Thursday, May 30, 2013

Lavoro Fantastico Ferno Italia

Congratulations to our colleagues at Ferno Italia on assisting families in their community when they helped raise funds in Pieve di Centro to build a new school after the previous one was destroyed by the devastating earthquake that hit the region in 2012.
On the May 20, 2012 the area where Ferno Italia is located was hit by an earthquake with more than 40 villages affected.
More than 34 people died under the collapse of buildings, mainly old churches and ancient buildings which were not strong enough to withstand the earthquake.
In the aftermath Ferno Italia was forced to move their operation temporary out of the building for one month to allow for structural reinforcements to be completed and approved by the authorities. The employees from the offices were transferred to work from Managing Director Enrico Carletti’s garden under a wooden structure and operational staff worked out of two temporary tents which were deployed at the Ferno Italia warehouse service yard.
Sadly, the local village school was lost in the earthquake.
Enrico Carletti together with four other friends decided to create an association in the local community to raise money and to obtain a bank loan in order to buy the land and build a replacement school for the 600 children. A phenomenal amount of funds were raised and this was done in a record three months thanks to the help of everyone.
Last Sunday there was a ceremony held to remember the earthquake victims where Ferno Italia donated a Scoop EXL and a Defibrillator to the "Il Calabrone School" in Corporeno, a few kilometers from Ferno Italia.
Well done to all our Italia colleagues - lavoro fantastico!
You can find all photostory on A Settembre Si Va A Scuola website.






Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Ferno at BACCN's Trauma Day

We’re all set up at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) for the British Association of Critical Care Nurses’ Trauma Day.
The QEHB recently announced it had become the focus of a £20m national centre for research into treating trauma. The new National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Centre for Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology will be set up at the hospital.
QEHB has a record of excellence in treating trauma, as a regional centre for major trauma and the primary receiving hospital for all of Britain’s serious military casualties. Around 20,000 people suffer major trauma each year in England and Wales, and QEHB will become the focus for improving the way those patients are treated.
The initiative involves the Department of Health, the Ministry of Defence, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Birmingham.
At the Trauma Day meeting Ferno will displaying a range of military litters and other emergency evacuation and extraction equipment. If you’re there come along and say hello to the team.

Canadian colleagues get new facilities


Congratulations to our colleagues at Ferno Canada and Traverse Rescue who have moved in to a new facility in Ontario.
The new facility (pictured above)  is at 2460 Tedlo Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5A 3V3 and provides our Canadian colleagues with an excellent new facility to show off Ferno’s wide range of equipment. You can follow Ferno Canada on Twitter @FernoCanada

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

We're at the World Congress on Disaster Emergency Medicine

Here we are in Manchester for the first day of the World Congress on Disaster Emergency Medicine. Organised by the World Association on Disaster and Emergency Medicine, the congress provides a platform where emergency medical care professionals can share experiences and best practice.
Over the years, key collaborating organisations have included the World Health Organization, International Red Cross and Red Crescent, the military, and national and regional disaster and emergency medicine societies. Come and say hello to us at Booth 40.

Friday, May 24, 2013

Bug busting innovations from Ferno

One of the biggest threats to patients in hospitals and in transit are nasty bacteria such as C. Difficile and other bugs. That’s why Ferno has developed a range of bug-busting products which incorporate antimicrobial technology for the emergency and medical services.
We have worked with several companies within our supply chain to incorporate antimicrobial additives into a range of equipment, including powder coating, injection mouldings, vinyls materials and polyurethane mouldings. The technology is applied in different ways depending on the material or component and reduces the risk of infection to patients from pathogens such as MRSA, E coli and C. Difficile by actively inhibiting the growth of bacteria, moulds and fungus. Tests showed that 99.9% of germs were eliminated within 24 hours from the surface of treated surfaces.
Research carried out by trade union UNISON concluded that ambulances are potentially the weakest link in the fight against MRSA and other ‘superbugs’ and national hygiene and cleaning standards need to be applied more rigorously to close the loophole.
Therefore, Ferno has launched an antimicrobial mattress which is fully sealed thanks to a polyurethane coated dual skin vinyl and strengthened mattress seam welds to further improve infection control. The AB-PR mattress also features pressure-relieving properties, including pressure-reducing foam, to reduce the risk of pressure sores to patients.
And, antimicrobial additives have been applied to the seat cover of our Compact 2 Track – a carry and tracked chair in one which enables patients to be transported downstairs easily, eliminating associated manual handling injuries to health and emergency services workers.
Our managing director Jon Ellis says: “The materials for Ferno products have been specifically chosen to meet the stringent requirements of strength, durability and consideration for cleaning. Whilst normal, regular cleaning of equipment prevents bacteria growth, the antimicrobial technology is another safeguard to control and significantly reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.
“We strive to deliver solutions which support our customers and make their lives easier. Our range of technically advanced antimicrobial products have been designed to boost infection control by slowing down the growth of bacteria which can lead to dangerous and sometimes life-threatening infections like MRSA and E coli.
“The novelty of this concept is not based on the materials themselves but on their final application. The technology means that germs are killed on contact; this saves time and money on labour and cleaning chemicals, but most importantly it gives you and your patients’ complete piece of mind.”
Crucially, the active agents do not affect the product materials and extends the life of equipment when maintained correctly.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Congratulations to Martyn Bolt: New Mayor of Kirklees

