www.ushalonbank.com  1.800.433.1751                                                           April 2011 - Vol 2, Issue 11     
In This Issue
Industry News
Association News
Environmental News
Best of the Web
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From the Editor's Desk

Welcome to the April issue of The Halon Herald!

 

There is always a lot going on in this industry and, this month, we highlight many of those things in Industry News. One of them is our own exciting news about our newest facility in Indiana! Read all about it below.

 

In Association News, you can read about the newest elected FSSA members for 2011-2012 as well as upcoming conferences and conventions. 

  

As always, please feel free to direct to me any questions, comments or suggestions as they are always welcome!

 

- Kari


Industry News

 

Is Tyco For Sale?


Bloomberg Bussinessweek
April 28, 2011

Tyco International Ltd. is emerging as a candidate for a sale or breakup whether Schneider Electric SA follows through on talks to take over the company or passes on a deal, analysts said.

After the stock gained 10 percent to $51.94 through today following Bloomberg's report of Schneider's interest on April 11, Tyco Chief Executive Officer Ed Breen risks criticism from shareholders if the price slumps back, said analysts including Jeffrey Sprague, co-founder of Vertical Research Partners.


Click here to read the entire article..



Wesco Opens Clean Agent Recharge Facility in Indiana


Wesco announced the opening of its newest halon collection and clean agent recharge facility. The new facility, located at 120 Moore Street, West Harrison, Indiana, will act as a collection point for both Wesco's clean agent purchasing as well as a recharge and repair center for all makes and models of fire protection systems.

 

Like Wesco's other facilities (Metuchen, NJ, Phoenix, AZ,  Poland and Dubai, UAE), the center is fully stocked with Halon 1301, Halon 1211, HFC227, Novec 1230, Halotron and FE 36. In addition to these fire protection agents, Wesco also stocks reload kits and a variety of system cylinders used for swap outs.

 

Shannon Esopenko
Shannon Esopenko

Shannon Esopenko, Wesco's Business Development Manager, is responsible for the new location's sales and marketing and had this to say: "Whether it's recharging or servicing a clean agent system after discharge, purchasing your unwanted Halon 1301, Halon 1211, FM200, Novec 1230 or other clean agents, or to provide you with answers in an industry with ever changing needs, Wesco is here to serve the fire equipment distributor. With over 150 years of combined direct fire suppression experience, Wesco can do that and more. Our plan is to bring the same level of superior service and performance to the Midwest that we've had on the East Coast for the last 17 years. Wesco's Indiana facility is prepared to service your emergency discharges or repairs on a 24/7 basis."

 

To reach Shannon, call 812-637-7019 or 817-779-3087or write her at [email protected].

 

 

WESCO Co-hosts NAFED AC Reception along with Dolan's Fire and NJAFED

 

Here's a photo from the recent NAFED Conference in Atlantic City:

 

 

Click here for more photos! 

 

 

HARC Issues Newsletter


For the past five years HARC has been closely following the development of national and international climate change proposals with an eye on their potential to impact some of the agents we use for special hazard fire protection. In the last two years we have seen legislation introduced in the US Congress and amendments proposed to the Montreal Protocol that would slowly phase down the production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) over the next 20 years. Fire protection is a very small use of HFCs, so it is not clear how much immediate impact these regulations would have on our industry if they were approved. However there is no doubt that the mere suggestion of future regulation has an effect on the market.

Click here to read the entire article..


3M on Novec and the Future of HFCs

 

3M Horizons Newsletter

Winter 2011

 

From time to time, you may see a chemical manufacturer's claim that a certain product
"meets CARB Standards." CARB, which stands for California Air Resources Board, is a department within the California Environmental Protection Agency, charged with ensuring healthy air quality in the state.

Established in 1967, before the passage of the Federal Clean Air Act superseded the right of states to set their own air quality standards, CARB is unique in the nation, and has a record of taking proactive and sometimes aggressive actions to improve air quality by steering industry sectors towards the best
available technology. Because of this, CARB regulations exert a strong influence on other state and federal agencies, and are often viewed as a bellwether of future national clean air standards.

In recent years, CARB has banned the use of chlorinated solvents, such as methylene chloride,
perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene, in aerosol cleaners - including those used in industrial environments. This is being done to reduce the use and emissions of these toxic solvents.

Click here to read the entire article..


 

Minimax USA Announces Introduction of MX-200 (FM200) and MX-1230 (Novec 1230) Clean Agent Suppression Systems

 

Mesa, Arizona based Minimax USA, LLC a divison of Minimax/Viking Group has announced the introduction of its new line of clean fire suppression agent systems.

 

The lines include FM200 and Novec 1230 and are both UL Listed and FM Approved.

