Harley-Davidson Salutes First Responders
At a venue known for speed—Daytona International Speedway—Harley-Davidson took a moment to slow down and say “thank you,” inviting a group of military personnel and first responders to take an honorary lap around the “World Center of Racing” during the 75th Annual Daytona Bike Week.
But the celebration doesn’t stop there. Now through the end of 2016, all current and former U.S. military members and first responders—including firefighters, EMS professionals and law enforcement officers—are invited to learn to ride for free through Harley-Davidson’s Riding Academy program. If the Riding Academy is not available in a particular area, qualified participants can still earn a Harley-Davidson Gift Card for the same amount of the enrollment fee for a qualified third-party motorcycle riding course. More information is available at a Harley-Davidson dealer or h-d.com/AmericanHeroes.
FireIce Proven to Suppress Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
The global market for lithium batteries is large and growing fast. Lithium batteries are now commonplace in medical devices and small portable electronics, and more recently have advanced into toys such as hoverboards and larger-format batteries used in hybrid electrical vehicles.
Along with this exponential growth has come increased safety concerns, most notably in the airline industry. Lithium batteries are carried by virtually every passenger on board an aircraft. The risk of fire occurring during charging, especially in damaged devices, has increased significantly with the recent development of USB ports and electric plugs becoming more prevalent on passenger planes. Many carriers have voluntarily banned air transport of lithium batteries in bulk because onboard extinguishment systems are not capable of suppressing lithium battery fires.
GelTech Solutions, Inc. announced recently that testing of its FireIce Fire Extinguisher by the Fire & Risk Alliance (FRA) has shown conclusively that FireIce was able to successfully suppress a lithium-ion battery fire in runaway as well as prevent re-ignition.
In a controlled laboratory test conducted at the University of Maryland’s Fire Testing and Evaluation Center (FireTEC), FireIce was tested directly against a Halon fire extinguisher. Halon, or a similarly equivalent extinguisher, is currently mandated by the FAA to be aboard all aircraft flying in U.S. airspace. While both extinguishers were able to suppress the initial fire caused by an overheated lithium-ion battery pack, only the FireIce Fire Extinguisher prevented re-ignition and runaway.
“FireIce, which is already capable of extinguishing fires too hot for water or traditional extinguishers, has the ability not only to extinguish lithium battery fires, but can also stop batteries from going into runaway,” said Michael Reger, president of GelTech. “It is now abundantly clear that under certain conditions, lithium batteries pose a serious fire risk with potentially devastating results. Having successfully completed our side-by-side test at UMD, we are now actively exploring our options to bring a FireIce solution to the market.”
For more information, please visit www.geltechsolutions.com
Lend a Hand to the Scouts
Firefighters, first responders, EMTs, law enforcement officers and rescue personnel are being sought to work at the 2017 National Boy Scout Jamboree at Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. The dates for next year's jamboree are July 19 to July 28. Those interested in serving on the 2017 Boy Scout Jamboree public safety staff should contact Public Safety Director John Esposito by email at [email protected].
This Month in Fire History
May 4, 1973—National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control publishes America Burning
May 5, 1988, Norco, LA—Petroleum refinery fire; loss worth $513 million
May 6, 1937, Lakehurst, NJ—Hindenburg zeppelin fire kills 36
May 14, 1947, Rome, NY—Minerva Film Company fire kills 23
May 17, 1923, Beulah, SC—Cleveland School fire kills 77
May 18, 1971—NFPA Standard 19B requires SCBA use during firefighting
May 23, 1964, San Francisco, CA—All Hallows Church Parish Hall fire kills 17
May 28, 1977, Southgate, KY—Beverly Hills Supper Club fire kills 165
Courtesy NFPA
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Firehouse Staff
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