Congratulations to Martyn Bolt on his new position as the first citizen of Kirklees – home to Ferno at its Stubs Beck Lane headquarters
Martyn, who became Mayor of Kirklees, 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).
Martyn is a former Mayor of Mirfield, and says it is a great honour to be the first Councillor from Mirfield to be elected as Mayor of Kirklees.
His wife Liz's grandfather, Harry Oldroyd, was also a councillor on the former Dewsbury District Council and then with Kirklees Council after its creation in 1974.
Away from the Council Martyn likes the outdoors having taken part in many long distance walking events, before taking up cycling again in 2002. Martyn is a member of Ravensthorpe Cycling Club, one of the oldest clubs in the country; he has twice completed the arduous Paris-Brest-Paris ride which demands riders complete a 1200km route in under 90 hours.
Martyn worked for a national cycling charity before being made redundant in 2012, and has been involved with the successful project to bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire. He now organises charity and commercial cycling events.
Martyn is a trustee of a cycle campaign charity and the Mirfield Educational charity, he is the 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

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Another busy day at RETTmobil



Another busy day at RETTmobil in Fulda on the Ferno stand with the EZGlide Powertraxx chair and the Mondial transporter at the centre of attention!

What a busy week for Ferno



What a busy week! Teams from Ferno have been attending three exhibitions this week showcasing our products and services across Europe.
Here are some pictures from the events we have been attending. They include:
Safety & Health Expo 2013 at the NEC Birmingham, which is run exclusively with the support of Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH), the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), has established itself as the definitive industry event and consistently attracts safety & health decision makers from multiple sectors and with responsibilities across UK, Europe and international markets. Find us in Hall 1/C24.
Life Connections exhibition at Kettering Conference Centre, which is a unique two-day multi-conference event that brings together delegates from many professions who are
responsible for saving lives. Ferno is attending on Stand 33.
RETTmobil 2013 – the 13th international exhibition for rescue and mobility in Fulda, Germany.
Our stand at this leading exhibition has a truly international flavour as it is led by Joe Bourgraf, President of Ferno Group along with a number of Ferno dealers from around the globe. Representing the UK is managing director Jon Ellis, Alan Clark and Steve Kerr who will all be there until Friday.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Ferno on show at RETTmobil 2013

Here we are at RETTmobil 2013 – the 13th international exhibition for rescue and mobility in Fulda, Germany.
Our stand at this leading exhibition has a truly international flavour as it is led by Joe Bourgraf, President of Ferno Group along with a number of Ferno dealers from around the globe. Representing the UK is managing director Jon Ellis, Alan Clark and Steve Kerr who will all be there until Friday.
RETTmobil has attracted a record number of more than 420 exhibitors from around the world who will showcase to an international specialist audience. Needless to say Ferno is delighted to be among them showing off a wide range of our equipment.
Jon Ellis said: “RETTmobil provides us with a great platform on which to set out our stall by exhibiting a wide range of equipment. It also enables us to engage with old and new acquaintances as well as demonstrating the innovation and expertise customers can call on from our international team.”
The excellent reputation of RETTmobil from the beginning has been founded on three pillars: Exhibition, Training and Mobility. The aim is to show products and services, to introduce innovations and to indicate trends, thus delivering vital indicators for the industry and the economy.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Welcome to Scott Campbell

Welcome to Scott Campbell who has joined Ferno as business development manager to strengthen our team in Scotland.
Scott will focus on managing and developing key accounts in the Scottish region as well as opening doors to new opportunities for Ferno north of the Border.
He previously worked at the Big Green Company where he was northern divisional manager and has worked in sales for Scottish & Southern Energy, Fraikin and Dawson Rentals Truck & Trailer.
Scott’s experience of the fleet sector will be useful as we build our portfolio in vehicle intelligence with ACETECH, our fully integrated vehicle performance monitoring and control system for ambulances and other emergency response vehicles.
Ferno managing director Jon Ellis said: “Scott joins Ferno during an exciting period in its development as we continue to introduce a wide range of patient transport innovations and continue to grow our profile in the UK funeral and mortuary sector.”


