Monday, July 29, 2013

Some more pictures from our BBQ

Left to right: Ferno’s John Ellis;  Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s  Katie Collinson; Coun Martyn Bolt, Mayor of Kirklees; Richard Smith of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Simon Harrison, Doodson Broking Group
Left to right: Janice Hutton and Richard Arnold from Gateway Funeral and Ferno’s Chris King and Mark Richards
Left to right: Coun Martyn Bolt, Mayor of Kirklees; Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s  Katie Collinson and Ferno’s John Ellis
Left to right: Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Katie Collinson; Coun Martyn Bolt, Mayor of Kirklees; Richard Smith of the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Ferno’s Steve Brown


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Congratulations to Steve Bray and SP Services on their new Bastion HQ



Congratulations to Steve Bray, founder and managing director of SP Services, and his team on their successful move to their new headquarters in Telford, Shropshire.
Steve and SPS are long-time friends and customers of Ferno and distribute many of our products to a wide range of customer in the EMS sector. Steve, left, is pictured with Ferno’s Penny North and Chris King.
SP Service’s Bastion House, so named in honour of the many thousands of brave men and women who have unselfishly worked at or who have been treated at the Camp Bastion Hospital in Afghanistan, was purchased in early 2012 and has been completely refitted specifically to meet the growing needs of SP Services’ UK based operations.
The warehouse at Bastion House is several times the size of SPS’s old premises, allowing the company to keep significantly more products in stock in greater numbers. A good thing for their customers who need their medical products in a rush.
Managing director Steve Bray personally oversaw the development of the new building to make sure everything would work just the way SPS needed it to. The new building features a dedicated kit building area, a brand new showroom - again several times the size of SPS’s old showroom, purpose built offices, conference rooms and training rooms.
The 2012 Olympics, while demanding, were handled very successfully by SPS, but highlighted the need for better facilities for when it comes to kits produced on a large scale. Again Bastion has been built with this in mind allowing SP to cope with kit production on any scale with ease.
“In a way it’s sad to say goodbye to the old building,” said Steve, “It has served us and our customers well over the past decade. But SP Services is built around the principles of customer satisfaction, and the only way to achieve that is to move on. I’m sure Bastion House will now allow us to serve our customers even better - both in the UK and abroad.”

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Scoop stretchers more effective for spinal injuries in rugby

Rugby clubs are being advised by professional medical governing bodies to use spinal scoop
stretchers when players are injured on the field.
We are advising advised that players suspected of suffering a spinal injury should be removed from the field with a scoop stretcher rather than the traditional rigid longboard.
A scoop stretcher is designed to lift patients from the ground, either due to unconsciousness or in order to maintain stability in the case of trauma, especially where a spinal injury is suspected.
A scoop stretcher can be split vertically into two parts, with shaped 'blades' towards the centre which can be brought together underneath a patient. The two halves are placed separately, either side of the patient, and then brought together until securing clips at the top and bottom both engage.
Traditional longboards are usually placed alongside the patient who is then “logrolled” on to the stretcher in a procedure which could make the injury worse.
Scoop stretchers reduce the chance of undesirable movement of injured areas during transfer of a trauma patient, as they maintain the patient in a supine alignment during transfer to a stretcher.
In a report from the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh* researchers measured the effectiveness of the scoop stretcher compared with a longboard and found that scoop stretchers where faster to deploy and secure the patient while significantly reducing any lateral movement which might damage the spinal cord.
Now, clubs playing in both codes of rugby are recommending the use of scoop stretchers in their minimum medical standards criteria.
At Ferno, where we make a range of scoop and longboard stretchers, we have witnessed an increased demand for scoop stretchers as sporting authorities around the globe have ruled in their favour as they can be used for patient transport, provided the patient is strapped in position. But for comfort reasons, it is recommended to transfer the patient to a vacuum mattress instead, in which case the scoop stretcher is put on the transport device and then opened.
Our MD Jon Ellis says: “Rugby is an international collision sport played at amateur, semi-professional and professional levels. The game is physically demanding during the course of a match players are exposed to numerous physical collisions and tackles.  As a result, musculoskeletal injuries are common.
“For medical professionals removing an injured player from the field on the scoop stretcher is increasingly regarded as the fastest and safest method for evacuating a player off the pitch for more detailed medical aid.”
Ferno has worked with numerous rugby clubs in the past including Huddersfield Giants, Salford City Reds, Leicester Tigers as well as football clubs Manchester United, Huddersfield Town, Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers and the England’s National stadium Wembley Arena to supply stretchers and spinal boards.
*Comparison of the Ferno Scoop® Stretcher with the Long Backboard for Spinal Immobilisation by Julie M Krell, MD; Matthew S McCoy MD; Patrick J Sparto Phd, PT; Gretchen L Fisher NEMT-P; Walt A Stoy PhD & Davide P Hostler PhD - Departments of Emergency Medicine, Physical Therapy and Centre for Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

