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The Air Up There: A Thanks to Those Who Make It Happen
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 November 2014
By John Demeter It's not easy to explain our business. When asked, we usually start off by saying "fire suppression." If the response is, "how nice" and the discussion moves onto another subject, we know we've saved ourselves a lot of time and avoided the risk of boring someone. On the other hand, if we've peaked their interest and there is a follow-up question, the next words out of our mouth are "halons and clean agent fire suppression." By now, if their eyes haven't glazed over, we're fully engaged in our monologue that begins with the hole in the ozone layer and the banning of ozone depleting substances. (The part about dealing in "banned substances" is where we really get their attention.) But what is sometimes overlooked in these discussions are the people who make it happen - the people of Wesco. Think about it. The number of moving parts in our business can be staggering. We have to look for a product that hasn't been made in 20 years (so far this has taken us to 22 different countries and dozens of trade shows every year), hope that it is available for sale, negotiate the purchase against stiff competition, maneuver through a bevy of governmental regulations, transport a hazardous material to our factory, hope that the amount that we thought we purchased is what we get, sample and test the product, transfer the product from one of hundreds of different high pressure system cylinders into bulk storage tanks, sample again, recycle, resample to insure that it meets the demanding specifications of our customers and prepare the product for final shipment. All of this happens because of the people of Wesco. A special group, many of whom have spent most of their professional lives in fire suppression and who have worked together as a team for over a decade. Who have, over the years, found, transported, recycled and sold several million pounds of halon. Who spend countless days on the road visiting customers and suppliers and attending trade shows. Who keep the machines running and the factory safe. Who show up on weekends and stay late into the night to fill emergency orders. Who don't leave their desks until the work is done and customers have been satisfied. These are the people of Wesco. And too much "good" cannot be said about them. At this time of year when we are accounting for the things for which we are thankful, the people of Wesco rank high on our list. |
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Spotlight On: Mark Buser
|  Position at Wesco HMB: Operations Manager
Length of Time Employed at Wesco HMB: 7.5 years
Experience: Came to Wesco with 15+ years of electrical, heating and air conditioning experience. Mark's background brings a wide range of technical and troubleshooting skills to his position.
Interests: Cars, martial arts, DIY projects, and spending time with his family
What People Say About Mark: "An incredibly resourceful manager. Usually knows what's wrong with a machine before the machine knows it has a problem. A deeply curious mind."
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Mark and his family
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WE
BUY
HALON
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Shannon Esopenko
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
West/Mid-West Regional Sales Manager
817-779-3087
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 UTC Cans Chemetron, Fires Fenwal
Promotes Kidde Fire Systems
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 Kidde Fire Systems will now incorporate Chemetron Fire Systems and Fenwal Protection Systems
Kidde's Statement to Their Customers
We are Kidde Fire Systems. To sharpen our customer focus and advance our collective leadership in the industry, our family of special hazard fire protection brands is uniting. Kidde Fire Systems will now incorporate Chemetron Fire Systems and Fenwal Protection Systems. As Kidde Fire Systems, we will enhance our customer focus and partnerships, provide highly efficient service and training, preserve a deep combined expertise in an array of vertical markets, and accelerate our product and technology developments. Brand names have changed; our mission, focus and commitment to customers and products have remained steadfast. The customers who have invested in our industry-leading special hazard fire protection systems have our promise of continued long-term support and lifespan for their products, and in addition, the pledge of better-than-ever product innovation for your next generation of special hazard fire protection. Read the rest of the statement and FAQs here.
Kidde's Statement to Their Distributors
We are Kidde Fire Systems. To sharpen our customer focus and advance our collective leadership in the industry, our family of special hazard fire protection brands is uniting. Kidde Fire Systems will now incorporate Chemetron Fire Systems and Fenwal Protection Systems. As Kidde Fire Systems, we will enhance our customer focus and partnerships, provide highly efficient service and training, preserve a deep combined expertise in an array of vertical markets, and accelerate our product and technology developments.
For years, many of our leading distributors have been asking us to unify our brands to provide them with better and more efficient service, optimized training and a cohesive product line under one brand name. They've suggested broad enhancements to our ability to leverage expertise, product development, sales, and more. Now, by uniting as Kidde Fire Systems, we are fulfilling these requests and more.
