This month I have talked about how to store your lovely shiny new fire extinguishers (which OF COURSE you ordered from the lovely folk at Fire Protection Online!) I was talking about fire extinguisher stands, which will hold your extinguishers and keep them from being knocked around. However, sometimes you might want something that is a little bit more robust. Something with a bit more protection. So, how about a fire extinguisher cabinet?

Fire extinguisher cabinets come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit your needs. You can get standard ones, extra tall ones (which will comfortably house a 5kg CO₂ extinguisher) and also double sized ones, which will hold two extinguishers side by side.

These cabinets are good if you need to place your fire extinguishers outside – after all, extinguishers need to be where they will be used, so it is no good having to run for miles to get to the nearest one – by then it might be too late. But in order to protect your extinguishers from the vagaries of the weather, it is a good idea to put them in one of these super-strong boxes.

Fire extinguisher cabinets also prevent extinguishers from being moved around, and keeps them safe from damage.

It is important to keep your extinguisher in tip top condition, so that in an emergency it is primed and ready for action. However, their day to day condition can deteriorate from simple things such as splatters of paint, grease from kitchens, and everyday grime and dirt. They are also highly tempting items for curious fingers – all those levers to play with and bits to fiddle with and pull off. So, keep your extinguisher safe and sound and out of the way of poking digits by putting it inside a cabinet.

The big Daddy of our fire extinguisher cabinet range is a large fire fighting equipment box. This will store up to four extinguishers or other fire fighting equipment and keep it safe and protected. The corrosion-proof and shatterproof twin-locking cabinet from Jonesco can be wall-mounted, and is ideal for use in public places. It is well suited to outside use, as it has a neoprene weather seal to keep out the elements.

So there you are – in one month I have given you two storage solutions for your extinguishers – what more do you want?! Hopefully your extinguishers will now stay in tip top condition and be ready for fire-fighting action at the drop of a hat!

A Honeywell safe. I think I have told you about these before. About why you might need one, and the basics of what they are. But there is more than one type, so I thought I’d go into a bit more detail today.

First though, in case you weren’t paying attention last time, I’ll give you a quick recap of what a Honeywell safe is used for. Basically, these are fire and water-proof boxes, that will protect your valuable paperwork and digital media – such as CDs and USB drives. The basic premise is to make sure that the irreplaceable documents are protected in case of a fire.

So, the different types of Honeywell box then. Well, firstly there is the upright fire safe. All the upright safes have digital locks, and can protect your documents for up to one hour in temperatures of up to a whopping 927 degrees – phew! They are also watertight for up to eight hours, and even the biggest one of them will float in a flood.

The next type is a fire chest, which is used for protecting digital media. So much information is now created and stored on computers that it is imperative that your backups are protected – imagine having to start your company’s digital archives again from scratch – not fun! Keeping digital media cool in a fire is very important, and a Honeywell fire chest will protect your CDs, DVDs, USB sticks, optical drives and DAT tapes by keeping then under 51.5^oC for up to one hour in a fire. They are waterproof too, so will protect from pesky water damage. One of the models even has wheels on it, so you can easily move it if you need to.

Honeywell safes are not only fireproof and waterproof, but also secure too. They all feature strong, high quality locks to keep your information for your eyes only. One more product that this company makes is a laptop box. Laptops are highly thievable, high value items, and so keeping yours secure is very important. One of the most common places for laptops to be stolen from is the car. The Honeywell laptop box has a double steel wall to protect your laptop, and also a 1200mm securing cable which can be wrapped around a metal anchoring point in the boot of your car to make it even harder for thieves to get their hands on it.

So there you go. A quick rundown of the Honeywell safes. It is always good to remember that fire and water can do just as much damage as thieves – so why not protect yourself from all three at one time.

Another member of the FPO Team for you to meet – this time it is Fiona Morgan (who also happens to be my best friend!!)

What is your job at FPO?

My job at FPO is technically Online Marketing Supervisor. However a lot of my job is keeping the boss on track, learning on the job and trying to expand the reach fire protection has to the consumer. Oh and the most amazing hot chocolate maker. EVER.

Your background isn’t in online marketing, so how did you get involved with FPO?

