Arizona Congressman Ron Barber visited the security solutions company for a demonstration of its Mobile Video Surveillance System (MVSS) and to honor STRONGWATCH staffer William “Drew” Dodds with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for supporting federal and state agencies, including emergency management, fire departments and law enforcement during the Yarnell Wildfires; STRONGWATCH has since received requests from other Arizona politicians who want a demo of its MVSS
TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STRONGWATCH, developer of advanced fixed and mobile surveillance technology for military, government and commercial clients, announced today the company’s Mobile Video Surveillance System (MVSS), FREEDOM On-The-Move, has garnered the bipartisan interest of Arizona politicians looking for innovative technology to secure the U.S. border. Last week, Congressman Ron Barber visited STRONGWATCH for a demonstration of its MVSS, and to award staffer, William “Drew” Dodds, with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for providing thermal imaging support to federal and state agencies throughout the Yarnell Wildfires.
“Thank you, STRONGWATCH, for your commitment to Arizona and our community. It was my honor to present a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to William “Drew”
“We were honored to hear from Congressman Barber and to host a demonstration of our security solutions, including FREEDOM On-The-Move. The next day, we received a request for a demonstration from another Arizona politician who shares Barber’s interest in securing the border. The positive response has been overwhelming and we’re grateful to have garnered the attention of our leaders here in the great state of Arizona,” said STRONGWATCH Chairman & CEO Mike Powell.
On July 15, STRONGWATCH hosted Congressman Ron Barber, who requested a demonstration of the company’s family of products, which are currently deployed across the southern U.S. border with Mexico by various law enforcement and counter terrorism agencies. There, Barber honored STRONGWATCH staffer “Drew” Dodds for volunteering through the Yavapai County Sheriff to support emergency management, fire departments and law enforcement during the Yarnell Wildfires. Each day, Dodds led a convoy with agencies using Freedom On-The-Move’s thermal imaging to identify hotspots and downed power lines, as well as support security efforts during mandatory evacuations, which allowed teams to be proactive in managing the crisis. Following his visit, Barber released this statement:
“Thank you, STRONGWATCH, for your commitment to Arizona and our community. It was my honor to present a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition to William “Drew” Dodds, STRONGWATCH director of sales for FREEDOM On-The-Move, who volunteered to take the equipment to the disastrous Yarnell wildfire and operate it until the fire was under control. I know what an integral role small businesses play in our economy, and in addition they support our community in numerous ways – as exemplified by Drew’s actions. Thank you for taking the time to demonstrate the FREEDOM On-The-Move system and I congratulate you on winning the spring 2013 Arizona Innovation Challenge.”
Last month, STRONGWATCH was a winner of The Arizona Innovation Challenge powered by the Arizona Commerce Authority. The company was one of six to receive a $250K innovation grant for a total of $1.5 million awarded. The business-plan competition awards capital for qualified, innovative start-ups and early stage companies to grow their businesses in Arizona.
“The team is pleased to see awareness and momentum building among our civic and business communities. We’re also proud of team member Drew Dodds. Before joining STRONGWATCH, Drew was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps, so naturally he sprung into action volunteering to make creative use of our technology in Yarnell. We’re lucky to have him,” added Powell.
About STRONGWATCH
Based in Tucson, Ariz., STRONGWATCH is a developer of advanced surveillance technologies with mobile and fixed-location solutions that deliver early threat detection, actionable intelligence and non-lethal deterrence to organizations that require the highest standards of operational effectiveness. www.strongwatch.com