FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) recently announced the FLIR identiFINDER^® R440, the latest addition to its identiFINDER R-Series handheld radiation detection product line. The FLIR identiFINDER R440 provides users one hand operability, rapid detection, and highly accurate identification during survey missions and secondary screening operations.

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Weighing less than 1.5 kilograms, the FLIR identiFINDER R440 is the industry’s smallest and lightest radioisotope identification device (RIID) with a 2-inch by 2-inch sodium iodide (NaI) detector. With 3.5 times more sensitivity than similarly-sized RIIDs, responders can detect radiation from farther distances and behind heavier shielding. Delivering 10 percent better resolution than other products in the category, the FLIR identiFINDER R440 provides greater accuracy with fewer false alarms. Due to its extended energy range, the identiFINDER R440 detects gamma radiation and can indicate the presence of neutrons found in special nuclear materials.

With more than 20,000 FLIR identiFINDER series products deployed globally, the familiar user interface and easy-to-read data of the FLIR identiFINDER R440 allows for quick integration with existing operational protocols to reduce training time and costs. The device has built-in wireless communications and features a new 360-degree EasyFinder™ mode that pinpoints and instructs the operator to the exact location of a radiation source. The FLIR identiFINDER R440 meets theAmerican National Standards Institute (ANSI) N42.34 standard, has been drop-tested up to one meter, and is the industry’s only IP67-rated RIID, which means it can withstand rain, splashing, and accidental submersion.  

“The new level of sensitivity and resolution of the FLIR identiFINDER R440 provides the ability to perform quick situational assessment during radiological emergencies,” said Jim Cannon, President and CEO of FLIR. “Its compact size enables responders to use it with one hand, making the FLIR identiFINDER R440 a practical product for their mission.”

FLIR will unveil the FLIR identiFINDER R440 at the Chemical, Biological, Radiation, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Convergence tradeshow November 6-8 in Indianapolis, Indiana, booth #213. The FLIR identiFINDER R440 will be available globally in the first quarter of 2018. To learn more about the product, visit: http://www.flir.com/r440.        

INNOTEX^®, an international company specializing in the design and manufacturing of firefighter protective gear, including clothing, gloves, and hoods, has just acquired Confections Aventure, a specialized garment manufacturer. The company’s 55 employees will join INNOTEX^®’s team of 180 employees in the pursuit of its unabated worldwide growth. Confections Aventure shares INNOTEX^®’s high standards of excellence and performance: sophisticated protective gear and superior quality control.

“This transaction is great news for our customers,” states Louis Carpentier, President of INNOTEX^®. “It allows us to enhance our production capacity and bolsters our strong growth in the area of firefighting gear. Our unwavering focus on innovation and mindset towards rethinking protective gear sets us apart from the competition and allows us to cater to the growing needs of users in terms of performance. We have recently secured substantial agreements with the fire department of Mexico City. In this light, we needed to acquire solid structures to continue to better serve our customers and drive our expansion.”

The Mexican project alone, with an estimated value of $1,5M, will require the production of 1,000 turnouts and just as many pairs of gloves and hoods. To all this are added orders from Kuwait and Panama made earlier this year for 600 and 1,000 turnouts each, adding up to $3M. INNOTEX^® manufactures a great deal of its clothing in its Ohatchee factory in Alabama.

Innovative Clothing

In April 2016, INNOTEX^® launched INNOTEX ENERGY^TM, a leading-edge product line that offers unrivalled protection and comfort in state-of-the-art, high-tech designs. Building on in-depth user-based research, INNOTEX ENERGY^TM is designed around the company’s patented three-dimensional Airflow^TM technology which enhances comfort and performances while offering an array of innovations in clothing design and manufacturing.

In April 2017, another stellar product was introduced to the INNOTEX^® product line: INNOTEX GRAY^TM. This practical solution comes in response to growing concerns regarding increasing cancer rates among firefighters. With air permeable, highly comfortable designs, INNOTEX GRAY^TM consists of a combination of protective layers, one of which blocks over 99.99% of carcinogenic particles as small as 0.1 to 1.0 microns (µm). INNOTEX GRAY^TM offers protection for areas that are most at risk, including the head, neck, wrists, body and legs, while providing maximum mobility.

“We don’t shy away from wandering off the beaten path to push the limits of performance when it comes to comfort and freedom of motion, all without compromising style,” states Louis Carpentier.

With a long list of customers, including the municipal fire services of Minneapolis, Austin, Charlotte, Fall River, Montreal, Windsor, and Laredo, INNOTEX® has experienced yearly growth of 25 percent over the past two years. 

More: http://innotexprotection.com/en/

Firefighters rescued a construction worker after the basket on the boom truck he was in struck some high-tension power lines in Renton. Police and fire crews were called to the scene on the southbound off-ramp from I-405 to Talbot Road, just before 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, and by the time they were able to bring the worker down to safety, he had been stuck for over three hours.
- PUB DATE: 11/1/2017 6:39:16 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

Benton County firefighters put out a fire this morning, which started as a controlled burn, but ended up destroying a mobile home, barn and some cars. Officials say that wind pushed one fire out of control on South 9 Canyon Road around 8:30 last night in Kennewick. They say it started at a mobile home, and then spread to a nearby barn.
- PUB DATE: 11/1/2017 5:35:48 AM - SOURCE: KEPR-TV CBS 19

A retired Georgia fire chief was arrested for failing to remove his car while he rescued a woman from a crash, according to a traffic incident report from the Georgia State Patrol. Retired Griffin Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Rick Rickerson parked his Toyota Tundra on the shoulder of a highway in Pike County on Oct.
- PUB DATE: 11/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSB AM-750 & FM-95.5