Hahahhaa no my background wasn’t originally in marketing at all! After school I went to Uni and studied a for a bachelors degree in law. I always thought I would become a defense barrister (you know one of those wig-wearing types, fighting for justice and making the world a safer place) but during the course of my degree and doing some training in chambers, I decided it wasn’t for me. I ended up doing a variety of other jobs (estate agent, nightclub manager, copywriter for an NGO (Non-Governemental Organisation – part of the UN), PR assistant, barmaid etc) for a couple of years before Jon (aka big Giant Bossman) came across me pulling pints at an evening job in a local pub. He soon realised he couldn’t function without my greatness – or rather needed someone to help during the summer to get him on track and then I just never left. (Shhhhh… he may not have noticed I’m still here!)

What is your favourite part of your job?

I actually really enjoy the close working relationship I have with Jon, and everyone here is so nice it’s great. (I also get to wear jeans/fluffy socks and treat it like a second home!)

The depth of knowledge I have acquired in the last two and half years working here really blows my mind, not only am I pretty clued up on fire extinguishers (often commenting when I’m at a restaurant about the lack/wrong/type/make of their extinguishers), but also I’ve discovered a whole new breadth in an area I knew nothing about (mainly internet related marketing and how to set up simple sites etc, yes I am becoming a geek), it’s also pretty damn cool when the bossman lets me go to places like Google/America through work – although BLATANTLY he needs to send me to more places like this

What is your least favourite part of your job?

There’s nothing really I dislike about my job per se. I’m not great with mornings so I struggle to get my rather curvaceous rear out of bed in time for when the bossman rocks up to take me into work, and I guess I’m not great with taking my breaks so that’s something I need to work on – but they’re not like yucky aspects of the job. I guess the only things I don’t like doing is having to explain a task to an outsourcer, then they fail to understand or complete. No one likes playing the bad guy – but I must say I do rather do it in a stylish – rabid Rottweiler  - type of way (so although I do it and do it well – its not something I relish)

Talk me through a typical day.

Ok so I snooze my alarm at least 3 times, roll out of bed hop in the shower, try and find my glasses/phone/clothes/handbag/shoes, clamber into my car if the bossman is off floating around the globe (which he is doing an average of twice a month at the mo) or if he’s back slump into the passenger seat and start gabbling away to him. Drive into work – trying not to hit/get caught behind tractors and lorries, rock up at work, kick my shoes off, fill my bottle up with squash and juice, have some brekkie, make the bossman a drink (if he’s about), plan his day, answer my emails, then start on my tasks for the day – planning outsourcer work, reading some new strategy etc. Throughout the day I shout at Jon (and possibly throw things) to get him to do his work on time and be more productive, then before I know it, it’s half five so I drag bossman kicking and screaming outta the building and demand to go home. Then I’m back in my pit and all is right with the world.

What do you get up to when you’re not taking over the world one extinguisher at a time?

Mmmm… I’m a internet addict – I seriously get the shakes if I can’t check my Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, blog, emails, eBay etc accounts at LEAST once a day. Apart from that I like horse riding, reading, films, seeing my pals, and travelling. Trying new stuff as much as possible is a big thing for me (I’ve recently been to Biarritz in France and this weekend I’m off to Dorset), also I guess I’ve kinda got into exercising – now I know what your thinking fat bird don’t run unless there’s cake, and it’s true I don’t, but I reward myself with Ben and Jerry’s or cake so all is right with the world.

Do you like olives?

I really like green olives in oil stuffed with garlic or almonds, or coated in herbs. I don’t like them in brine and I’m not too fussed about the other colours. Does that make me prejudiced to other olives? Oh god I’m an olivist….

Thank you Fiona – fab interview responses! Next time I’ll be chatting to Jackie, who is the FPO Administrator – so keep an eye out for that.

It’s a bank holiday weekend – yay!!!!! Now everyone knows that bank holiday weekends are the perfect opportunity for the British weather to play its usual tricks and be absolutely appallingly rubbish. It is one of those unalienable facts.

Traditionally, the August bank holiday weekend is a chance for us all to make plans for doing outdoorsy things, but then for the plans to be in tatters as the rain and floods begin, and we have to struggle through three hour traffic jams to get to somewhere that is normally only twenty minutes down the road.

So, why oh why have I chosen this weekend to have a barbecue?? I am basically just asking for trouble. We have recently moved into a new house, and our friend James asked us what we would like as a moving in present. My husband immediately seized on the idea of a barbecue. Bless him, the optimistic fool! So, on Thursday, James came round bearing a very lovely gift of a new barbecue. We then decided that this weekend would be the perfect opportunity to test drive this new cooking appliance, and arranged it.

