Recently the city of Phoenix, Arizona experienced two fires at recycling centers, 
one of which required “over 200 firefighters and 10 agencies to put out,” reported the Arizona Republic.
While a number of factors contribute to the frequency of fires in materials recovery facilities (MRFs), the recently published 4th Annual Report by new NERC Advisory Member Fire Rover focuses much of its attention on society’s increasing dependence on—and improper disposal of—lithium-ion batteries. In the report, Fire Rover Vice President Ryan Fogelman writes, “We had been having fire incidents since the beginning of time, but as an industry, the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery wave really threw us for a loop.”
“We are looking at the cost of lithium-ion battery fires in the U.S. and Canada to be a staggering US$1.2 billion annually,” Fogelman continued. “Add that to the cost of the traditional fire hazards we already are facing and the number doubles to US$2.4 billion annually.”
Fire Rover’s solution to the problem of fires in MRFs is the development of a fire detection and suppression system that features three main components:
- Thermography and video analytics pinpoint and detect fires in their infancy and identify hotspots before flare-up.
- An automated fire suppression system that delivers significantly higher volumes of fire suppression solutions to the base of the fire than recommended by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
- A monitoring and maintenance program that includes continuous system up-time monitoring with daily check-ins and regular on-site preventative maintenance.
“Fire Rover came to market in 2015 and was developed specifically for the waste and recycling industry to provide early heat abnormality detection, remote human verification and remote application of cooling agents directly to the source of the abnormality,” Fogelman said.
Fogelman writes in the Annual Report: “After six years of putting our patented Fire Rover solution to use in the industry, I can confidently say that our solution can and is the only solution on the market today that can lower the risk profile of a good operator to levels seen before the lithium-ion hazards hit our industry.”
Fire Rover is headquartered in West Bloomfield, Michigan. In 2019, the company received the Gold Edison Award for Innovation in Industrial Safety. “One of the game-changing winners, Fire Rover, was recognized as a true innovator in Industrial Safety,” said Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director of the Edison Awards.
In 2020, Fire Rover received the Innovator of the Year award from NERC Advisory Member National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA). The award celebrates innovation in design and manufacturing that increases the effectiveness or efficiency of recycling equipment and operations.
“As a technology start-up new to the waste and recycling industry in 2015, NERC’s staff and members were warm and welcoming us. The staff not only reached out to see how they could help, but provided a number of venues for us to interact with their members. I truly appreciate the organization and the innovative and personal approach they bring to the industry.”
Clearly, Fire Rover brings essential strengths to an ongoing dialogue of Advisory Members across the recycling and waste management spectrum. NERC looks forward to a productive relationship.