SHUTGUN PROVES THE BEST INSURANCE AGAINST WATER DAMAGE CLAIMS

 

Safety supplier promotes sprinkler shut off tool to facilities, hospitals and property owners

(Collingwood, ON – March 7, 2013)  Water damage claims from accidental fire sprinkler activations hurt the bottom line of insurance companies and increase the premiums of property owners. Shutgun, an innovative Fire Sprinkler Deactivation Tool, was designed to shut off the activated sprinkler head quickly, isolating the source of water and avoiding further headaches.

 “A fire sprinkler head that is activated and not immediately shut off can easily cause tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage,” said Greg Patterson, President of Technicraft Product Design Inc. and inventor of Shutgun. “If the damage exceeds a property’s deductable, usually $2,500 – it’s the insurance company who will be paying that out of their pocket, and property owners will watch their premiums rise.”

Ross Humphry is President of Canadian Safety Equipment, Shutgun’s leading distributor in Canada. His reps have sold cases of the tool across the country to hotels, military bases, fire departments and hospitals. “I would encourage Canadian insurance companies to offer incentives to building owners that have a Shutgun on every floor,” he says. “It only makes sense, as the insurance companies will be the ones to save money in the long run.”

With water from a sprinkler head releasing at flow rates exceeding 25 gallons per minute, mere minutes can mean the difference between a single room being out of operation for a few days to multiple rooms on many floors being unavailable for weeks.

Joe Fisco of Petra Risk Solutions in California says, “The bottom line is that water damage is costly and this tool can greatly reduce the amount of money that gets paid out in water damage claims.” Fisco is an advocate for Shutgun in the hotel industry and continues by saying, “It also means time and resources saved by fire departments that are called on scene to shut off a building’s water source.”

Both Patterson and Humphry have met with representatives in the insurance industry about offering a credit to property owners who keep a Shutgun with every fire extinguisher, and have been met with positive response.

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Conceived by a Toronto District Fire Chief of 35 years, Shutgun provides property managers and emergency responders with a one-handed, easy-to-use fire sprinkler shut off tool. Shutgun avoids shutting off the main water supply to the sprinkler system, thus giving continued fire protection. A fusible link provides fire protection by melting and releasing the tool in the event of a fire thus reactivating the sprinkler. Shutgun shuts off most types of sprinkler heads including the semi-recessed style now popular in commercial complexes. www.shutgun.ca

Media: Amanda Sutton 705-791-7209  amanda@catalystcc.ca

Shutgun: Greg Patterson 1-866-827-8711    Greg@technicraftdesign.com   

Dual Fire Protection

The Shutgun concept was created by a Toronto District Fire Chief of 35 years, with the intention to provide fire fighters, emergency response teams and property managers with a one-handed, easy-to-use fire sprinkler shut off tool.  But what if a fire occurs in the same spot?

Shutgun was created with a unique fusible link that offers continued protection by melting and releasing the tool in the event of a fire flare up or recurrence.

This way, the tool can be left in place with the sprinkler system charged until the pipes can be drained and the head replaced – thus giving the rest of the building full fire protection despite the activation.  “This is of huge benefit to managers who don’t want to jeopardize the rest of the building by shutting off the water system completely,” said Greg Patterson.

See the Shutgun in Action!

 

 Probably the most powerful visual demonstration of our tool in action - this 38 second video is our most widely viewed link. Watch the simplicity, ease and power that this one handed tool can provide.  Please share if you like us on facebook!

http://shutgunshutsofffiresprinklersfast.blogspot.ca/2011/07/shutgun-demonstration-video.html

Should insurance companies offer incentives for properties that own Shutgun?

 

FACT: Water damage claims from accidental fire sprinkler activations hurt the bottom line of Insurance companies and increase the premiums of property owners. Ross Humphry, President of Canadian Safety Equipment, encourages Canadian insurance companies to offer incentives to buildings that have the Shutgun on every floor. “It only makes sense,” he says, “as the insurance companies will be the ones to save money in the long run.”

Just one sprinkler activation can cost between $10,000 – to $50,000 in damage for the property owner. Shutgun can reduce the damage inflicted in those crucial minutes after a sprinkler head is activated. For hotel operators, this means the difference between a single room being out of operation for a few days to multiple rooms on many floors being unavailable for weeks.

Joe Fisco of Petra Risk Solutions in California agrees, "I believe that insurance companies should offer a credit to property owners who have Shutguns in every fire hose cabinet in their buildings. The bottom line is that water damage is costly and the Shutgun can greatly reduce the amount of money that gets paid out in water damage claims."

An advocate for the Shutgun in the hotel industry, Joe continues by saying, "It's actually a win/win for everyone. The insurance companies save money and the building owners and fire departments save time, money and productivity. Is the Shutgun worth an incentive? Absolutely!"

Shutgun successful at Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Supply Show

Shutgun successful at Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Supply Show

 It was another successful showing for Shutgun at the 37^th annual Hotel Motel and Restaurant Supply Show held in Myrtle Beach last month. Shutgun was able to acquire hundreds of new contacts, several of which owned 20 hotels or more, as well as a large chain of 72 properties. CEO Myra Starnes is a fan of the Shutgun sprinkler shut off tool and spoke with us about the benefits of the product in her experience.  

“As a property owner, I know the headaches of sprinkler head activation and the damage it can cause – this is such an easy solution. When I saw it I just said ‘yes! This makes sense’,” Starnes has bought several Shutguns for her own industrial properties, some of which have 48 ft. ceilings, and will insert them into each high lift for easy access. “The best feature is that you can reactivate the sprinkler head without compromising the rest of the system – it minimizes so much damage.”

The HMRSSS began 38 years ago in order to create a marketplace that brings industry experts and vendors together. Today, it encompasses a five state area and hosts reps from both independents and large hotel restaurant chains in a casual and comfortable setting. For info on the 2014 show visit www.hmrsss.com.

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."