Yesterday, I went to the supermarket. I picked up various types of barbecue-able meat, and whilst doing so, I realised that the clever chaps at the store had obviously got the measure of the British weather, as the barbecue meat section had diminished to a single fridge, and the “seasonal” aisle which is usually stocked high with outdoor eating paraphernalia from February onwards, had been scrapped altogether and the charcoal put on the end of an aisle, in a slightly embarrassed attempt to ignore that summer had been here at all.

However, in spite of this, I bravely soldiered on in my quest for chargrillable cuisine. My fridge is now stocked with meat, veggies, marinades, salad, rolls and coleslaw. The lady on the checkout gave me a sympathetic, and slightly knowing look, and said (without must conviction I may add) that she’d keep her fingers crossed for the weather. Hmmmm…

Well, so far so good. I am (very) quietly optimistic. I am currently sat in my conservatory, pecking away at my laptop keyboard. And the sun is currently shining! Blue skies, barely a cloud to be seen, and actual real live sunshine. Fingers, toes, arms, legs and eyes crossed that this weather continues into this evening. I know the weather in this country. If you don’t like it, just wait five minutes and it will have changed. So, wish me luck for this evening! I am now off to build a barbecue that is currently flat-packed. This could well be an odyssey in itself!!

As part of my ‘Meet the FPO Team’ series, I have the pleasure of introducing to you Jackie Lewis. Read on to find out more…

What is your job at FPO?

I am the administrator.  I have always worked in an office, starting off as a secretary and then up to roles such as PA/Office Manager.  I started at FPO last July.  I had been made redundant the previous November – out of work 8 months.  One of the agencies that I was registered with invited me to attend an interview.  Obviously I was successful.

What is your favourite part of your job?

My favourite part of my job is going home – only kidding!  I like the contact I have with suppliers and the rapport I have built up with them.

What is your least favourite part of your job?

My least favourite part is helping out in customer services.

Talk me through a typical day.

I start the day by making a drink for the office staff.  I then check all the emails for all the sites and Jon’s.  Depending on what emails have arrived depends on what I then do.  Any emailed queries from customers get printed off and customer services deal with them.  Any enquiries that are emails only or overseas I deal with.  I place orders with suppliers – liaise with the warehouse.  Make more drinks, open the post and action.  Anything to do with paperwork is my responsibility.

What do you get up to when you’re not taking over the world one extinguisher at a time?

When not taking over the world I love cooking – especially curries.  I’m always on the lookout for authentic Indian/Sri Lankan recipes.  I also enjoy reading but don’t really have much time these days.

Do you like olives?

Love olives and I actually subscribe to a cooking magazine called ‘Olive’ – spooky!

So, you have just taken delivery of your supply of fire extinguishers for your gorgeously renovated new offices. There they are all shiny and new and ready for fire-related action (although, hopefully they will never actually have to be used). You have a little wander around your offices, and work out roughly where the extinguishers need to go, but you’re not completely sure. So you dot them about, and when you get back from holiday a few weeks later, they have moved. All of them. They were being used as door stops and coat hangars and all sorts. What to do?

Really, fire extinguishers need to be secured. They need to be somewhere where they can easily be seen and reached in an emergency. So, they should be accessible, but also not too easy to shift about on a whim. You don’t really want to wall mount them, but you do want them fixed in some way. You’re racking your brains, but cannot come up with a solution.

Well, never fear. As always, Fire Protection Online are here to help. What you are looking for, is a fire extinguisher stand.

A fire extinguisher stand is movable, but sturdy – so your extinguishers won’t get knocked over. It is also robust enough to withstand bumps, but also light. And the biggest bonus is that you won’t have to go drilling big holes in your office walls in order to fix the extinguishers to them – and if you’re anything like me with any form of DIY equipment, this is probably a very good thing.

The extinguisher stands that are sold at FPO don’t just come in the standard red. You can also get them in grey or cream. To match our beautiful range of chrome and steel extinguishers, there are also chrome fire extinguisher stands – hurrah for aesthetically pleasing, matching fire protection equipment!

So, if you are after something to hold your fire extinguishers – but want to be able to easily move them if you change your office space round, then look no further. A fire extinguisher stand is what you’re after. Just remember – extinguishers are not included!

An arsonist who started fires in DIY stores across Kent has been sentenced to four years in prison for public protection.

Benny Joe Dighton, formerly of Chatham, pleaded guilty to attempted arson with intent to endanger life at a B&Q in Maidstone, B&Q Larkfield and intent to damage property at Homebase in Aylesford.