Our local MP and Mayor get on their bikes

Colne Valley Tory MP Jason McCartney – a friend of Ferno - is getting on his bike having been selected to undertake the Parliamentary Sports Fellowship with British Cycling.
Jason, who champions cycling in Parliament and in Yorkshire, will be educated in all areas of cycling.
He will work with many famous figures including Olympic gold medalist Chris Boardman to look at all aspects of cycling, ranging from professional racing to teaching road safety to children.
Jason will be attending the National Track Championships at Manchester Velodrome in September as one of his first ventures into the dramatic spectacle of professional sport cycling. He had to apply for the Fellowship and was interviewed by officials from British Cycling.
Jason started cycling when he joined the Pink Team in Pedal 4 Pounds 3 charity initiative organised by Huddersfield Town to raise funds for Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Keep It Up campaign. The Pink Team’s captain was our very own Jon Ellis who stayed in touch with Jason ever since. Check out earlier stories on the blog here.
Jason says: “I’ve really got into cycling thanks to the Huddersfield Town FC initiative ‘Pedal 4 Pounds’ when I did the run to Brighton and also rode on the final day of the run to Yeovil. I also love cycling up Holme Moss and I’ve actively been involved with the campaign to get the Tour De France to our part of Yorkshire.
“It is set to be a huge boost for our area and I will be banging the drum constantly about how much the Tour can mean to us. I have already met Sir Rodney Walker, who has been appointed to head up the body charged with making sure the Tour goes ahead as planned.
“I helped secure a guarantee from the Government to make available up to £10m in funding.”
Meanwhile, out good friend Martyn Bolt, the Mayor of Kirklees is taking part in another gruelling cycle challenge – see earlier stories about Martin on the blog here.
Martyn will join 1,000 other riders from 33 countries in the London Edinburgh London next Sunday which covers 1400km and has to be completed within 116 hours.
Martyn said: “The 116 hours is inclusive of sleeping, eating and other stops and I am hoping to average around 300km or 180mph per day.
“I have done fewer miles than I usually would in preparation for this event and I am not taking it for granted that I will complete the course.”
Funds raised will go towards the One Community Foundation. To donate money or logistical support visit www.kirkleesmayorscharity.org
On July 7 Martyn took part in the Etape du Tour in Annecy in the Rhone-Alpes in a self-financed trip. More information about the London Edinburgh London challenge is available at www.londonedinburghlondon.com

It's good to be British!

It’s been a great few days for Great Britain - most recently with all the congratulatory messages which are flooding in from around the world to mark the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's son, the third in line to the throne.
At Ferno we would like to add our congratulations on the birth of our future king. Prince William said the couple "could not be happier" following the birth of the boy, who weighed 8lb 6oz and is yet to be named, at 16:24 BST on Monday. Thousands of well-wishers descended on Buckingham Palace after the news broke.
The royal birth will be marked later today with gun salutes and the ringing of Westminster Abbey's bells.
The birth of the baby follows Chris Froome’s triumph in the Tour de France to become the second only Brit, after Sir Bradley Wiggins,  to mount the podium in Paris in the Yellow Jersey – and next year the Grand Depart comes to Yorkshire!
Finally, at Lords England have crushed the Aussies in the Ashes - and not a Ferno product in sight, which is probably a good thing!
It's good to be British!

