We would like to thank the chair, vice-chairs and members of the committee for allowing us to make our presentation.
I am Quincy Emmons, FireRein president and co-founder. Here today with me is FireRein's board chair, William Stewart, a distinguished leader within the Canadian fire service.
FireRein was founded by firefighters who discovered what was really in the firefighting chemicals we were using. FireRein's sustainable Eco-Gel formula is certified a 100% bio-based by the United States Department of Agriculture and by UL Environment, confirming that every ingredient comes from plants. In fact, the majority of our ingredients are grown by Canadian farmers.
Eco-Gel is used with traditional firefighting equipment to create a viscous coating that sticks and stays on horizontal, vertical and overhead surfaces to quickly extinguish fires. We basically make water stick. Eco-Gel can be applied as a fire prevention coating to protect adjacent structures from nearby fires or ahead of advancing wildfires to protect homes and businesses. Eco-Gel is made entirely of plant-based ingredients free of harmful chemicals.
Under pressure, Eco-Gel flows like water, but once that energy is removed, it will set in place within 10 to 15 seconds, allowing the firefighter to control their firewater runoff instead of that runoff flowing into waterways or leaching into the ground. FireRein Eco-Gel quickly cools and excludes oxygen from a fire, resulting in a rapid extinguishment.
Our climate is changing, and these mega-fires are becoming more common. Reports from the devastating Fort McMurray wildfire indicated that embers flying ahead of the fire ignited new fires to homes and businesses, which then required response resources to be pulled from other assignments. That created a snowball-like effect where the problem kept growing until available resources were overwhelmed.
Several reports indicate that carbon emissions from wildfires are significant, and are frequently not reported as they negatively skew statistics.
Currently, there are several long-term fire retardants approved for use in Canada for fighting wildfires; however, they are all owned by one company, just one. Warning labels on these products include comments such as “do not apply to green growing vegetation” and “do not spray in seasonal or year-round waterways.” Several reports, like the one you see there, show the harmful impact of the products currently being used.
The fire service has known for years the impacts of AFFF foams and their linkage to cancer. Firefighting foams are being banned all over the world because they contain cancer-causing chemicals. Firefighting foams are linked to drinking water contamination in hundreds of U.S. military bases, and even some Canadian towns like Mississippi Mills, Ontario.
During fire operations, large volumes of water containing these chemicals are applied. These chemicals bioaccumulate, meaning they just keep building up in humans, animals and ecosystems. They keep showing up many years after being applied. The environmental cleanup and health care cost, as well as potential legal implications, can be staggering, as you can see from some of the headlines.
FireRein is growing a safer and innovative firefighting solution right here in Canada. Eco-Gel is currently in use in multiple municipal fire departments and industrial facilities. FireRein has distributors across Canada eager to introduce it to new communities and new fields of use.
Eco-Gel is proven to be more effective than firefighting foams and gels. Eco-Gel knocks fires down in less time while using less water. Eco-Gel reduces the environmental impact of a fire by controlling firewater runoff and by not adding any harmful chemicals to an already dangerous situation. The ability to stick and stay where applied is key.
FireRein Eco-Gel is the first firefighting gel that is effective at fighting class B fuel fires as well as wildfires and class A structural fires. This gives fire departments a multi-use firefighting and fire prevention tool.
This Canadian report found firefighting gels to be more effective than long-term fire retardants. FireRein Eco-Gel could be used as a chemical-free coating on forests to create fire breaks and to assist fire crews with controlled burns without harming the trees. Controlled burns are needed for healthier forests.
FireRein Eco-Gel is certified safer, and reports show it's more effective.
We need the opportunity to prevent embers from growing fires into megafires, to apply Eco-Gel to land in order to protect property from fires and harmful chemicals, and to apply it directly to extinguish wildfires.
We need support: government support to increase awareness and share our story, government support to encourage agencies to be allowed to use Eco-Gel and government support to amend the rules that were changed in the 1970s and the 1980s to allow the use of chemicals on wildfires. We need help to amend these rules again to allow certified 100% plant-based product to be applied instead of harmful chemicals. Rules should be based on effectiveness and environmental impact.
Thank you again for this opportunity. We are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you.