Ontario, California, Nevada… difficult to catch entrepreneur Normand Leblanc in recent weeks. The reason is very simple: after 13 years of existence, the Repentigne-based company Drago-ISI is finally entering the marketing phase of a new water cannon that is much more effective against fires.
Posted at 10:00 a.m.
Less water and faster
The particularity of the Drago-ISI cannon is that it rejects micro-droplets, like a drizzle. These include oxygen, which can bring a fire under control five to ten times faster than with standard equipment, according to the company. Another advantage is that it uses three times less water than traditional fire hoses. “The cannon absorbs 75% of the heat, thus lowering the temperature of the fire and its intensity. This principle of firefighting with micro-droplets is known and used in Europe, but not here,” explains Normand Leblanc.
A tool for big fires
Real strike force to knock out a fire, the tool is ideal for combating large infernos that could rage in warehouses, farms, fields, oil installations, etc. “At the same time you douse the flames, you can protect two or three adjacent buildings. This system also does not break down walls and is less damaging to the built environment,” explains the contractor.
The company offers three models: the Drago module, the Dragi trailer and the fire truck comprising the Drago and the spider which can effectively spray water/air or water plus an encapsulating agent or foam. Operating with a remote system, the gun is also intended to be safer for firefighters. “Yes, the cannon can be as effective as four firefighters, but its purpose is not to eliminate jobs, but to secure this profession. We want to avoid injuries, ”reassures the former firefighter, who worked in this field for 20 years.
PHOTO FROM DRAGO-ISI FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
Drago-ISI’s goal is to sell between 200 and 250 units per year.
A long way
An entrepreneur at heart, Normand Leblanc bought Drago-ISI in 2018, nine years after it was founded. “I am part of Anges Québec, I own nine companies in fields as varied as catering, hunting and fishing, etc. I saw the potential of such a product and I even think that it has the power to become the Lion of fires”, explains the businessman. However, the road to commercialization was long and strewn with obstacles, since it took more than ten years of effort, the construction of four prototype trailers, the investment of several million dollars before the machine is beginning to bear fruit. Sums that were beginning to weigh heavily on the businessman, even if he was well surrounded. “All the prototypes have been patented, we have all the certifications, even those for oil. The sale this month of two units in Ontario was a breath of fresh air for the company. »
Attack the American market
Drago-ISI’s goal is to sell between 200 and 250 units per year. At the moment, the company is able to respond at a rate of 120 to 144 per year. “We do business with a lot of subcontractors and all the assembly is done at our warehouse in Repentigny. I don’t reject the idea of building a factory if necessary to meet demand,” says the entrepreneur.
The next step is therefore crucial and consists in convincing the American market of the advantages of its gun, which retails for $200,000. “The United States is 11 times bigger than Canada in this area and their standards mean that they change their equipment every 10 years. Whereas with us, we change them every 25 years. So we have to go to the big markets,” he says.