Shutgun goes to China! Looking for distributors in Hong Kong

Greg Patterson, President of Technicraft Product Design Inc, is currently in China.  As the Shutgun gains traction in many areas of the world there is still a need to develop dealers in China.   A Dealer's Information Package is under development and will be issued soon to all of our existing Dealers.

Everett Fire Department in Washington demonstrates Shutgun in action!

Steve Goforth, Fire Inspector/Investigator with the Everett Fire Department in Washington State, sent in photos of the Shutgun in action.  Just one day after the Shutguns were deployed on the fire trucks, one immediately demonstrated its real-life value.

The sprinkler had already been heat activated when the Everett firefighters were called to contain a cooking fire in a senior's apartment complex. 

With Shutgun in hand, the fire fighters were able to reduce the amount of water damage by simply installing the Shutgun right at the source.  The firefighters were pretty amazed at the efficiency of the Shutgun. 

The property owners were very happy to have less water damage to contend with and no doubt their insurance company will be even happier.

Steve is pleased to share his experience of the Shutgun with firefighters everywhere. Steve says, "For over 100 years our firefighters have been carrying wooden wedges in their pockets to stop sprinkler flow.  The Shutgun is definitely a tool we can use in residential and commercial occupancies to reduce the water damage from water flow after the sprinkler has contained the fire."



Campus Fire Forum Press Release

Shutgun, Fire Sprinkler Head Shut Off Tool, will be introduced to Campus Fire Forum members and attendees this November 7 – 9 in Indianapolis, IN.   

Universities and Colleges are adding Shutgun, the Fire Sprinkler Head Deactivation Tool, to their maintenance curriculum. 

Students can often be the cause of accidental fire sprinkler head activations in residences on University and College campuses.  As an example, an excited student strings a decoration through the sprinkler head or a coat gets hung up to dry and the hanger taps the sprinkler head glass.  Accidental fire sprinkler activations are just that – accidents.  But, they are accidents that can be very costly to the school and hugely disruptive to the students in residence.

Educating students on fire sprinkler heads, according to the Manager of Fire Prevention of a major University, can be a trying task when the students’ minds are overwhelmed with learning their own subjects.  When an accidental activation occurs, the students find themselves even more overwhelmed as they are moved and their studies disrupted until they can return to their water-free rooms.  As facility managers know, the longer water runs the more extensive the damage to property and student studies.

While campus residences are often in operation 24/7, a trained maintenance person may not always be around the corner.  Shutgun is an easy-to-use, one handed tool that shuts off fire sprinkler heads fast.  In the words of one Campus Facility Manager having Shutgun available gives him peace of mind knowing that accidental fire sprinkler activations can be managed quickly.

The makers of Shutgun want students to know that they should never hang anything from a fire sprinkler head so Shutgun can be the best kind of insurance – the one that isn’t used. 

If you are in the Indianapolis area, visit Greg Patterson, President of Technicraft Product Design Inc., at the Campus Fire Forum at booth number 4.  He will be happy to demonstrate Shutgun and answer any questions you may have. http://www.shutgun.ca

http://www.campusfiresafety.org/

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Shutgun/CampusFireForum/prweb8921913.htm

Campus Fire Forum - Indianapolis

Shutgun, Fire Sprinkler Head Shut Off Tool, will be introduced to Campus Fire Forum members and attendees this November 7 – 9 in Indianapolis, IN.   

If you are in the Indianapolis area, visit Greg Patterson, President of Technicraft Product Design Inc., at the Campus Fire Forum at booth number 4.  He will be happy to demonstrate Shutgun and answer any questions you may have.

International Facility Management Conference Oct 26 - 28, Phoenix, AZ

Shutgun will be at the International Facility Management Show http://www.worldworkplace.org/ in Phoenix, Arizona from October 26^th to the 28^th, 2011.  Drop by if you are in the neighbourhood and visit Greg Patterson, President of Technicraft Product Design Inc., the developers of the Shutgun Fire Sprinkler Deactivation Tool.