Friday, July 19, 2013

On The Spot: Trevor Smith

On The Spot gives us an opportunity to get to know something about our colleagues and will feature irregularly over the next couple of month. First up is Trevor Smith, Service Technician

What was your first job?

Apprentice Diesel Fitter

In less than 200 words describe your job at Ferno
My position within Ferno as a service technician requires that I visit customer premises and conduct service and or repair work as required. This role requires a high degree of attention to detail and a “can do” attitude. The ability to work within a time constraint without sacrificing the quality of the work Is paramount. Further to this it is important that any observations on site are passed on to head office in the pursuance of the overall positive experience of the client.

What would be your ideal day out of the office? 

Working in the field on a daily basis, my vehicle is my office, so, an ideal day OUT of the office would be IN, the office.

Name one person you would like to have dinner with and why?
Professor Brian Cox, a thoroughly interesting chap!

What was your best subject at school?

Science and English.

What would you do if you won the national lottery?
I would buy a boat! And a new car! And a bigger TV!

What is your favourite garment and why?
My dressing gown! Because when I put it on it signifies a relaxing evening in front of my small (ish) TV

What was your worst mistake and why?
Am I allowed to say getting married (twice)? No? OK, in that case, getting a very large lump hammer to drive in a stave, then forgetting to remove my thumb.

What is your favourite time of day and why?
Early morning, the air is crisp, and I have the whole day ahead.

Top five favourite songs of all time?
Gosh, that’s a toughy,

Alan Jackson: It's Five O'Clock Somewhere
Lady Antebelham: I Need You Now
Toby Keith: As Good As I Once Was
Garth Brooks: If Tomorrow Never Comes
Mario Lanza: Ave Maria

Ambulex 2013 Gallery











Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Helping universities to protect lives

The University of Strathclyde has teamed up with Ferno, to ensure their students, staff and visitors are safe in the event of an emergency.
The university, based in Glasgow, has taken delivery of 100 evacuation chairs which have been manufactured to suit any stairwell and allow people who maybe injured or have mobility problems to be moved downstairs safely and easily, without requiring any heavy lifting or manual handling, should any of the university sites need to be evacuated.
All chairs can be folded and wall mounted for easy storage and can be quickly deployed in an emergency.
We have supplied similar equipment to Google’s headquarters in Dublin and Trinity College in the city, as well as sports stadiums around the UK including Celtic, Manchester United, Huddersfield Town, Arsenal and England’s National stadium Wembley Arena.
Our managing director Jon Ellis says: “We offer a wide choice of equipment which is ideal for use by universities where there can be a large number of people on the premises at any one time. As schools, colleges and universities begin their preparations for the coming academic year, now is the perfect time to be thinking about their health and safety equipment and procedures. Planning for the worst can make all the difference should an emergency situation arise.”
Following changes in legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and the Fire Safety Regulatory Reform Order 2005, venues and buildings which are open to the public, no matter how big or small, are legally obliged to ensure that all members of the public, particularly those with disabilities or mobility issues, have equal access to facilities and can safely escape in the event of an incident.
Facilities managers have to take responsibility for the evacuation of everyone on their site, whether they be employees, visitors or members of the public and whether it is just one individual who has suffered an injury or a crowd of thousands.
We also provide an evacuation audit service which considers all aspects of an emergency evacuation including the management of disabled people, treating the injured, the effects of smoke, lighting and crowd control.
Jon says: “Our Evacuation Audit is suitable for workplaces of all sizes, whether they employ four people or 400. In truth any building whether it is a major arena or bank offices will benefit from an evacuation audit.
“We also offer a training service to ensure that anyone using our products will have the right skills to use them safely and efficiently. Training is also available to any organisation, which under law is obliged to have a range of rescue and evacuation products on their premises.”