 

The FM200 line comes in the following sizes: 140, 220, 280, 390 and 500 pounds. It is available in pressure ranges of 360 psi, 610 psi and 725 psi. For more information on Minimax's FM200 line, click here.

 

The Novec 1230 line comes in the following sizes: 140, 220, 280, 390 and 500 pounds. It is available in pressure ranges of 360 psi and 725 psi. For more information on Minimax's Novec 1230 line, click here.   

 

According to Bill Freeman, Minimax's Vice President , these are the first UL listed 725 psi systems on the market, offer more design advantages than traditional 360 psi systems and require less cylinders than nitrogen enhanced systems.



Association News


FSSA Elects New Officers for 2011-2012


Larry Grodsky, President | Siemens Fire Safety
Carla Pizzarello, Vice President | Advanced Safety Systems, Inc.
Dale Kent, Secretary/Treasurer | 3M Company
Rick Scott, Immediate Past President | BFPE International


Click here for the full article and to see the rest of the officers..


PAFED Holds Spring Meeting this week

 

The spring and fall meetings can be found on the calendar listed here.

 

 

NAFED Holds Atlantic City Meeting; Gets ready for Indianapolis

 

The NAFED 2011 Annual Conference will be held on May 5-6, 2011. You can find the registration information and schedule of events here.

 

 

NFPA Annual Conference Set for June 12-15 in Boston


Attend the year's largest and most important event for the fire protection, life safety, and electrical industries. Join NFPA experts and industry professionals on June 12-15 for the 2011 NFPA Conference & Expo, widely regarded as the most comprehensive event in the industry. Convening at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the event combines an unrivaled educational conference with an expo of more than 340 solution providers.

Click here for the full article..

 

 
Environmental News: Ozone Hole Largest in History

GENEVA 5 APRIL 2011 (WMO) -� Depletion of the ozone layer �- the shield that protects life on Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet rays - has reached an unprecedented level over the Arctic this spring because of the continuing presence of ozone�-depleting substances in the atmosphere and a very cold winter in the stratosphere. The stratosphere is the second major layer of the Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere.

 

The record loss is despite an international agreement which has been very successful in cutting production and consumption of ozone destroying chemicals. Because of the long atmospheric lifetimes of these compoundsit will take several decades before their concentrations are back down to pre�1980 levels, the target agreed in the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

 

Click here for the full article.. 


 

Best of the Web

 

Fire Protection Options for Air-Cooled Hydroelectric Generators

 

Powernews

April 1, 2011

 

There are a variety of halon-alternative clean agent gaseous systems, including halocarbons such as DuPont's FM-200 and inert gas agents such as Ansul's Inergen. The design and installation of these systems is governed by NFPA 2001, Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems.

 

Clean agents generally have the advantages of being nontoxic at their design concentrations and leaving no residue. Clean agents are not specifically listed for generator protection, and testing of halocarbon agents on Class C (electrical) fires has shown that flame can rekindle if the equipment remains energized. Therefore, it is imperative to de-energize the generator prior to actuating the fire suppression system. If this cannot be done, then the concentration of fire suppressing agent should be increased accordingly.

 

Click here for the full article..

 

Mission Critical Assets - Size Matters

International Fire Protection Magazine
24 February 2011
A few eyebrows might be raised when a company that has long argued the wisdom of in-cabinet fire detection and suppression expands its offering to include a full-room, total flooding solution. But mission-critical assets come in a variety of sizes and combining the two systems can be the most effective and cost efficient solution.

When the National Australia Bank (NAB) was hit recently by what the Wall Street Journal described, in a masterpiece of understatement, as a "computer glitch" the company came very close to melt-down. In addition to affecting millions of NAB customer across the country, the "glitch" impacted on transactions with just about every other bank. Accounts were erroneously frozen, wages and salaries went unpaid, customers were left without cash, and bank balances were thrown into chaos. The problem took six days to rectify, and how much it cost the bank - both financially and in damage to its reputation - is just about anyone's guess. Certainly, the bank is being very tight lipped.


At first glance, it may not be easy to spot the link between NAB's computer problem and fire detection and suppression. However, the story does throw into sharp focus the impact that even a small computer problem can have on a business that is totally reliant on its IT infrastructure.

 Click here for the full article..


Did you know?

  • That if you were in the fire suppression business 30 years ago, you had your choice of two "clean agents" - Halon 1301 (flooding) and Halon 1211 (streaming). If you're in the fire suppression business today, you have 8 choices - HFC 227, HFC 125, Novec 1230, FE 13, Inert Gases (at least three), Watermist, Halotron and FE 36 - provided by 19 different manufacturers.

                                                                                                                                                 

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 [email protected].

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www.ushalonbank.com
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