Shutgun, Fire Sprinkler Shut Off Tool, invited to ‘stay’ in Hotels around the world

Hotels and accidental fire sprinkler activations seem to have their own dynamic. What seems to set them apart from other buildings is that few places have the constant influx of diverse visitors that a hotel does.  The fact that in many hotel rooms there are signs that say, ‘Please do NOT hang garments from the fire sprinkler heads’, is a clear message that accidental fire sprinkler activations are not an uncommon occurrence.

More than once a wedding gown has been ruined just prior to the wedding by an unsuspecting bride-to-be hanging her dress from the sprinkler head.  It is not hard to imagine.  Wedding dresses with their long trains often don’t fit properly in closets.  The sprinkler head looks high enough that once hung there the dress will not wrinkle.  Unfortunately, when a sprinkler head is activated the dress is ruined beyond repair.

Other common activations can be caused by something as simple as a maid flicking a bed sheet that gets caught in the sprinkler head or a painter getting a dab of paint on the sprinkler head then trying to rub it off or kids having a pillow fight.  

The amount of water that comes out of a fire sprinkler head can fill a bathtub in 2 minutes.  Sometimes guests panic and don’t report the problem immediately which results in serious water damage.  Or worse, the sprinkler water shut off system is in a room with a locked door!

For these and other reasons hotel property managers are buying Shutguns.   

One property manager said that in 17 years of being in the hotel industry he has seen countless accidental fire sprinkler activations but only one activation was a direct result of a fire.  For this reason, he carries his Shutgun with him at all times. Why not?  Shutgun is a one-handed tool that shuts off fire sprinkler heads fast and it fits comfortably in his pocket.

 

Shutgun at the American Fire Sprinkler Association Conference

Greg Patterson and the Shutgun will be at the American Fire Sprinkler Association Exhibition and Conference in San Antonio, Texas from September 14th to the 17th. Come and meet him at booth #3 and try it yourself.

Shutgun, designed by a Toronto District Fire Chief of 35 years, provides fire fighters and emergency response teams with a one-handed, easy-to-use fire sprinkler shut off tool. Shutgun's fusible link ensures that if a fire re-kindles the link will melt and the tool will release. Consequently, there is no need to shut off the water supply to the sprinkler system until it is time to change the head. Also, while the system is being drained, water will not be escaping from the activated head. Shutgun works to shut off most types of sprinkler heads including the recessed style now popular in commercial complexes.
Since the Shutgun's introduction earlier this year, select distributors have been established in regions of Canada, the United States and Europe. The company is actively looking for additional American-based distributors.  The simple yet ingenious design of this unique fire sprinkler shut off tool has captured the attention of people in the fire protection industry from around the world.

Greg Patterson, President of Technicraft Product Design Inc., notes that most of the people who have become distributors are already in the fire sprinkler or fire safety arena. Across the board, they took one look at the Shutgun and said, "Why didn't I think of that!"
Even people who are not in the fire fighting business appreciate the value of having a Shutgun once they have seen this tool. As David Snell, a senior technology consultant says, "I can no longer walk into any computer facility, university I/T department or hospital without looking around to see how costly an accidental fire sprinkler activation could truly be."

While accidental fire sprinkler activations are not a common occurrence, they do happen. Patterson adds, "Just ask any urban fire fighter how often they are called out for an accidental activation". Shutgun is an inexpensive device that gives fire fighters a fast and effective fire sprinkler shut off solution.

Conferences in June, 2011

Shutgun was represented at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference in early June in Boston MA and the product was overwhelmingly well received.   The same response was expressed at the Building Owners and Management Association  (BOMA) Conference in late June in Washington, DC.

We will keep you posted on upcoming conferences and events.

Shutgun Animated Video

Check out the latest animated video of the Shutgun.

Shutgun Demonstration Video

Shutgun Testimonial

"Every sprinkler cabinet should have at least one Shutgun ready for use.  We caryy one in every truck."  Trent Elya, Fire Chief CEMC CFEI CMM lll, Collingwood, ON

Shutgun wins the 2011 SPARC Entrepreneur Challenge

Eli and Greg on the right

Top prize was awarded to Collingwood's Greg Patterson & Eli Scardaoni of Technicraft Product Designs for the creation of a product called "Shutgun" that shuts off active fire sprinkler heads to minimize damage.


Eli is the Retired Fire Chief who invented the Shutgun and Greg Patterson 
is the President of Technicraft Product Designs.