When disaster strikes, those rushing to respond want to know
exactly where their forces are at all times. ERT Systems is selling a GPS
system that accomplishes just that.
The Ann Arbor-based start-up's product, Onsite ERT (Emergency Resource Tracking),
uses a GPS-like system to provide a complete view of the operating theater in
real time. So a fire chief can know just where his fire trucks and fire fighters
are by using lightweight tags and a fast IT system that transmits the
information on rugged laptops.
The business was born two years ago when John Ellis, a
veteran firefighter, ran into Dennis Carmichael, an IT services company owner.
"He always had trouble keeping track of his guys and
his equipment on emergency scenes," Carmichael
says.
The pair spent 18 months developing the product and are now
starting to sell it to a growing market. They expect to achieve $500,000 sales
by the end of this year and more beyond that.
ERT now employs six people and hopes to
hire another six by year's end if sales reach their projections. Similarly, they foresee doubling their staff again next year.
"It looks like there is a real market for it," Carmichael says. "There is no real competitive
product out there. It's a system whose time has come and we are glad we're the
ones selling it."
Source: Dennis Carmichael, president and co-founder of ERT
Systems
Writer: Jon Zemke
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