Our day in the sun: BBQ with friends and colleagues









Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Martyn Bolt, Mayor of Kirklees visits Ferno on BBQ day

We had a welcome visit from Martyn Bolt, the Mayor of Kirklees ahead of our annual barbeque for staff, customers and friends.
Martyn is well known to the staff at Ferno and was recently involved with Jon Ellis, in the Pedal for Pounds charity bike ride (see more here).
Jon gave Martyn (pictured right)  a guided tour of our facilities where he met members of staff and was given a crash course on what Ferno does and its wide range of products. Later he joined staff for our annual barbeque and met up with some old friends including Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Martyn, who organises charity and commercial cycling events, has been involved with the successful project to bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire and has been involved in the design of the route which starts in Leeds and ends in Sheffield in the first two stages of the race.
Martyn is a trustee of a cycle campaign charity and the Mirfield Educational charity, he is also secretary of a memorial fund which helps young cyclists start their professional careers and, if there is any time left, is a member of the Woodsmoke Masonic lodge in Mirfield, which was connected to the Scout movement which Martyn was a member of as a youth.
You can follow Martyn on Twitter here: @martynbolt
Pictures of the barbeque will be posted on the blog over the next couple of days.



Thursday, July 11, 2013

For the past two days we have been at Ambulex

Ambulex is the only UK exhibition exclusively targeting ambulances, ambulance support, emergency rescue vehicles and related equipment. We always attend as it attracts visitors from the public and private ambulance fleet managers sectors, senior NHS Trust managers, emergency rescue services, military and international visitors. Here are some pictures...




Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Pre-season offers football clubs chance to put health and safety first

As football teams around the country prepare for another season of highs and lows, clubs are being urged to take time to ensure their grounds are equipped for action both on and off the field.
At Ferno we have worked with numerous clubs in the past including Celtic, Manchester United, Huddersfield Town, Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers and England’s National stadium Wembley Arena, to supply stretchers and spinal boards for injured players and evacuation chairs for fans who become ill during a match or who suffer with mobility problems and may need assistance should a stadium need to be evacuated in an emergency.
Our evacuation equipment including transport chairs which can be manufactured to suit any stairwell are currently in use at a number of stadia. Our EZ Glide® Evacuation Stair Chair which can carry patients weighing up to 227kg down stairs without carrying or lifting and the Compact 4 Track which glides down stairs with ease. All chairs can be folded and wall mounted for easy storage and quickly deployed in an emergency.
We also make and supply basic trauma equipment for anyone who is injured and can’t be taken by chair ranging from carry sheets and stretchers to emergency foil blankets.
Our MD Jon Ellis says: “We offer a wide choice of equipment which is ideal for use at football stadiums and other sporting arenas. Our kit is often seen by thousands on the field when a player is injured and needs to be carried off but we also have a range of tools and equipment to assist the fans should they need it.
“We also offer a training service to ensure that anyone using our products will have the right skills to use them safely and efficiently. Training is also available to any organisation, which under law is obliged to have a range of rescue and evacuation products on their premises.”
Following changes in legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and the Fire Safety Regulatory Reform Order 2005, venues which are open to the public, no matter how big or small, are legally obliged to ensure that all members of the public, particularly those with disabilities or mobility issues, have equal access to facilities and can safely escape in the event of incident.
Ferno’s audit service can help ensure stadiums meet all statutory safety standards and devise an evacuation plan in the case of an emergency.
Jon adds: “Our Evacuation Audit is suitable for all public buildings and venues where members of the public congregate. This can be anything from museums and art galleries to massive sports stadiums and concert venues. It is also suitable for workplaces of all sizes, whether they employ four people or 400.
“In truth any building whether it is a major arena or bank offices will benefit from an evacuation audit. Even those who think they have all the correct procedures in place may be surprised by what else they can do to aid a safe and speedy evacuation should an emergency situation arise.”

