Butler Rotary Club Donates Innovative FIT-5 Fire Knockdown Device to Bloomingdale, Butler and Kinnelon Fire Departments

Powerful New Technology Gives Local Departments a New Way to Approach Fire Fighting


BLOOMINGDALE, NJ--(Marketwire - September 4, 2008) - Top city officials from Bloomingdale, Butler and Kinnelon volunteer fire departments gathered on August 25, at the Bloomingdale Fire Department where The Butler Rotary Club presented their donation of FIT-5s to each department.

ARA Safety's FIT-5 is a handheld fire suppression device that is being recognized by communities as a valuable supplementary tool helping career and volunteer firefighters across North America save lives and dramatically reduce property loss. During the event, an ARA Safety product trainer walked the group through a presentation of the device and how it can be used by each fire department.

"Our communities have a long tradition of working together to keep our citizens safe," said Mike Wanklan, Passaic County Deputy Fire Coordinator. "When fighting fires, a few minutes can mean the difference between life and death. I believe the FIT-5 will help first responders on the scene of a fire buy time until our full crew arrives, giving us a better chance to save lives and property."

The Mayors from Bloomingdale, Kinnelon, and Butler were in attendance, joined by Fire Chiefs and Rotary Club members from each respective city.

Charlie Ebers, President of The Butler Rotary Club, made the decision to purchase three FIT-5s for his local fire departments after hearing the tool was successfully used to contain a basement fire in West Milford, New Jersey. "I was immediately interested in equipping our community departments with the FIT-5 after I heard how well it worked in West Milford. The device will enhance our current fire fighting tactics, giving our departments a new way to approach fire fighting and ultimately help keep our citizens safe."

The West Milford fire was the third deployment over the last seven months in the New York / New Jersey region. In December 2007, the FIT-5 was credited with saving buildings and lives following a third floor house fire in Port Jervis, New York; in April 2008, the FIT-5 helped contain the West Milford basement fire; and in July, 2008, the device was credited with helping to extinguish another basement fire in Shelter Island, New York.

Michael Gardiner, director of marketing for ARA Safety, said, "With the additions of Bloomingdale, Butler and Kinnelon, 37 fire departments on the East Coast are now fully equipped to use the FIT-5. We're thrilled to see that an increasing number of communities recognize the unique human and financial impacts of this technology."

For more information, or to learn how to equip your community's fire service with the FIT-5, please visit www.arasafety.com.

About ARA Safety

ARA Safety is a world leader in innovative fire and life safety technology. ARA Safety's revolutionary Fire Interruption Technology (FIT) fire knock down tool is saving lives and reducing property loss in cities and towns across North America.

ARA Safety's fire and life safety technologies also include the Zero Combustion line of fire proof sprays, paints and coatings, and its world leading line of Photoluminescent products. ARA Safety's technologies have been used by NASA, the Pentagon, the United States Military and are featured prominently on the Vancouver Shangri-La. ARA Safety Inc. is based in Vancouver, Canada. To learn more about ARA Safety, visit www.arasafety.com.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Adam Barish, Jim Bosch and Gail Bresett, Kinnelon Fire Department; Jim Neill, Pete Barry and Earl Dean, Butler Fire Department; Charlie Ebers and Howard Ball, Butler Rotary Club; Mayor Bill Steenstra, Bloomingdale; Mayor Glen Sisco, Kinnelon; Mayor Joe Heywang, Butler; John D¿Amato, Mike Hudson, Mark Lime and Tony Marciano, Bloomingdale Fire Department.