FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RIFLE, COLO. — (October 21, 2024) — (PDF Version here) The Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting (CoE), a section of Colorado's Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), participated in the White House FireTech Innovation Roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, October 17. Hosted by the Biden-Harris Administration, the meeting brought together agency experts, scientists, innovators, manufacturers, purchasers, and industry leaders to discuss and identify solutions to supply-side issues in bringing innovative wildfire monitoring, management, and response technologies to widespread adoption.
As wildfires continue to threaten communities nationwide, the need for advanced firefighting technologies is pressing. "Our current best practices were designed for legacy fires that historically behaved with far less intensity and before current technology existed. The danger posed by new, large-scale fires has surpassed our capacity to respond. Investing in new technologies that enhance the fundamental principles of fire safety (prevention, detection, and suppression) will save lives," stated roundtable participant and CoE Director Ben Miller.
The State of Colorado is leading the way in firefighting technology with its latest development of the real-time location-based service, the Colorado Team Awareness Kit (COTAKTM). COTAKTM offers Colorado public safety agencies a no-cost solution that provides emergency responders with real-time location information and mission-critical data. As one of the first states to offer this service, Colorado remains committed to providing emergency responders with new and effective tools to do their jobs safely. "Our efforts to enhance firefighting operations continue to be the gold standard in the public safety industry, and we're honored to have shared Colorado's initiatives with our nation's leaders," stated Colorado Department of Public Safety Executive Director Stan Hilkey.
Additional discussion topics at the White House FireTech Innovation Roundtable included resource allocation of fire departments, internal technology development opportunities, and supply sourcing. "We hope that our participation in this discussion and our contributions to advanced public safety technologies will inspire other states to explore new approaches to firefighting as well," said DFPC Director Mike Morgan.
The Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting is proud to represent the Division of Fire Prevention and Control and the Department of Public Safety interests and contribute to a national dialogue on these important issues. For additional information on research and development projects, visit cofiretech.org.
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About the Center of Excellence Formed in 2014, the Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting is a research and development organization within the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. The Center of Excellence is dedicated to bringing the technology of the future to the fireground of today. For more information, visit cofiretech.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