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Come and visit us at Ambulex

We are at Ambulex tomorrow and on Thursday where we will be showing our new EZ Glide® PowerTraxx™ chair and other kit.
Ambulex is the only UK exhibition exclusively targeting ambulances, ambulance support, emergency rescue vehicles and related equipment. We always attend as it attracts visitors from the public and private ambulance fleet managers sectors, senior NHS Trust managers, emergency rescue services, military and international visitors.
At Ferno we have extended our extensive product portfolio with a groundbreaking design for safely moving patients up and down stairs at the touch of a button with the new EZ Glide (pictured above).
This is the first chair of its kind in the industry. It has multiple uses as a stair chair, evacuation chair or transport chair - capable of maneuvering over kerbs and rough terrain.
The EZ Glide with PowerTraxx leads the industry with its 227kg weight capacity and large seating area which along with the extending footrest, provides a more comfortable experience for larger patients while the innovative features work with the caregivers to ensure a safer transport for all.
The chair can also be employed to move equipment up and down stairs and a range of accessories are available such as padded headrest and oxygen cylinder holder. For those who already own the original Ferno EZ Glide® a retro-fit kit is available.
If you are going to Ambulex be sure to come and see us at stand 10.

Happy birthday NHS!

The NHS is 65 years old. Big congratulations to all its staff and patients!
The National Health Service (NHS) was established in 1948 to provide healthcare based on need, not ability to pay for healthcare.
It's the largest employer in Europe with more than 1.35 million people working for the NHS in England.
Staff across the NHS are in contact with more than 1.5 million patients and their families every day.
Each month, 23 million people visit their GP surgery or practice nurse.
In its 65 year history, the NHS has made extraordinary progress in treating all sorts of disease and keeping people well. Below is just a snapshot of important milestones.
  • the structure of DNA was discovered in 1953
  • smoking was linked to cancer for the first time in 1954
  • 1958 saw the first big vaccination programme launched
  • in 1961 the first contraceptive pill was made available
  • the first successful UK kidney transplant took place in 1960 and first heart transplant in 1968
  • in 1978 the first test tube baby was born
  • the first keyhole surgery was performed (to remove a gallbladder) in 1980
  • HIV testing was introduced for the first time in 1986
  • 1988 saw the launch of national breast screening
  • a smoking ban was introduced in England in 2007.
Visit this website for lots more facts and figures and real life stories.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Warm welcome to Peter Gola and Rolf Steinmetz

We had a welcome visit from Peter Gola and Rolf Steinmetz from Ferno TransportgerÃĪte GmbH when they came to our head office in Cleckheaton last week.
We continue to build on our partnership in providing UK designed and manufactured products for the pre-hospital and evacuation markets in Germany. Peter and Rolf where shown around our operations in the UK by managing director Jon Ellis and operations director Alan Clark.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Yorkshire Air Ambulance takes 5,000th patient

Yorkshire Air Ambulance, who we have supported over many years raising more than £18,000 for the charity, has airlifted its 5,000th patient to hospital after a drummer had to be cut from a car by firefighters after a head-on collision. This is a great achievement!
Chris Parr suffered broken ribs, a fractured breast bone and a fractured knee in the two-car smash at Marsden, near Huddersfield.
The 48-year-old, a drummer with Huddersfield band State of Confusion, was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary.
He is now recovering at home and has been visited by Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics Sammy Willis and John Baxter.
Chris said: "I could not believe how quick the response was to the accident and all the emergency services were just fantastic. 'The air ambulance crew were just brilliant, supporting me and keeping me calm throughout the flight and I can't thank them enough.
"It is amazing to think I am the 5,000th patient they have helped. The air ambulance does such a vital job and I'm so grateful to them."
Yorkshire Air Ambulance was set up 13 years ago and operates two air ambulances from bases in North and West Yorkshire providing a life-saving emergency response service to five million people.
To keep both helicopters in the air, the charity needs to raise £9,990 per day, equivalent to £3.6 million per year.
The only support Yorkshire Air Ambulance receives is through the secondment of their paramedics from Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
A Yorkshire Air Ambulance spokeswoman said: ''The charity was set up in 2000 with a second air ambulance launched in 2007. It is just incredible to think we have flown 5,000 patients.
"This is an amazing achievement, which couldn't happen without the wonderful support we receive from Yorkshire people and businesses.
"So we would like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to everyone who helps us to keep saving lives in Yorkshire."
Jon Ellis, our managing director, says: “The team at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance does a fantastic job and everyone at Ferno is very proud to be associated with an organisation that saves so many lives in the Yorkshire region. Every year colleagues at Ferno look for new ways to raise funds for this very important charity.”
Jon has raised cash during the past three years for the Keep It Up campaign by taking part in a series of challenging charity bike rides called Pedal for Pounds. The events are organised by Huddersfield Town FC where Jon is a season ticket holder and fundraise for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Huddersfield Town Academy. In four years, more than £800,000 has been donated to the Keep It Up campaign.
Ferno is a long-standing corporate supporter of the air ambulance and we encourage colleagues to come up with ideas to raise money for the charity. At the last count, the company had raised more than £18,600 from activities such as football, bake-offs, cooking, recycling initiatives and monthly dress down days.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Ferno in pole position with SPED - new motorsport extrication solution

