extinguishers provide rapid response to flames and smoke. Passive measures, such as smoke barriers, are strategically integrated into building designs to minimise the impact of fires.
Additionally, fire safety risk experts assess vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, ensuring resilience and maintaining connectivity during emergencies.
Day 1 explores key advancements in job management software, IoT enabled fire detection, digital record keeping and asset management.
Day 2 covers Building Safety, latest safety standards and issues relating to battery storage. Passive Fire Protection is fundamental to the safety of a building and those residing within, making abiding to the latest safety standards critical. On this day, we will explore industry best practices and essential processes undertaken by manufacturers to ensure continued compliance as well as fire safety and protection standards which dictate the fire safety and prevention equipment that should be installed in a building depending on its size.
Day 3 covers fire safety, training and prevention; this will include topics such as fire hazard identification (primary and secondary ignition sources), Safe storage of materials, particularly combustible gasses and flammable objects, assessment of high-risk procedures, like welding, grinding, and blasting, occupant behaviour in buildings such as smoking on the premises or lack of safety and housekeeping measures and the importance of fire safety training programs as well as digital tools for effective fire safety training.
Speakers include Tim de Witt of TDW International Fire Consultancy, Kobus Strydom of FireLab, Rob Penney of Synertech, Tiaan Jansen van Rensburg of OTN Systems, Ferdi Jansen of Brigit Fire, De Wet Engelbrecht of Fire Ops SA, Wynand Engelbrecht of Fire Ops SA, Boet Hamman of Fenco Fire Engineers and Consultants, Martin Venter of OTN Systems, Karel Roodt of The Fire Engineer, Jacques Labuschagne of SE Controls, Brett Birch of SAQCC Fire, Marius Atterbury of FPASA, Trevor Fiford of Industrial Fire and Hazard Control and Marius Janse van Rensburg of Advanced Fixed Systems (AFST).
Major fire breaks out at large hyper store in Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay Fire, Rescue and Disaster Management Services were dispatched to a fire call on Tuesday, 27 May 2025 at approximately 10h28. Wayne Sternsdorf, station commander at Mossel Bay Fire, Rescue and Disaster Management, said, “On arrival, it was found that the Mikeva Wholesale Cash and Carry was well alight with large plumes of black smoke emanating from the building. The fire was already visible from the fire station that is approximately 2km away. The initial dispatch was three major pumpers from the Mossel Bay and Groot Brak Fire Stations, backed up by a rescue vehicle and three water tenders. The senior operations and fire safety officers were also dispatched and also followed by Chief Fire Officer Joseph Johnston.”
Battery farms are ’emerging risk’, says fire chief, UK
A fire service wants more power to enforce safety measures for battery energy storage systems (BESS). BESS stockpile green energy by using thousands of lithium-ion batteries in storage containers but there are concerns about fire safety. Henry Griffin, Suffolk’s deputy chief fire officer, described the sites as an “emerging risk” and said communities were worried. The government said there were “high safety standards in place” and BESS were a protection against “future energy shocks”.
Fatalities due to fire a major concern for the City of Ekurhuleni
The City of Ekurhuleni’s Emergency Services remains on high alert to deal with fires following the death of nine people in four separate structural fires in the area in the past seven days. William Ntladi, district manager media liaison: Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS), said, “The following incidents have been recorded in the city recently: On Wednesday, 21 May 2025, an adult died when his shack caught fire in Delmore Informal Settlement, Boksburg. On Saturday, 24 May 2025, another man died when his bedroom in a fire incident in Ravensklip near Elandsfontein also in Boksburg. On Monday morning, 26 May 2025, six family members died in a fire incident at Marikana Informal Settlement, Kwa-Thema. Only a seven-year-old daughter survived with intense injuries.”
From combat to wildfires: RAF Chinook brings fire-fighting power to Cypriot exercise
The RAF’s primary heavy-lift helicopter has been declared fully operational in its new role as an aerial firefighter in Cyprus. The CH-47 Chinook took part in Exercise Pyrsos, showcasing its capability to integrate with responders when dealing with large-scale fires. Crews from the Republic of Cyprus’s fire service along with those from neighbouring Jordan, Israel, Greece and Slovenia joined the drills, in which the Chinook’s display was a highlight.
Source: BFBS Forces News
Tshwane Emergency Services responds to house fire in Lynwood, Pretoria
Tshwane Emergency Services responded swiftly to a residential fire at 459 Flinders Lane, Lynwood, on Saturday, 24 May 2025, at 12h38. Source: Tebogo Maake, acting public information and liaison officer at the City of Tshwane Emergency Services, said, “Two fire engines, a rapid intervention unit and a command vehicle were dispatched from Station 4 and Station 18 to the fire scene. Upon arrival, the residential property was fully alight, including the garage being involved.”
Southeast Weld Fire Department screens firefighters for Oesophageal cancer, Colorado, US
Southeast Weld Fire Chief Tom Beach lost both his parents to cancer in the same year. Cancer’s impact on Beach moved him to prioritise preventative screenings for his firefighting team. While the fires they approach in their line of work can be deadly, cancer continues to be a leading cause of death among firefighters. The gasses, vapours and particulates firefighters can be exposed to increase the risk of certain types of cancer. “Check Your Food Tube” events screen firefighters for pre-cancer of the oesophagus through Lucid Diagnostics’ EsoGuard DNA test. All 30 members of the Southeast Weld Fire Protection District, including the administrative assistant, participated in the mandatory screening this past week.
