News

SitRep 51/2024

August 30, 2024

Code Red Lifted – Samsung Phones 

On 20 February, the FBEU issued a Code Red requiring all Samsung phones to be removed from appliances due to a spate of batteries bulging, creating an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of crews in fire trucks across the state.

Since then, we have been working with FRNSW to identify the cause of this issue and ways to improve the storage of mobile phones in appliances to ensure our Firefighters are safe at all times.

FRNSW has published an Operations Bulletin on Samsung phones on appliances, available here which manages this issue by keeping Samsung phones away from the cause of their bulging on appliances – overcharging in hot areas.

We believe that this Operations Bulletin will adequately deal with the safety issues that we raised and as such, that part of the 20 February Code Red is lifted effective immediately.

Thank you to all members for following this Code Red, and to the Executive Director of Information Technology Robert Hilditch for taking the FBEU’s concerns seriously and consulting fairly and respectfully to find a good solution.

In Unity,

Leighton Drury
State Secretary

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