In early July 2005, at a dedication ceremony for the facility that will build the equipment for Ford’s new fire suppression system, Ford’s Director of Design Analysis acknowledged that motor vehicle collisions are among the leading causes of deaths of police officers, and that an on-board fire suppression system can save lives.
Specifically, on July 9, 2005, the Defensor Chieftain, of Soccorro, New Mexico reported:
“Brian Geraghty, director of design analysis for Ford, told the small, invitation-only crowd at the ceremony that the reason behind adding the system to police cars is that most police officer deaths are the result of auto wrecks. Often, he said, those wrecks are at high speed, and in many cases fire, not the crash itself, causes death or injury.”
“This will save lives,” Geraghty said.
Since 2002, FIRE Panel has been informing police departments across the country what Ford has recently publicly admitted -- that a supplemental fire suppression system on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor can save lives. Since installation of FIRE Panels began back in 2002, there have been numerous reported instances where Crown Victoria Police Interceptors protected by Fire Panels have been struck in the rear at high speeds, yet, in none of those crashes, has there ever been a fire. The real-world performance of FIRE Panel products has confirmed what FIRE Panel’s car-to-car product crash testing demonstrated: FIRE Panel’s suppression system works and will enhance the safety of the vehicles it is installed on.
FIRE Panels have been purchased and placed in use by numerous state police agencies, including those in North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Idaho, Oklahoma and New Jersey. Further, police departments in major cities such as Phoenix, Atlantic City, Dallas, Portland, and many more, have also chosen to protect their officers by equipping their vehicles with FIRE Panels. Installed on more than 12,000 Crown Victoria Police Interceptors and used by more than 100 police departments in North America, FIRE Panel is the clear leader in after-market fire suppression protection for law enforcement vehicles. The enhanced safety that FIRE Panel brings to officers everywhere, and peace of mind that comes with knowing the risk of a post-impact fire and catastrophic injuries has been substantially reduced, can be purchased for less than $400 per vehicle.
FIRE Panel, LLC, is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since 2002, FIRE Panels have been installed by more than 100 agencies nationwide, protecting more than 12,000 CVPIs. FIRE Panel’s team includes fire protection experts with more than 30 years’ experience in the fire suppression industry. FIRE Panel can be mounted on any Ford Panther platform vehicle, including the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car.
For more information, please visit www.firepanel.net or call 888-282-8394.