Fire and Rescue International Newsletter

Wishing our Christian readers a Blessed Easter and a blessed and joyous Passover to all our Jewish readers

As we find ourselves in a sacred season marked by powerful moments of faith, reflection and renewal across the world, we want to extend our warmest wishes to everyone observing these holy days.

To our Christian friends and families, may this Easter be a time of profound hope and renewal. As you celebrate the resurrection of Christ, may your hearts be filled with peace, love and the joy of new beginnings.

To our Jewish friends, may this Passover be a time of remembrance and freedom. As you gather around the Seder table and recount the story of liberation, may you be surrounded by loved ones and filled with gratitude for the blessings of resilience and renewal.

In a world that often highlights our differences, may this season remind us of the sacred threads that unite us — faith, compassion, family and the enduring human spirit.

To all our emergency services, firefighters, disaster managers, first responders, doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and those on duty and working over this period, stay safe! Thank you for your service!

Quote of the week
“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. Leaders are in the business of lighting other people’s candles.” ~ Unknown

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Lee Raath-Brownie
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A Bell UH-1H (Huey) Iroquois firefighting helicopter operated by the Working on Fire Group under a SANParks contract was involved in an accident while assisting with brushfire suppression in the Hout Bay mountains in Table Mountain National Park, Cape Town. During a low-speed approach to drop water using an underslung Bambi bucket, the Huey manoeuvred close to a cliff face. At this point, the main rotor blades struck a protruding rock outcrop, causing severe damage to the rotor system and mast. With minimal altitude and forward speed, the pilot managed to perform an emergency landing adjacent to the fire area. The helicopter sustained a hard landing but remained largely intact. The pilot, Mike Bothma, survived with minor cuts and bruises.

Two pilots have died after a passenger plane collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in the USA. Air Canada Express Flight 8646 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport in Quebec, Canada, to LaGuardia Airport in New York, United States. The flight was operated by Jazz Aviation, an airline operating regional flights on behalf of Air Canada under the brand Air Canada Express. On the night of 22 March 2026, the Bombardier CRJ900 serving the flight experienced a runway incursion with a LaGuardia airport firefighting (ARFF) truck operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The truck was crossing the runway to reach an unrelated emergency event as the CRJ900 landed, resulting in a ground collision. The aircraft’s cockpit and forward galley sections were destroyed, killing both pilots. Forty-one people, including passengers, crew and both occupants of the truck, were hospitalised following the collision; nine remained under medical care the following day.

Early Friday morning, 27 March 2026, the Fire Department New York (FDNY) responded to a 3-alarm fire at Engine 79 in the Bronx, bringing more than 160 firefighters and EMS personnel to the scene. During the incident, members operating inside the firehouse encountered fire on the first floor that extended to the apparatus floor and up the stairwell, trapping firefighters on the second floor.

A late-afternoon adventure at Hillcrest Estate quarry in Durbanville, Cape Town, turned into an unexpected rescue mission on Saturday evening, 21 March 2026, after a young German Shorthaired Pointer, Sable, took his enthusiasm for dassie-chasing a little too far. The adventurous two-and-a-half-year-old had managed to scramble roughly 20 metres up an 80-metre cliff face, only to discover that climbing up is often easier than coming down. When he didn’t return home with his companion, his owner went searching and eventually found him perched on a small ledge, looking decidedly stuck and clearly feeling a bit sorry for himself. Technical teams from Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) were called to join forces with colleagues from City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service to assist.

Step inside the historic building in Melbourne and you’ll be greeted by Australia’s largest collection of firefighting memorabilia, including County Fire Authority (CFA) exhibits dating back almost two centuries. From horse-drawn appliances used in the 1800s, brass helmets from World War One used as makeshift firefighting headwear and valour medals won in the line of duty, to the most modern firefighting clothing and equipment, the museum charts the evolution of Victoria’s fire services.

