Retired Firefighter Creates Frontline Equipment Technologies to Provide Solutions
Retired firefighter Keith “Gus” Grant felt that his fire service career of 25 years was cut short by a cancer diagnosis that robbed him of a longer career in the job that he loved. Coincidentally, he also loved auto racing and spent many years working and crewing on competitive race cars since childhood through today.
Combining his professional fire service experience along with his knowledge of the high energy motorsports industry and other mechanical trades experiences should be a great fit. In 2013, Frontline Equipment Technologies LLC was born. This was to be a one stop shop from design to prototype to limited production using all of his professional knowledge, industry connections, engineering associates and needs of the target markets.
Grant says “I felt cheated with my firefighting career coming to a screaming halt. I did not ask for this, but no one asks to get cancer or get hurt on the job. It happens and sometimes you never recover from it to be a valuable asset to your agency anymore. So, you must pick up the pieces and move on where and when you can make a difference in your “new” life. FrontlineOne™ is that spot for me. I have a lot more to give but getting this deep into the business side of my overactive creative mind has been a challenge for sure.”
The mission at FrontlineOne™ is to provide common sense solutions to complex equipment, fire safety, hazard mitigation and specialized industry operational challenges. We do this by combining proven engineering data, technical production expertise, real life prototype development and utilizing vast amounts of field experience with our FrontlineOne™ team. To date, we have developed 3 distinct product lines; HydraSpear® Equipment Systems, GatorFloss™ Flexible Cutting Products and ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saws.
3D printing (additive manufacturing) has allowed us to design and build very accurate renderings of finished products to evaluate and test with. Our custom plastic resin nozzles have been shown to be accurate to within 3%-5% of CNC machined products during in-house flow testing. Our HydraSpear® Equipment Systems product line was developed as a result of a request by a Midwest equipment supplier to develop a new tool for fighting above ground coal fires.
We brought a demo tool to them for evaluation and it was determined that we overbuilt it for their needs, but it gave us the impetus to continue developing a total tool system using our patent pending HydraSpear® tool technology. To date, we have developed over 30 nozzle profiles in sizes from 3/8” for maintenance work up to and including our custom 3” powered SuperSpear™ tools for heavy duty utility construction needs. Marine, construction, utilities, municipal and structural firefighting needs are also in our HydraSpear® Equipment Systems wheelhouse.
GatorFloss™ Flexible Cutting Products are a new concept in flexible wire cutting saws. We developed this line after several HVAC contractors saw our original single wire saw and needed something beefier for their cutting needs in the field. These tools have shown to be very effective in confined space cutting needs for plumbers, contractors, electricians, HVAC technicians and more where conventional reciprocating saws or hacksaws are limited or ineffective.
ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saws are a new concept in self-rescue equipment for firefighters, USAR techs, SWAT officers and military personnel. Originally designed for race car driver extrication needs, this tool uses a modified flexible stainless-steel saw blade with new web handles. The ZipFlex™ Wire Rescue Saw gives personnel another cutting option for self-evacuation or assisting patients during difficult building collapse or entrapment hazards. Plus, it fits in your turnouts or BDU pockets!
