MSA recently announced it has been awarded a $9 million contract from the London Fire Brigade to supply firefighters with MSA's new M1 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and telemetry technology. The contract was formally awarded in early July, with equipment deliveries expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. This announcement also represents the beginning of a multi-phase SCBA training and deployment process involving the Brigade's more than 4,500 firefighters. The decision to upgrade London's SCBA technology was made after an extensive and comprehensive evaluation process.

London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Richard Mills said "following a competitive tender process, we're really looking forward to developing our exciting partnership with MSA. The new state-of-the-art breathing apparatus equipment will be lighter and easier to carry and provide enhanced safety for our firefighters. The improved equipment shows how we are transforming as a fire service and investing in the latest technology to help protect London and Londoners."

The groundbreaking design of the MSA^® M1 SCBA was a key factor in London's selection of the new SCBA platform.  The breathing apparatus includes several patented and customizable features that help to enhance ergonomics and improve firefighter comfort and hygiene.

One of the main features that factored into the Brigade's selection of the M1 SCBA include integration with FireGrid, which gives incident commanders the ability to evaluate and manage multiple situations in real time and from any location. MSA's Entry Control Board (ECB), designed specifically to meet the unique needs of the UK fire service, also played a key part in the Brigade's decision to choose the MSA brand. Serving as a cloud-connected fire-ground management tool that provides Incident Commanders with air and alarm status of all telemetry-enabled breathing apparatus on scene, MSA's ECB is also capable of providing post-incident reporting and automated documentation.

As part of the contract, MSA will also provide London with a new communications system that provides enhanced voice communications thanks to the state-of-the-art C1 headset.

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