Hi, I’m Paul Darley, thanks for coming to watch the February issue of Inside Darley.
If you are in the Midwest, I hope you’re staying warm. The Polar Vortex dropped temperatures to -25F by our Itasca office. The changing climate reflects the changing geopolitical landscape.
Our first attachment is the Top 10 Risks for 2019 by Time, and our second attachment is Eurasia groups 28-page report on the Top Risks for 2019. Both articles dive into the geopolitical environment and explain why it’s the most dangerous in decades; despite the strong economy. Eurasia’s report takes a deep detailed dive into the “Bad Seeds,” US-China relations, the US political climate, and International countries. The Time article provides a great summary of the top 10 risks and is well worth the read.
At Darley, we are focused on firefighters. Recently we’ve seen a decline in new volunteer firefighters. Our second attachment is an article by the US Fire Administration called Volunteer Fire Departments in a Recruitment Crisis. 70% of firefighters in the U.S are volunteers, and over the past 50 years departments have had a more difficult time getting people to volunteer. Departments are being forced to find creative ways to advertise their fire departments. One way to help bolster recruitment is the Flaim Trainer. Potential volunteers can run through several scenarios to get a better understanding of what it’s like to fight fires.
We had a great year last year. One of the big reasons for our year was because of our openness to new technology. 50% of our total sales came from products we didn’t offer 3 years prior. Never become complacent, always be on the lookout for new technology and innovations.
If you’re looking for new technology and innovations, look no further than Texas A & M’s Under Fire Event. We were part of this event last year, and it’s a great place to see what’s coming to the fire industry in the next few years. If you are looking for information on the Under Fire Smart Firefighting published a podcast with Caleb Holt, one of the organizers of the event.
If you think you snore or know someone who snores, but they don’t believe it, check out the Snorelab app. The app listens to the user while they sleep and tracks when they snore and at what level they snore. Now you can find out if you are an epic snorer!
Thanks for tuning in to this issue of Inside Darley, if there is anything we can be doing to assist you we hope you reach out to us.