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Ferno Flexible Body Fridge cuts costs for funeral and mortuary sector



Our range of flexible body fridges for permanent or flexible cold storage will benefit funeral directors and mortuary operatives looking to save money during the challenging economic climate.
The Flexible Body Fridge was developed by us in response to customer demand for a competitively-priced chilled space solution in confined areas. In addition, because the Flexible Body Fridge can be used as a temporary chiller and on an ad hoc basis, funeral parlours and mortuaries can benefit from significant energy savings.
Jon Ellis, managing director of Ferno, said: “We developed the Flexible Body Fridge following demand from our customers in the funeral and mortuary sector who were looking for a cost effective alternative to big fixed chiller units.
“When not in use the Flexible Body Fridge can simply be folded away, freeing up space, allow bariatric body storage and cutting energy bills.”
Quickly and easily assembled in a wide variety of locations, the Flexible Body Fridge uses a unique track and roller system, for ease of installation, with a two-way pelmet to keep the cold in, and ambient air out. The versatility of the system means that a Flexible Body Fridge of any shape and size can be assembled to match any environment.
HAVEN Funeral Services, an independent funeral company which operates funeral homes across West London and Hillingdon, has recently installed a Flexible Body Fridge.
HAVEN’s Karen Petersen, a former president of the NAFD, said: “We were looking for a new refrigeration unit which would fit in well at our premises and Ferno was our first port of call. The refrigeration unit is a modern piece of technology, which is easy to maintain, can be assembled only when required and adaptable to fit any size of work area.”
The Flexible Body Fridge can also be used in the field by emergency services to store bodies in the event of a major disaster resulting in mass casualties.
Operational in minutes, the Flexible Body Fridges are a modern, inexpensive and practical solution where high capacity chilled storage is urgently required. Key features include:

  • Effective preservation awaiting transfer of bodies to hospitals or funeral parlours
  • Easy to move or extend one already installed
  • Highly economical - using power only when required
  • Lightweight, hardwearing curtains - easy to clean and repair
  • Cold lock skirt adjusts to uneven floors
  • Easy to clean and body storage racking and trays can be supplied

Ferno can provide a free site survey before advising on the best Flexible Body Fridge unit for your premises before installation.
We offer a range of refrigeration products including cold chambers and refrigerated tables. Preparation equipment ranges from lifting equipment, embalming and autopsy tables and mortuary trolleys. Restroom equipment includes church and showroom trolleys, trestles and biers.
And Ferno offers an extensive after-sales service with repair and maintenance as well as offering a bespoke service which provides bespoke manufacturing to the customers’ specifications.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Check out the new Ferno website



The new Ferno website, www.ferno.co.uk, which reflects our vision for delivering the best possible customer service has gone live.
The website includes brand new content, has a new contemporary look and feel, and enables customers to easily search for new products and services. It also clearly explains Ferno’s unique approach to its core markets of emergency services, funeral and mortuary and industrial.
The new site is fully integrated with Ferno’s social media profiles on Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube and its blog, and has an integral customer relationship management system to ensure that Ferno’s sales and after-service professionals are fully informed of its customers’ needs.
Jon Ellis, Ferno managing director, said: “Our new website reflects the heavy investment we are making as an organisation into our communication tools. Our website now enables a new level of interaction with our customers, suppliers, communities and the general public and we believe that the site reflects our brand promise in its truest sense.
“Ferno is striving to be a total solutions provider to any organisation concerned with the safe transportation of people in all circumstances and ensure the safety of those who are handling them whether they are paramedics, hospital staff or funeral professionals.
“Combining our values with our general e-media strategy, will enable us to drive up the amount of communication and support we can provide to our stakeholders now and into the future.”
Our online presence has grown significantly over the past nine months and has provided us with a multitude of platforms to communicate with our stakeholders. Ferno prides itself on market leading innovation and we are keen to embrace all new forms of communication to drive our industry forward on topics as diverse as health and safety to company evacuation policies.