Volunteering on the fire line
Miles Kidson has always loved the outdoors. Hiking, rock climbing and long walks in nature have always been “my thing”, he said. It brings him peace of mind, especially after a long, stressful day in front of the books. As an MSc physics graduate-in-waiting at the University of Cape Town (UCT), life can get wild. So, when a group of friends suggested that they sign up for the Volunteer Wildfire Service (VWS) programme, Kidson was keen. It seemed like the perfect way to free his mind and give back to the environment. It’s been just over a year since he joined the VWS and he is enjoying every minute. The bonus: he’s already learned so much about firefighting procedures and techniques, as well as how a volunteer-based service like the VWS operates and how it is structured.
EU organises firefighting teams and fleet of aircraft to support wildfire-hit countries
To prepare for the increased wildfire risk during the upcoming summer months, the EU has put together teams of firefighters and aircraft to help European countries affected by wildfires. To quickly support local fire brigades, throughout July and August, almost 650 firefighters from 14 European countries will be strategically positioned in key high-risk locations in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain. They will boost the number of firefighters in each country. In addition, 22 firefighting airplanes and four helicopters will be stationed in 10 Member States to intervene in case of need.
Emergency response platform AURA raises €13.5M to expand into US market
AURA, an emergency response services marketplace with roots in South Africa, has secured €13.5 million (approximately $14.5 million) in a Series B funding round. The investment was co-led by global venture firm Partech and the Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund (CAIF) and marks a major milestone in the company’s global expansion plans. Founded in 2017 by Warren Myers, Ryan Green and Adam Pantanowitz, AURA connects individuals and businesses with the closest vetted private and public emergency response providers including security, medical and roadside assistance.
Rupen Dajee launches tech start-up to aid emergency responders, leveraging lessons learned first-hand as EMT, firefighter
Had it not been for wildfires, Rupen Dajee may never have gone to graduate school. They’re a seasonal occurrence in his home state of California, where he was a firefighter-paramedic before coming to Harvard Kennedy School and MIT’s Sloan School of Management to complete a dual MPA/MBA degree programme. He’ll graduate from the Kennedy School this week. After college, Dajee became a licensed emergency medical technician working on an ambulance in Los Angeles in the area once known as South Central. What started out as a rewarding side job became a passion. So he went to paramedic school and trained as a firefighter, joining a small rural fire department in the mountains outside of the city.
Featured FRI Magazine article: Case study: Open ended firebreaks – a safer new technology for the future by Dr Winston and Lynne Trollope
This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: Case study: Open ended firebreaks – a safer new technology for the future by Dr Winston and Lynne Trollope (FRI Vol 3 no 6). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.
Fire stations of the world: Ford International Airport opens new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) facility, US
Gerald R Ford International Airport completed its new $14,5 million Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) building, designed to support the Airport’s ongoing commitment to safety and operational efficiency. The 25 000-square-foot facility will provide space for the 19-person ARFF team and is part of the Airport’s 24/7 emergency response capabilities.
Technology: NASA airborne sensor’s wildfire data helps firefighters take action
A NASA sensor recently brought a new approach to battling wildfire, providing real-time data that helped firefighters in the field contain a blaze in Alabama. Called AVIRIS-3, which is short for Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer 3, the instrument detected a 120-acre fire on 19 March 2025 that had not yet been reported to officials. As AVIRIS-3 flew aboard a King Air B200 research plane over the fire about 3 miles (5 kilometres) east of Castleberry, Alabama, a scientist on the plane analysed the data in real time and identified where the fire was burning most intensely. The information was then sent via satellite internet to fire officials and researchers on the ground, who distributed images showing the fire’s perimeter to firefighters’ phones in the field.
Fitness: Firefighter med ball exercise: lateral throw
Starting position: Begin in a base stance with feet between hip and shoulder width apart. Back is straight with knees bent. Hold the Med Ball in front with elbows at a 90 degree angle. Body is perpendicular to the wall. Lateral/downward movement: Rotate to one side, bending at the knee, loading through the same side foot. The Med Ball is “in your hip pocket” on the loaded side. Exhale into the lateral/downward movement. Lateral/upward movement: Drive off the loaded foot, rotating toward the wall as you toss the ball. Catch and return to the starting position. Inhale into the lateral/upward movement.
Training: Stabilising uneven ground ladders
In this fireground training video Magic City Truck Academy, LLC instructor Clay Magee teaches firefighters solutions to stabilize ground ladders when dealing with uneven roofs and terrain.
Source: Fire Spotlight
Vintage: FDNY-War Years clip 1970s. South Bronx, US
A Levy War Years clip 1970s. South Bronx. E82/TL31 responding from quarters on Intervale Avenue job with TL-44, TL-31.
Source: R1 SmokeEater
Inspiration: Quote of the week
Just for fun
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the articles and in any corresponding comments are the opinions of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Fire and Rescue International editorial team or its management.
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