Our Mission Explained
PFAS chemicals, known as “forever chemicals,” are found in firefighting foam (AFFF) and are extremely toxic to the environment as well as our bodies. AFFF is widely used to fight hydrocarbon fuel fires in aircraft hangars and industrial facilities. When these foam fire suppression systems go off (often by accident, not in response to a fire), the AFFF runs into sewer systems, consequently polluting local drinking water1. This is a much larger problem than the general public is aware of and affects tens of thousands of communities.
Many studies have linked these chemicals to family-destroying illnesses, causing birth defects and various types of cancers2. Having a child with a birth defect or losing a loved one early to cancer is every family’s worst nightmare. We, at Safespill, are convinced that we can eliminate this problem by protecting military and commercial aircraft hangars with Safespill floors instead of AFFF systems.
Therefore, it is Safespill’s mission to transition the world to environmentally safe fire protection.
Our Story
Safespill’s founders discovered the potential for a system that removes fuel spills while working on aluminum helidecks (helicopter landing platforms) for offshore oil & gas platforms and drill ships. Some of these helidecks had a perforated top surface to drain potentially spilled jet fuel. This application was hardly successful as it did not eliminate the need for fire suppression systems (AFFF systems) installed on the helidecks, and the holes tended to clog up.
In the aviation hangar industry, AFFF systems are also used to protect against the risk of a fuel spill fire (aka pool fire) spilling out of a hangared aircraft. The problem is that these systems have a tendency to accidentally discharge, creating havoc on aircraft engines and avionics (frequently seen in YouTube videos or news articles looking like giant foam parties).
If a hollow flooring system could remove a fuel spill before it posed a “pool fire” threat, the need for an AFFF suppression system would be eliminated.
The founding team developed multiple prototypes of the flooring system and following preliminary fire testing, a demo was presented to the US Navy. After receiving positive responses, Safespill was founded as an LLC in late 2013. Safespill developed a fire protection system that turned out to be a solution for a much bigger environmental problem than we knew of when founding the company in 2013.
Safespill’s Core Values
Self-Discipline
Every day we focus our energy on our goals and avoid distractions. We push through obstacles and see setbacks as nothing more than learning opportunities.
Teamwork
There will be no limit to our success if we work together as a team. We make efforts to know our team members well, to build trust amongst each other so we can rely on each other. Besides, there is little fun in doing things alone.
Quality
Our definition of a quality product is reliability over decades, with only minimal maintenance needed. We will build our products so that they will outlast the environment we install them in. We take pride in the confidence our products give our clients.
Self-Improvement
We will continuously focus on improving and expanding our skills. Stagnancy is unacceptable. We will never stop learning.