Leading fire protection specialist Wormald has won a multi-million dollar contract with the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS), updating the Service’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), cylinders, distress signal units (DSUs) and testing equipment over the next five years.
The tender process involved extensive product trials of several major leading brands before the contract was awarded to Wormald. Trials included the SCBAs being subjected to intensive use during live fire training at the Queensland Combined Emergency Service Academy (QCESA) at Whyte Island.
“Our firefighters on the front line need to be armed with the very best equipment to effectively protect them and our community,” said Commissioner Lee Johnson, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.
“We’re confident that the scope and flexibility of Wormald’s products, as well as their industry leadership and expertise, will result in our firefighters being fully prepared for any situation.”
“We’re looking forward to working with the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, providing their firefighters with the latest fire protection equipment,” said Mark Gowans, Managing Director, Wormald.
“The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service covers a vast area and it’s vital that the products we equip them with can handle the different types of situation that might occur.”
During the five-year replacement program, Wormald will provide SCBA units, positive pressure facemasks, negative pressure facemasks and filters, cylinders with a unique photoluminescent super glow band and protective boots and caps and DSUs with and without full telemetry capabilities, including cylinder pressure and time remaining.
The SCBA is the new Advanced Carrying System (ACS) from Scott. A major breakthrough in the SCBA market, the ACS is available with a wide variety of facemasks, cylinders and valve styles, allowing it to be tailored to suit QFRS requirements. The QFRS will receive the ACS with Promask Positive Pressure (Promask PP) facemasks and Luxfer 6.8 litre, 300 bar cylinders.
The system has EN137 Class II and Australian Standard AS/NZS1716:2003 approvals. The QFRS’ allocation of masks will include Promask Negative Pressure (Promask NP) facemasks, designed for a possible pandemic outbreak, as well as wildland firefighting, offering heat and flame resistance. The Promask facemasks are manufactured from ProComp which provides superior protection against chemical, biological, radioactive or nuclear threats.
The Promask NP facemasks’ storage bags have been specially designed to include the QFRS logo. Wormald is the exclusive distributor of the Scott Health and Safety range of life safety products in the Emergency Services market across Australia and New Zealand.
Wormald will be attending AFAC’s annual conference on the Gold Coast from September 22 to 24 2009 where these products will be exhibited along with other professional firefighting and personal protective products and equipment. Further variations of the ACS will also be available to test. Visit Wormald at Stand #79.