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Posted: Apr 4, 2017

Scott Safety Takes Respiratory Protection to a new level with AVIVA

Scott Safety Aviva

The AVIVA half mask is the latest innovation from Scott Safety, a world leader in the design and manufacture of respiratory protection equipment. AVIVA ensures workers' wellbeing is a priority with its low profile head harness offering greater stability and compatibility with PPE. Workers will appreciate the comfort that comes from the AVIVA half mask.

“It’s not every day that innovation and technology describes a half mask, but this is exactly what AVIVA delivers to our customers,” said Candace Pride Allen, Product Line Manager for NIOSH Air Purifying Respirators. “We listened to the market and worked hand in hand with users to develop a comfortable half mask that fits a high percentage of adult face shapes and sizes while easing respiratory burden.”

Innovative design elements such as a hybrid reflex seal allows for added movement and flexibility combined with an easy-to-use positive user seal check mechanism that enables the user to have confidence in the integrity of the mask’s fit. The integrated voice panel and goggle “pinch” have all been incorporated into the AVIVA with superior user comfort and protection in mind. The AVIVA half mask is available for use with a wide range of filters permitting use in a variety of applications and industrial situations such as asbestos removal, manufacturing, welding, and pharmaceuticals.

Last year, around 33,000 workers suffered breathing or lung problems thought to be caused or made worse by their working environments. One of the industry’s biggest issues is badly fitted, uncomfortable equipment, discouraging workers to use their respirator correctly. Scott Safety is helping to eradicate this problem with the introduction of this easy-to-use half mask that provides complete respiratory protection, low breathing resistance and increased comfort and fit. The AVIVA half mask is available in small, medium and large sizes and a variety of packaging types including READY-PAK options for specific applications, some of which have the advantage of permitting the user to regularly store the half mask, keeping it clean and correctly formed for optimum fit.

AVIVA half mask is now available from Scott Safety approved distributors. For further information, please visit www.scottsafety.com.

About Scott Safety
Scott Safety is a premier manufacturer of innovative respiratory and personal protective equipment and safety devices for emergency services and first-responders including firefighters, industrial workers, law enforcement, military, civil defense, national security, and rescue teams around the world. With five global manufacturing locations, Scott products protect thousands of individuals each day from environmental hazards that are inherent in the industries which they serve. The Scott product line includes self-contained breathing apparatus, supplied air and air-purifying respirators, gas detection instruments, thermal imaging cameras, and firefighter locators.

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Posted: Apr 4, 2017

Mount Vernon FR Extends Flame-Resistant FlexTex Line of Stretch Fabrics

Mount Vernon FlexTex fabrics

With the rise of consumers looking for more comfortable clothing options, including workwear, Mount Vernon FR is expanding its collection of flame-resistant (FR) FlexTex fabrics. The FlexTex line is engineered with stretch for increased comfort and mobility, but with no reduction in FR protection or durability. The flex program now includes six denim and four piece-dyed FR fabrics. Many of the fabrics were developed in conjunction with stylists at apparel manufacturers to provide optimal comfort and stretch in the resulting garments, while capturing the authentic look and characteristics of traditional non-stretch denim.

FlexTex fabrics are made using an elastomeric fiber that adds mobility to fabric, so workers experience increased range of motion in their FR apparel. Most FlexTex fabrics can stretch from 12 to 15 percent, but the latest Mount Vernon FR fabric developments incorporate TreFlex® yarn, which may allow as much as 20 percent stretch. Treflex, a hybrid yarn, provides excellent stretch properties and shrinkage control. The expanded offering of FlexTex fabric constructions includes twill, canvas, and oxford, and a variety of desirable vintage appearances can be achieved through increased yarn character and slub effects.

“We believe workers should have comfortable clothing options on the job and off,” said Mike Woods, vice president of FR fabrics for Mount Vernon FR. “We’ve developed our line of FR FlexTex fabrics with the comfort and character of everyday denim and piece-dyed fabrics, combined with the exceptional protection and durability of Mount Vernon FR fabrics.”

Mount Vernon FR FlexTex fabrics meet the performance requirements of ASTM F1506 and are NFPA 2112 component recognized. Many of the world’s leading apparel manufacturers and brands turn to Mount Vernon FR for their flex fabric needs.

About Mount Vernon Mills & Mount Vernon FR:
Mount Vernon Mills is a 175-year-old manufacturer of textile, chemical and related products for the apparel, industrial, institutional and commercial markets. Mount Vernon FR is part of Mount Vernon Mills’ Apparel Fabrics Group, which produces denim, flame resistant and piece-dyed fabric. It is the largest of all the Mount Vernon Mills groups, accounting for more than half of all company sales. More information can be found at www.mvmfr.com.

 

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Posted: Apr 4, 2017

Honeywell's New Satellite-Based Connected Worker Solution Keeps Remote Workers Safe

Honeywell Satellitel-Based Phone

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced a new satellite-based connected solution to help governments, companies, and other organizations monitor the location and safety of workers in remote locations.

Honeywell's Personal Tracker utilizes Iridium's low-earth orbit satellite network, the only satellite constellation that provides pole-to-pole coverage, which is necessary for effective remote asset and personnel tracking. The mobile device allows companies to communicate with their workers or track assets anywhere in the world – across oceans, airways and even polar regions.

