Hi, I’m Paul Darley, thanks for coming to watch the September issue of Inside Darley.
I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend. FAMA recently reported this year’s second-quarter numbers for fire apparatus sales. We have seen a dip in sales in the second quarter for the past three years, so seeing a weaker second quarter isn’t too alarming. Overall, we’ve seen a positive trend from this report. We will be at the FEMSA/FAMA annual fall conference in Austin September 25th to 28th. Our own James Long helped pick the speakers including Garry Briese one of our Board of Directors. If you plan on attending the conference keep an eye out for us, we’d love to hear from you.
Our first attachment is an article from US News and World Report titled “Wildfires Are Getting Worse, And More Costly, Every Year.” The article takes an in-depth look at the cost of wildfires from 1985 to the present. Fires have been steadily declining over the past 20 years, despite fewer fires, there has been a greater amount of damage. Gabrielle Levy presents some interesting points and speaks to the change from a wildfire season to a yearlong wildfire fight. The article does a great job of presenting the information. I encourage you to take a few minutes and read the article.
Speaking of wildland fires, in our second attachment, we have recently introduced a new wildfire product called the Digitrol control panel. This panel allows firefighters to operate the pump from inside the cab or by the pump panel. This panel is offered on our Kubota line of diesel pumps.
Last month we attended the Fire-Rescue International Conference & Expo, the conference had a great innovation corral. At the innovation section, Darley’s Kevin Sofen recorded interviews with the fourteen most innovative companies. These interviews will be released as podcasts at SmartFirefighting over the next month, so check back frequently.
Fire Apparatus Magazine had a great article on Martin Patrick Trainor’s Pathfinder Search and Rescue Way-Finder System, which is our third attachment. The system uses a series of small ‘puck’ like units that firefighters stick to the environment as they move through the structure. These units form a ‘breadcrumb’ for firefighters to follow on their way out. Each unit transmits a signal in real-time allowing incident commanders to track the movement of the firefighting crew in the structure.
Finally, the National Defense Industrial Association Great Lakes Chapter is having their annual meeting at Lake Geneva, WI. NDIA is America’s leading defense industry association promoting national security. The meeting will have some great speakers including Senator Tammy Baldwin and Major General Donald P. Dunbar. The meeting is open to non-NDIA members and is a great networking opportunity.
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.
Paul
