DN Safety Products hopes to raise $15,000 to bring a unique safety tool that will save lives to market.

Starting from $59.95 for the early adopter special, the EMERGI-SAFE 5-in-1 Emergency Flashlight is an innovative/user-friendly safety tool that functions as an LED warning beacon, focused LED flashlight, focused LED emergency strobe, LED work light, and LED lantern.

"Over the years, I've responded to accident and fire scenes where I've been nearly struck by passing vehicles," explains firefighter/inventor Danny Vartan. "I also lost a friend who operated a tow truck. A car coming around a curve struck the car he was hooking up, pinning him between the car and his tow truck. That is why I created the EMERGI-SAFE 5-in-1 Emergency Flashlight; I knew there was a safer and better way to protect First Responders and the public when stopped on the road, at fire scenes, and even emergencies at the house such as in the event of a power outage."

Safer than Strike Flares:

First responders traditionally use incendiary strike flares at emergency scenes. But Vartan notes that strike flares can be dangerous to use at some accident scenes due to the fact that they emit flames and sparks which are a definite safety hazard when flammable liquids and vapors are present. Strike Flares also give off noxious/choking smoke that can obscure the very scene they're trying to protect.

In the case of a person who's car has broken down, Vartan points out that "The longest burning strike flare lasts only 30 minutes. What do you do once it has burned out and help has not yet arrived - as in the case of bad weather with many accidents? Also, many people are uncomfortable lighting a strike flare. That's yet another reason why I created the EMERGI-SAFE 5-in-1 Emergency Flashlight: to provide a safer way to help protect First Responders and the public whether they are operating at a vehicle accident, fire scene, or stranded along the roadway."

EMERGI-SAFE Specifications:

- Eco-Friendly: uses LED's; no toxic smoke, flames, sparks, or toxic residue

- 12 Inches Tall; provides greater visibility over longer distances and during rain or snow

- Built Tough: High impact Polycarbonate lens, body, battery cap, and traffic cone ring

- Energy Efficient: LED's provide 60+ hours of effective operation per set of 3 D size alkaline batteries

- Multiple Flash Patterns: fast flash, steady-on, slow flash, and rotating flash

- Bright Focused Flashlight: 3-watt LED with parabolic reflector shines a focused beam

- Highly Water Resistant: o-ring technology provides full operation - even when under water

- Lifetime Warranty: all parts are guaranteed against manufacturer's defects

About Danny Vartan/DN Safety Products, Inc.

Danny Vartan is a firefighter with the Westwood (NJ) Fire Department. He is also the Inventor of the EMERGI-SAFE 5-in-1 Emergency Flashlight. Vartan spent the better part of his adult life answering emergency calls in Northern New Jersey, and knows firsthand what it's like to have cars whizzing past him at all sorts of emergencies along busy roadways.

Those experiences - along with stories of colleagues' close calls with passing motorists over the years prompted him to invent an innovative LED-based safety lighting product: the EMERG

The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) applauds the recent decision by Republican Governor Rick Scott of Florida to veto HB 653, a bill dealing with requirements for retrofitting high-rise condominium buildings with fire sprinklers and other types of safety systems.

"Governor Scott's veto of HB 653 demonstrates the universal appeal of including fire sprinklers in new and retrofitted residential dwellings," said Frank Mortl III, CAE, President of AFSA. "His decision to improve the safety of occupants in high-rise buildings and ensure the greatest protection to the emergency responders who bravely conduct firefighting and rescue operations serves as an impactful example to all lawmakers faced with similar opportunities to enact positive fire and life safety measures."

In the letter announcing his veto of the bill, Governor Scott said, "This legislation extends the compliance deadline, once again, and allows condominium residents to opt out of both fire sprinklers and an ELSS, which creates an extremely dangerous environment for both residents and first responders responding in the event of an emergency."

High-rise buildings present several unique challenges not found in traditional low-rise buildings: longer egress times and distance, evacuation strategies, fire department accessibility, smoke movement, and fire control. It is estimated that high-rise buildings make up 3 percent of all reported structure fires. According to a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) study, an estimated 14,500 reported high-rise structure fires per year resulted in associated losses of 40 civilian deaths, 520 civilian injuries, and $154 million in direct property damage per year from 2009-2013.

Benefits of having an automatic fire sprinkler system in a building include:

• Sprinkler systems control and/or extinguish a fire any time: day or night.
• Immediate identification and control of a developing fire: Without an automatic sprinkler system, a room with a fire can reach flashover conditions within only a few minutes.
• Reduced heat and smoke damage: Significantly less heat and smoke will be generated when the fire is extinguished at an early stage.
• Reduced water damage: A single sprinkler will only discharge approximately 15 to 25 gallons per minute, while a hose and nozzle used by the fire department will put out up to 250 gallons per minute, approximately 10 to 15 times more water.
• Decreased insurance expenditure: Sprinkler controlled fires are less damaging than fires in non-sprinklered buildings. This results in lower insurance reimbursements. Insurance underwriters typically offer reduced premiums for properties with sprinkler protection. 

The American Fire Sprinkler Association, (AFSA) is a non-profit, international association representing merit shop fire sprinkler contractors, dedicated to the educational advancement of its members and promotion of the use of automatic fire sprinkler systems. More information can be found by visiting firesprinkler.org.