"Those responsible for employees in remote locations, especially lone workers who may be performing risky work, increasingly need a reliable method to stay connected to those workers to keep them safe and secure," said Taylor Smith, president of Honeywell's Workflow Solutions business. "Honeywell's connected worker technology and Iridium's proven platform enable satellite communications from anywhere on Earth. This offers remote workers, such as workers on offshore oil platforms or forestry service workers, peace-of-mind and provides their employers with a valuable communication and search-and-rescue tool for emergency situations."

Emergency services, maritime, military, and oil and gas workers can share their location with GPS coordinates and send text messages using the enterprise-grade, ultra-rugged device, which is certified to function in hazardous environments where explosions or a fire may occur due to flammable liquids or vapors. It can be used as a stand-alone, two-way communications device or can be clipped to a backpack to serve as a tracking beacon. It can also be paired with an iPhone so that users can access a Honeywell mobile app that offers features such as interactive SOS, messaging, push notifications, trip information and situational awareness.

For example, in the event of an emergency, an organization can send push notifications to alert its workers – regardless of their location – and then track their locations and provide updates as they seek shelter.

The Personal Tracker is exclusive to the Iridium® network. With Iridium's two-way communication capabilities, even when used as a stand-alone alerting and tracking beacon, the Personal Tracker can receive current location requests and configuration updates over the air.

"We are proud to work with Honeywell in enabling their connected worker technology, and support their commitment to lone worker safety," said Bryan Hartin, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Iridium. "This partnership comes at an exciting time for us as we are launching our next-generation global constellation, Iridium NEXT, and continue to expand our growing portfolio of satellite-based solutions for the Internet of Things. The unique architecture of our constellation makes it a natural fit over other providers for mobile applications, especially where safety is concerned. Providing reliable coverage is critical for companies tracking employees and assets located in remote areas, and Honeywell's new Personal Tracker will make that possible."

The mobile device supports Honeywell's ViewPoint software, a web-based platform that provides organizations with real-time visibility for tracking and monitoring high-value assets such as vehicle fleets and cargo containers. The ViewPoint platform offers organizations and government users advanced features, such as a 90-day tracking hist

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Posted: Apr 4, 2017

Firefighters, Dept. of Ecology working to cleanup diesel spill at Newcastle gas station

Bellevue Firefighters and the Department of Ecology were called in to help contain and cleanup a diesel fuel spill at a Newcastle gas station Monday night. Crews aren't sure how much diesel actually spilled, but said it went into a storm sewer that feeds into Lake Washington. "We have booms that are going into the outflow for the storm sewer and a Mercer Island Marine Unit is helping us place booms out in the lake to contain the diesel as much as we can," said Bellevue Fire Battalion Chief Dave Beste.
- PUB DATE: 4/4/2017 10:10:27 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000
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Posted: Apr 4, 2017

Give Younger Generations Their Due

Chris Mc Loone   Chris Mc Loone

I was part of a couple of conversations recently that revolved around apparatus designs and the different technologies available to us as we spec the rigs we’re going to be using for the next 15 to 20 years - and sometimes longer.

As many of these conversations do, they turned to our younger firefighters and how they operate, how they communicate, and how they learn. As you might expect when older generations are talking about a younger one, the dialog can, at times, become slightly negative. I think the negativity stems from frustration. For example, there is a completely different way of communicating today than even 15 years ago. One person mentioned that the kitchen table at the fire station isn’t the same as it was years ago. It used to be that the kitchen table was where you went to solve problems, to discuss tactics, and to strengthen comradery. It is different now, and for those who came up through the ranks communicating in such a fashion, it can be frustrating figuring out how to transition. But, as we all learn, different is not necessarily bad. I mean, who cares how we communicate as long as we communicate?

As the conversation wore on, we got into apparatus committees and how they are made up. Every fire department is going to assemble truck committees differently than others. Some will only be company officers and chief officers. Hopefully, they all include a member from Fleet to advise about how different designs will impact maintenance and out-of-service time. But we also discussed how critical it is to ensure that younger firefighters are also on these committees - for a couple of reasons.

First, their perspectives are key. We’re building trucks that probably will outlast our time in the fire service. These trucks are for them, and we need to ensure that they are usable for the men and women presently coming up through the ranks. Second, there’s a bit of a gap right now between experienced apparatus specifiers and those who will be taking over. This is the fire service - where senior firefighters “bring up” the rookies and show them the ropes so they will become better firefighters now and excellent senior firefighters later. We should be doing the same for future apparatus purchasing committee members. Be open to what they have to say, and show them the ropes.

This month is FDIC International 2017. In North America, you won’t find a larger showcase of apparatus and equipment. When you make your plans to go as a group, walk the floor with younger firefighters. Watch and listen to them. If it’s appropriate, sure, bring up a story from time to time about how we did it in the old days. But pay attention to what’s getting interest from your 20 and 30 somethings. Mark items down. These are the folks who are going to be using these things years down the line. Most of all, listen to them. Listen to what they are saying to each other about a certain feature and why they think it is so important. Don’t be afraid to ask what they feel will help them do their jobs better.

I am not particularly mechanically inclined - never have been, never will be. It’s not for lack of trying. It’s just not my particular skillset. One comment from these discussions was that the current recruit classes are tech savvy but not mechanical. In many cases, this might be true. But, is it a negative? The way rigs are built today, does it pay to be more mechanical or more tech savvy? As with most things, a good mix of both is optimal, but leaning more toward the tech savvy side may be the way to go. Throw out a problem to a group

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