Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Taking time out to celebrate Olympic torch as it passes through West Yorkshire

Photo call: The Ferno team celebrate the Olympic torch as it passes through West Yorkshire
We celebrated the arrival of the Olympic torch as it passed through Batley and all the Ferno team shut up shop for the morning  to let 80 colleagues see the Olympic torch and celebrated afterwards with a barbeque attended by paralympian Paul Cartwright and Mike Wood MP for Batley and Spen.
Paul, of Liversedge, was guest of honour at Ferno and enjoyed a barbequed meal – cooked by the senior management team - with staff and Mike at the company’s head office.
Ferno managing director Jon Ellis said: “It’s not every day the Olympic torch comes through West Yorkshire and we thought it would be a good idea to give colleagues the day off to watch the procession and show our support for Team GB.
“It was also great to have a local paralympian like Paul Cartwright join us for the day as well as our local MP Mike Wood.”
Paul is a former British champion in wheelchair racing at 100, 200 and 400 metres and competed for Great Britain at the Paralympic games in 1984. More recently, he swapped disciplines and has taken up power lifting.
In the picture below you can see, left to right, Mike Wood MP, Ferno Managing Director Jon Ellis, Operations Director Alan Clarke, Financial Director Margaret Merkle, Sales & Marketing Director Simon Shepherd and Paul Cartwright.
                   

Friday, June 22, 2012

Warm welcome to our international colleagues


This week we were delighted to welcome two overseas visitors to our Engineering & Design Department to share some ideas and thoughts on our products.
Visiting our UK headquarters at Cleckheaton were Fred Sharp, Vice President Global Product Engineering & Manufacturing of Ferno Washington Inc (fourth from right) and Gavin Broadley, Design Engineer of Ferno Australia (fifth from right).
As a truly international business it’s always good to get together with our “ex-Colonial” colleagues to share best practice to ensure that we deliver the best possible products and service.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Day two at the DVD Military Show

Carson Chinn from Ferno Aviation with Mark Richards, Ferno's UK Ministry of Defence Specialist
Spotted by Simon Shepherd at the show - the Bloodhound SSC 1000mph super car

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Some picture from the Ferno stand at DVD

Carson Chinn from Ferno Aviation with Mark Richards, Ferno's UK Ministry of Defence Specialist show of our miltary equipment to potential customer at our stand at the DVD Miniltary Show.
If you are visiting come and see us at stand C3-65 #DVD2012

Monday, June 18, 2012

Saver Safe Chair evacuation demo

Ferno launches fleet management system

We’re pleased to announced that we are launching ACETECH, a fully integrated vehicle performance monitoring and control system for ambulances and other emergency response vehicles.
The ACETECH technology expands our commitment to providing innovative solutions that enhance the safety and performance of emergency medical services and personnel, and those they serve.
The ACETECH system is the first of its kind for UK emergency medical vehicles and provides system wide, on-board intelligence to improve ambulance vehicle efficiency and safety, while reducing an ambulance service’s operating and fuel costs.
The system inter-connects four key modules that provide customised monitoring and control of all vehicle electronics - driving, driver restraint systems, GPS-based monitoring and control of fleet vehicle assets in the field.
ACETECH also integrates Radio Frequency Identification-based tracking and security for all vehicle equipment assets as well as ECO-Run monitoring and control of fuel consumption idling. The system is available for new vehicle builds and can be easily retrofitted on older vehicles.
Jon Ellis, managing director at Ferno, said: “For more than 40 years, our customers have relied on Ferno for best-in-class professional emergency and healthcare products that increase efficiency and enhance safety for patients and personnel.
“ACETECH’s technology is a natural fit for our product line. It’s the only fully-integrated efficiency optimization solution. The savings in fuel costs alone are considerable. But when combined with increased personnel productivity, the return on investment for fleet owners is significant. We’re delighted to offer this industry-first technology to our customers.”
The full ACETECH system provides constant, real-time, actionable information on a wide range of data points including vehicle status and location; equipment location; driving behavior with event status and duration; occupant restraint status, engine status and fuel consumption. Using this data as a whole allows emergency fleet managers to take full control of asset placement in the field, increase emergency vehicle driver and occupant safety, and reduce operational and fuel costs.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Ferno is heading off DVD Military Show next week