Read the rest of the statement and FAQs here.
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Tyco FPP Takes the Cheese
Bolts US for Switzerland
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 10/9/14 A Message From Colleen Repplier, President of Tyco Fire Protection Products
In July 2013, I announced Fire Protection Products' Plan supporting the Project Pinnacle initiative and increasing Tyco's presence in Switzerland. The first phase of this initiative was to set up our Fire Detection headquarters and run this business segment from Tyco's growing Neuhausen, Switzerland hub. We did this to take advantage of a geographic location well-positioned at the center of our global markets and to realize cost and operating efficiencies from simplifying the end-to-end business processes and from centralizing the decision making in Switzerland. We made this change as part of a broader focus on how to best integrate FPP into the overall, global Tyco enterprise, consistent with similar moves by other businesses and functions, such as retail, sourcing and L&D.
We have made great progress since then, implementing Project Pinnacle and contributing to Tyco's success. Four members of the FPP Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and several of the team members, either have relocated to, or are working from, the Neuhausen office.
Click here to read the full statement.
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United Systems Buys Test Inspection Company |
10/27/14 Security Systems News By Amy Canfield Absolute Fire and Safety brings new expertise to 57-year-old firm
DENVER -- Full-service security company United Systems, based here, has acquired Absolute Fire and Safety to expand commercial fire and safety services throughout Colorado. Absolute Fire and Safety brings its test and inspection work to the company, Williamson said. The addition of Absolute's five employees "and their expertise allows us to tell the story that we are the total solution for (our customers.) It allows us to present a really great package," Jeff Williamson, United Systems' director of corporate development, told Security Systems News. Click here to read the rest of the article. |
Intersec 2015 Plans Record Turnout of Safety Companies |
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The three-day event nears sell-out three months ahead of opening its doors for the 17th time
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10/21/14 Big Red Guide World's premier safety and security exhibition expects stronger than ever turnout as global players converge in growing market.
A record turn-out of safety and security companies from Germany, UK and the USA will be at the forefront of international participation at Intersec 2015, as the three-day event nears sell-out three months ahead of opening its doors for the 17th time.
Organiser Epoc Messe Frankfurt has reported unprecedented international interest in the world's largest safety, security, and fire protection trade fair; exhibitors have already snapped up 90 per cent of the exhibition space, underlining the positive sentiment in a region which is among the fastest growing security markets in the world.
Taking place from 18-20 January 2015 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Intersec will spread over 51,000sqm, an increase of 15 per cent over the 2014 edition.
Click here to read the full article.
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Brothers Arrested in Fire Suppression Valve Theft | |
10/28/14
WBRZ
By Trey Schmaltz
HAMMOND -- Brothers are accused of running a valve theft ring that targeted fire suppression devices on the sides of buildings.
Jason Flattman, 31, and John Flattman, 36, are charged with felony theft related to various brass valves going missing from buildings in Tangipahoa Parish. Since October 4, business have reported thefts of the valves which are valued at more than $800.
The valves are required for buildings and assist firefighters in battling a fire. The valves connect pipes inside and the sprinkler system inside the building with a fire truck outside.
Investigators checked scrap yards where they found valves and a log that showed the two brothers sold the valves to scrap businesses.
More charges could be filed. There have been similar reports of valve thefts in other areas of the region. None were reported in Baton Rouge, although fire departments had been warned about what was going on and were inspecting valves.
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EPA Approves New Halon Alternative
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EPA Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program Determination of Acceptability expanded the list of acceptable substitutes for ozone-depleting substances (ODS). In the fire suppression and explosion protection sector, Powdered Aerosol D (Aero-K™, Stat-X™) is now listed as acceptable for use in total flooding systems in normally occupied spaces. The full document can be seen here.
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Solberg Introduces Environmentally Friendly Foam |
Fire Safety Search Initiative replaces fluorine-based foam concentrates in foam/water sprinkler systems
The Solberg Company, the world's foremost innovator of firefighting foam concentrates and systems hardware announced today a program to replace fluorine-based foam concentrates in foam/water sprinkler systems with a high-performance environmentally sustainable firefighting foam concentrate for Class B fuel fires, while maintaining the critical product certification on the existing system. The Foam/Water Sprinkler System Upgrade Program utilizes RE-HEALING™ Foam, the world's first UL Listed and FM Approved fluorine-free foam concentrate, which contains no fluorine or other organohalogens, whether surfactant or polymer based. Read the rest of the article here.