Swift intervention by seasoned City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) firefighters prevented what was to be a catastrophic fire destruction to one of the old educational institutions for children with special needs that range from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down Syndrome and Autistic Spectrum Disorder in Actonville, Benoni in Ekurhuleni. After the reception of the call at 12h15 noon, firefighters from Benoni and Brakpan fire stations, respectively responded to Actonville Training Centre in Benoni for intervention. The school for the specialised able children was reported to be well alight. Benoni firefighters being the primary responding team, arrived first on scene backed up by Brakpan’s team few minutes later.

On Sunday, 22 March 2026, a major fire broke out at the Fuyao Glass America plant in Moraine, Ohio, one of the world’s largest automotive glass manufacturing facilities. Emergency crews were dispatched around 20h30 to the 2800 block of Stroop Road after reports of a structure fire, according to Moraine dispatchers. Multiple fire departments responded to the incident, which burned for several hours and was fuelled by roofing materials.

On 26 March 2026, Minister Anton Bredell formally handed over a cheque to the Search and Rescue South Africa Organisation (SARZA), recognising the organisation’s important contribution to disaster response in the Western Cape. The Department of Local Government provided R300 000 in financial support to the SARZA to assist the Organisation continuing its critical search and rescue operations across the Province.

The fire of an old bus in the 1.3km-long Raudhammar Tunnel on E6 in northern Norway literally splits the country in half. The incident occurred inside the Raudhammar Tunnel, a road tunnel in Norway designed to carry vehicular traffic through mountainous terrain on Friday, 27 March 2026. Like many Norwegian tunnels, it was equipped with ventilation, emergency lay-bys and safety systems but the enclosed nature of tunnels inherently amplifies fire risk. The passenger bus traveling through the tunnel experienced a mechanical failure that led to ignition, likely originating in the engine compartment. Within minutes, the fire spread rapidly due to combustible materials, including fuel, tyres and interior furnishings. Incident command was established immediately outside the tunnel.

This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: Nozzle tactics: Some thoughts on nozzles by Dale Jenkins in the USA (FRI Vol 3 no 11). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.

The primary fire station in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany, is the Feuerwehr Ingelheim am Rhein, which serves as the central hub for the city’s volunteer and professional fire services. The fire station at Am Großmarkt 6 in 55218 Ingelheim am Rhein was occupied by the Ingelheim Fire Department on Saturday, 5 June 2021, replacing the former location at Georg-Scheuing-Straße 1a (formerly Fire Station 1 Nieder-Ingelheim) and the location at Rheinstraße 247 in Frei-Weinheim. Since then, this location houses, in addition to the Ingelheim City Centre unit and the Ingelheim Youth Fire Brigade, the full-time Fire and Disaster Control Department 32/1, the Fire and Disaster Control Centre (FEZ) and the Ingelheim Fire Department’s central workshops for breathing apparatus, equipment storage, hose maintenance and a wash bay.

A special ambulance that can travel on railway tracks as well as on the road, is set to transform emergency medical services in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, particularly in remote desert regions. The vehicle, built locally by NAFFCO, combines standard American ambulance specifications with an innovative rail gear system, allowing it to navigate areas traditional ambulances struggle to reach. With the UAE and Saudi Arabia developing an extensive rail network, these rail ambulances could play a crucial role in reaching patients in otherwise inaccessible areas, marking a step forward in the region’s emergency healthcare capabilities.

This viral Joe Rogan kettlebell workout is ideal for firefighters looking to build first-responder functional fitness. With over 10 years on the job, I know that this workout will help you build strength, endurance and on-the-job performance as a firefighter.

Source: Mitch Gourley

This video demonstrates techniques and manoeuvres of proficient search rope management.

Source: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Training Division

We remember the 14 firemen of Glasgow Fire Service, now Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and five salvagemen of the Glasgow Salvage Corps on the 66th anniversary of their deaths at a Fire and explosion at a Bonded Warehouse, Cheapside Street, Glasgow on 28 March 1960. At 19:15 on 28 March a 999 call was received by Glasgow Fire Service control reporting ‘smoke issuing’ from the Warehouse of Arbuckle, Smith & Co Ltd. Two appliances were dispatched from West Fire Station along with a turntable ladder from Central Fire Station. In addition, Fireboat ‘St Mungo’ was ordered along with a Salvage tender from the Glasgow Salvage Corps.