We will be showcasing our new military range of products including litter, litter arms and vehicle mounts at the DVD Military Show on June 20-21.
DVD is one of the most important events in the UK Defence industry's diary. It is the Defence Equipment and Support Services (DE&S) annual stakeholder event for the military land equipment community and brings together the acquisition community with military personnel and industry organisations for two days of informal discussion and briefings.
Managing director Jon Ellis said: “Through our US parent company, Ferno has built up a great deal of expertise in developing a wide range of military emergency medical equipment – from extraction technologies through to medical support.
“As we continue to deliver the highest levels of technology, capability and service for the UK's Armed Forces, the DVD show provides Ferno with an opportunity to meet and share ideas and solutions for issues affecting current and future emergency medical equipment and support.”
Held over two days at Millbrook Proving Ground, Bedfordshire it is organised by DE&S, which is the part of the MOD responsible for equipping and supporting the UK's Armed Forces for current and future operations.
We will be exhibiting our range of military stretchers and revolutionary FMS ALLEvac Litter arms and mounts. The Litter Arms work in conjunction with the FMS ALLEvac Ferno-Track system and FMS ALLEvac mounting plates for fixing the litter inside vehicles
Together they provide a strong, stable, and lightweight litter platform for any military vehicle and can be used with any NATO-style litter due to a self adjustable one hand quick-release and capture system.
The FMS AllEvac Litter Arms greatly simplify evacuation of litter casualties and eliminate the challenges of so-called ‘tactical vehicle evacuation.  Each pair of FMS Litter Arms are load-tested to hold one critical casualty.”
Ferno recently made a new appointment to oversee the company’s continued expansion into the military sector.
Mark Richards joins Ferno as a Specialist Business Development Manager with more than 15 years experience in sales and customer account management. He will work on a number of business development projects across the UK, including building relationships and growing sales within the Ministry of Defence.
If you are attending the DVD exhibition.you can find us at stand C3-65.

Ferno takes to the air

At Ferno we are accustomed to seeing our equipment being used in unusual places but we never expected to see one of our basket stretchers used as part of a firework propelled rocket to send a dummy soaring 700 feet off a cliff.
In a recent episode of Discovery Channel’s MythBusters one of our basket stretchers was mounted on wheels, placed on a launch pad and shot into the air propelled by a mighty firework engine.

However, as they usually say on TV: “We wouldn’t recommend you do this at home.”
                                                                                                            Jon Ellis

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Day one at Ambulex

Here's our stand - U23/U24 - at Ambulex. If you're there today do come down and see us. If you're wondering why we have a staircase going nowhere, it's because we will be using it to demonstrate our new EZ Glide PowerTraxx chair.
With a groundbreaking design for safely moving patients up and down stairs at the touch of a button, the new EZ Glide is 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. It comes with powered tracks that deploy easily to eliminate the need for lifting or carrying while ascending or descending stairs, reducing the risk of injury to medical staff.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Launching EZ Glide chair at Ambulex


We are at Ambulex tomorrow and on Thursday where we will be launching our new EZ Glide® PowerTraxx™ chair.
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.
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. It comes with powered tracks that deploy easily to eliminate the need for lifting or carrying while ascending or descending stairs, reducing the risk of injury to medical staff.
Patients can be moved up and down stairs safely and the operator has full control at all times; able to slow, stop or even reverse direction at the touch of a button. A patented built-in safety circuit limits downhill speed, even when power has been lost.
The wireless motor controls work in any handle position and each chair comes with a rechargeable removable lithium ion battery which takes only one hour to charge, and which during tests completed 20 flights of stairs with some battery life remaining.
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 stands U23 and U24.

Monday, June 11, 2012

What a nice letter...

What a nice letter from our friends at the National Association of Funeral Directors frollowing our sponsorship of the Conference 2012.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Backing the boys from Cleckheaton RUFC

At the beginning of May 37 bleary eyed tourists, consisting of 23 Lads and 14 Dads, set off on the Cleckheaton RUFC’s Under-16s Tour to Holland supported by Ferno.
Their first day was spent in Amsterdam to enjoy the sights and the afternoon was spent at the Duinrell Amusement Park & TikiSlide Pool followed by more local entertainment around The Hague
Later the youngsters enjoyed a match against R C The Hookers based in the Hook of Holland where the Cleckheaton U16s played against a mixed U16 and U18 team. All 23 players took part in the game which was closely contested until half time. In the second half Cleckheaton’s superior technique and fitness were a major factor with Cleckheaton winning by 55-12.
As a company based in Cleckheaton we are always keen to support local community groups and Cleckheaton RUFC is no exception - well done to the lads and we are delighted you had a good time. You can find pictures of the tour here.
Jon Ellis