The Last Word with Rescue Intellitech
Isabelle Crow
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Martin Valfridsson, CEO of Rescue Intellitech discusses the company’s latest cutting-edge PPE decontamination solutions for the fire station
Can you briefly explain Rescue Intellitech’s role in supporting fire services worldwide?
Rescue Intellitech is a leading provider of innovative PPE cleaning solutions for fire and rescue services (FRSs).
Based in Sweden, and with subsidiaries in the UK and US, we supply our products to customers across Europe, America and Australasia.
Our reliable, high-quality PPE decontamination washing machines and dryers together provide a complete, station-based system for faster, safer, and more effective cleaning.
After a callout, firefighter clothing, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), face masks, boots, gloves and helmets can be decontaminated and dried quickly, helping to keep everyone in the fire station safe from toxic soot particles.
How has PPE decontamination evolved, and how has Rescue Intellitech adapted?
In recent years we have seen a major shift in the fire industry’s approach to cleaning and decontaminating PPE.
Martin Valfridsson
Extensive research has shown that contaminated PPE slowly gases off Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) which can cross-transfer to other surfaces, potentially contaminating firefighting equipment, vehicles and kit rooms back at the station.
As more becomes known, PPE decontamination has risen up the agenda and is a high priority for FRSs across the globe.
What operational PPE care challenges exist, and how do your solutions help?
Firefighter PPE needs to always be fit for purpose and ready for use so having the option to clean it on site after an incident means it’s quickly available for the next callout.
Hand washing is neither effective nor efficient and puts those undertaking it at further risk of exposure to harmful contaminants.
Martin Valfridsson
Using our products and automating the cleaning process saves precious time. It reduces exposure to contaminants and usually the kit room smells much better too!
Having the ability to clean PPE at the station reduces the number of times PPE needs to be sent away for professional managed servicing, which saves time and money and reduces the need for multiple sets of personal issue PPE.
What is Rescue Intellitech’s long-term vision for product development?
Building on the success of our popular Solo Rescue® PPE decontamination machine, we have recently expanded our product range to include washing machines for protective garments and specialist PPE drying cabinets.
Long term, we are on a mission to provide all FRSs with quality, station-based decontamination facilities to help improve the health, safety and wellbeing of firefighters across the world.
Martin Valfridsson
Unlike many competitors whose main priority is supplying dishwashers, our focus is solely on the specialist decontamination of firefighter PPE.
We continue to innovate and develop products that can achieve this quickly, efficiently and sustainably.
Beyond new products, what priorities support the wider fire and safety community?
We feel very privileged to part of the Blue Light community. For us it’s all about the people: supporting firefighters and doing everything we can to help protect them.
Customer relationships are also our top priority, and we continue to focus on training, knowledge-sharing and collaboration, prioritising health and operational resilience in an environmentally responsible way.