Ferno has officially launched a new state-of-the-art extrication and spinal immobilisation solution for motorsports developed in association with one of the sport's leading chief doctors to develop.
The Spinal Protection Extraction Device (SPED) has been designed with Dr Hajinder Chaggar, a Formula 1 and closed car extrication trainer and accredited FIM (International Motorcycling Federation) chief doctor.
Specially designed to access restricted areas, like the cockpit of a racing car, the SPED has been developed to quickly and safely rescue a driver from a vehicle after an accident.
At the end of June, the SPED was on standby at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire when former science minister Lord Drayson broke the world land speed record for an electric car. The Labour peer, who runs his own motor racing team, Drayson Racing, reached 204.185 miles per hour behind the wheel of his prototype B12/69 electric vehicle, beating the previous record by almost 29mph. See original post here.
Our MD Jon Ellis said: “This is the ultimate device in motorsport extrication innovation and is a great leap forward in motorsport safety. It has been designed so that injured drivers can be transported from their crashed vehicle to hospital where they will undergo scans and x-rays without having to be moved from one medical device to another, reducing the risk of further trauma.
“Working closely with Dr Chaggar to ensure we developed a product which addressed the real needs of medical teams working at the forefront of motorsport, we have incorporated a series of technological features to make the SPED an efficient and more comfortable piece of kit for both doctor and patient.”
Low friction material has been used to assist doctors when maneuvering between driver and seat and innovative vacuum splint technology enables the device to become rigid and mould to the patient’s contours within seconds. Integral spinal stiffening ribs and integrated head immobilisation offers maximum support and reduce the risk of further injury during extrication and transportation. In addition, the SPED comes with seven lifting handles, providing more points of access for better, and safer, lifting maneuverability while a colour coded strapping system deploys from within so it does not disadvantage the user with loose straps and buckles.
Dr Chaggar has been working with Ferno for the past 18 months and has had a keen interest in sports medicine for the past 20 years, particularly in the field of motorsport trauma. He was the medical director for the Minardi Formula 1x2 programme, the Honda F1 Bonneville 400 world record, FMX jump off London’s Tower Bridge as well as working with Apex Circuit Design on the facility improvement programme.
Dr Chaggar is an observer member of the FIA medical commission and has lectured internationally on extrication techniques. He is the chief doctor for the UK rounds of the World Touring Car Championships and German touring car championship (DTM) and the medical delegate for the FIA Formula Two Championship, the East African Safari Classic Rally and global GT Academy.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Happy 50th Birthday Mark!

Our business development manager in the south, Mark Richards, recently turned 50 and to mark the occasion we presented him this fantastic cake when he came into Ferno House.

Mark does many walks raising money for charity and loves seeing live bands with his son … but he has another passion. Can you guess what it is? That’s right… he’s Apiarist. Mark has a number of hives which he looks after in his spare time
Happy Birthday Mark, from all at Ferno!