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Euros Propose 2019 Phase Out of 1211 FX; Punt on APU and Engines | |
11/20/14
AIN
By Gordon Gilbert
The European Aviation Safety Agency proposed a phase-out schedule for the use of halon in fire extinguishers in the cabins and lavatories of future Part 25 business aircraft and airliners, as well as Part 29 rotorcraft. It claims that there are currently or soon will be two non-halon alternative fire-extinguishing agents available for these compartments.
However, for APU and engine compartments, the agency is taking a "do nothing" position until weight and other technical issues for alternative fire-extinguisher agents are solved. The objective of the proposal is to "progressively mitigate the environmental impact that halon has on the atmosphere and climate change," EASA said.
The proposed schedule calls for the replacement of halon in lavatories on newly produced aircraft starting on Jan. 1, 2016, and in handheld extinguishers on newly built aircraft starting Jan. 1, 2019. End dates for the use of halon on current and new type-certified aircraft are already in effect under EU regulations. A second proposal will address smaller airplanes and some rotorcraft used in international operations.
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DuPont Attacks HFC Myths |
October 2014 APF Magazine By Mark L Robin
Sustainable Fire Protection Solutions
Since their introduction in the early 1990s, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based clean agents have been
the most widely specified clean agents for fire protection of sensitive, valuable and mission critical equipment and assets. No other issues related to these agents are perhaps more misunderstood or misrepresented than their environmental impact and the implications of regulations on their use in fire extinguishing applications. Environmental impact: the scientific facts. Ozone Depletion: Since HFCs do not contain chlorine or bromine, they do not contribute to the destruction of stratospheric ozone; as a result, HFCs are not subject to the provisions of the Montreal Protocol, which pertains only to ozone depleting substances (ODSs). Global Warming: The impact of HFCs in fire protection on global warming/climate change is often misunderstood and misrepresented. In particular, there are several oft-encountered myths that require addressing. Myth OneThe first myth is that the emissions of HFCs in fire protection applications have a significant impact on climate change due to the GWP values of the agents
Click here to read the rest of the article.
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3M Novec Charts New Course
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Fire Safety Search By Joe Ziemba 3M Today, sustainable fire protection is all about minimizing impacts on people, the planet . . . and the pocket-book. So, how do fire safety engineers in the Asia Pacific region avoid the pitfalls of the earlier Halon phase-out initiatives? When talking about the sustainability of a particular technology, the discussion typically focuses on its environmental impact. Environmental concerns are certainly the driving force, but economic and social issues are also important considerations in addressing the sustainability of a given technology. Specific to clean agent fire suppression, the Asia Pacific market is currently experiencing the long-term economic cost of installing, maintaining, and ultimately disposing of Halon, which was phased out by the Montreal Protocol. As usual, environmental and economic sustainability are tightly linked. Click here to read the rest of the article.
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Passive Fire Protection - Reducing Risks, Saving Lives and Assets |
 10/23/14 By Camille Azzi Senior Consulting Engineer Fires and explosions and the consequences to lives and assets are a particular concern in high-risk process and oil and gas industries.Designing key elements to withstand the consequences of gas explosions and hydrocarbon fires, as well as reducing the risk of escalation, are important aspects in process plant design. In many cases, required mitigation measures can also have a significant impact on project and future maintenance costs.
It's impossible to completely eliminate the risk of catastrophic events. Therefore, it's important to effectively protect personnel from those events and reduce escalation risk to keep the event contained to a single fire area and prevent its spread to other areas or the whole installation.
Excessive conservatism in consequence modelling doesn't always result in safer designs, as the positive effect of highly effective mitigation measures might be masked by the simplification and conservatism.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
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Most Popular Stories from October 2014 |
These are the stories in our last issue that got the most clicks. If you haven't already, check them out! |
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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 kbuser@ushalonbank.com. WESCO HMB
1.800.433.1751
www.ushalonbank.com
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