The 28-year-old was caught on CCTV at all of the stores during the first bank holiday weekend in May this year.

On Saturday, May 1, just after midday, the fire brigade was called to the Homebase Store on the Quarry Wood Industrial estate in Aylesford after a fire broke out.

It took 90 firefighters and 17 fire engines 42 hours to extinguish the blaze which destroyed the building.

Just over an hour later, members of staff at the B&Q store in London Road in Larkfield had to put out a fire with a water fire extinguisher, which had been caused by someone setting packaging alight.

Then on the following Monday, May 3, staff were alerted to a customer behaving suspiciously at the B&Q store in Barker Road, Maidstone. They found the preparation of a fire in a wood aisle, which had been covered in methylated spirits. Fortunately the fire had not been started and members of staff immediately reported the incident to police.

The CCTV footage at the store showed Dighton there at the time of the incident and he was arrested later that day. Further investigation revealed Dighton had been caught on CCTV in both the vicinity of of Homebase and B&Q at the time of the fires.

Detective Inspector Ian Rogerson, who led the investigation said: “This was one of the busiest weekends of the year for home improvement shopping so it is a miracle that no-one was seriously injured or killed in these arsons.

“The damage that did occur, plus the disruption to shoppers and the stores themselves was significant, so I am pleased that the courts have recognised the danger Dighton presents to the public and he will no longer be at liberty to do anything like this for some considerable time to come.

“I would also like to thank the public for the help they provided to the investigation and to praise the shop staff whose vigilance ensured that the shops were evacuated safely and that no-one was hurt in these arsons.”

Kent Fire and Rescue Service have also welcomed today’s sentencing of Benny Dighton.

John Robertson, one of the incident commanders, said: “Anyone who was there can vouch for the fact that this was a ferocious fire which demanded the use of crews and equipment from all over the county for a prolonged period.

“This incident had the potential to be a real risk to life as well as property however, thanks to the Homebase staff who quickly and efficiently evacuated the building, no one was hurt and, due to the skill and tireless efforts of those fighting the fire, damage was mostly limited to the store itself.”

On sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, his Honour Judge Gold, said: “You pleaded guilty due to painstaking police work. It is drugs that have brought you to the situation you find yourself in today.

A sentence of four years for public protection means that Benny Dighton will serve four years before being able to apply for parole.

Did you know that firefighters dealt with hundreds of calls to grass fires around Wales this year, and official figures suggest that three-quarters of the most serious grass fires in Wales are started deliberately. Well, this was a story in the news recently and I think it makes quite disturbing reading.

Five people were injured in grassland fires in 2008, the most recent year that detailed figures were available. The fire services have focused more resources in recent years educating young people about the dangers of grass fires.

The number of serious, or primary, grassland fires started deliberately has fallen since peaking in 2003, which is good news, and hopefully shows that the education is working. Primary fires are classed as those which involve casualties, rescues or fires attended by five or more fire crews.

Figures are not yet available for 2010 but fire crews were busy across Wales earlier this year dealing with incidents, many believed to have been started deliberately.

Hundreds of grass fires were reported on some nights in March with incidents in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bangor, Gwynedd and on Gower, Swansea. The fires ranged in size from small areas of grass to a number of much larger blazes involving more than 150 hectares, equivalent to around 150 rugby pitches. The Welsh fire services said that some of these fires had been started deliberately – either maliciously, or as a result of controlled burning by landowners that got out of hand.

Geraint Hughes, operations manager of North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said that fire officers were working hard to educate people.

“The deliberate fires tend to be younger people and that’s part of the education we do within the community,” he said.

“We go out and try to educate the young people about the risk of starting deliberate fire starting and the effect that has. It’s destroying their community. The areas they’re playing in soon become unusable.”

He said there was also the problem of fire crews being prevented from attending other types of incidents.

“Our appliances are dealing with a grass fire when round the corner there might be a road accident or house fire. There is a large financial cost associated with grass fires too, because some incidents tie up firefighters for many hours. It’s difficult to put a definite figure on what it costs us,” said Mr Hughes.

“In some areas we have to bring in appliances to fill in the gaps. Where there’s retained firefighters we have to pull them away from their jobs potentially, and we pay them for the work they’re doing.”

There are signs that the public are taking note of the warnings, with the number of grassland fires generally falling since 2003, and fewer deliberate serious fires.

“We do see people take note of our advice. The message is getting through but it’s an ongoing process of educating people,” added Mr Hughes.