Busquin to don new helmet
The European Commissioner for research, Philippe Busquin, will be given a demonstration of a new, safer fire-fighter's helmet which is the product of the European Union's CRAFT programme on 4 October at the European Parliament building in Strasbourg. The new helmet offers more protection for the wearer in a variety of situations including forest fires, chemical hazards and rescue and building-based fire fighting. It also boasts an intelligent communications system, as it is connected to a remote computer. The design for the helmet came from French headgear specialist firm CGF Gallet, which then worked in collaboration with firms from Germany the Netherlands and the UK, as well as with a Dutch research organisation, TNO Industrie. Although the helmet was first inaugurated in June, its importance has grown in the light of the recent wave of forest fires in both Europe and the USA.