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Published on: 7/21/2006
Last Visited: 7/22/2006
Dave Fredley, president of Northwest Barricade, said he signed an open-ended contract on July 5 with the Boise-based National Interagency Fire Center to provide the gel on an on-call basis to several federal agencies.
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In his living room last week, Fredley mixed water with a quarter-size blob of the Barricade gel , which looks like milky-colored, translucent shampoo , spread it on his hand and blasted his palm and fingers with a propane torch.His skin was undamaged.
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Fredley, who spent 16 years with the Forest Service and seven years with the BLM, came out of several years of retirement to start his company last winter.He buys the Barricade product from Bartlett's company, Barricade International, based in Hobe Sound, Fla., and distributes it in eight western states.His company is also the national supplier of the gel to the mining and timber industries, he said.
"We've got a big job in a big market," he said.
His federal contacts helped him land the interagency fire center contract, which could produce sales of $2.75 million this fire season.
The Newport-area resident said he became interested in the Barricade gel because his home sits against the woods in a remote valley.
The gel works better than the foams most fire departments use because the water bubbles insulate better than air bubbles, he says .
"I just want to see people have this and protecting their property and house," Fredley said.
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A home kit, enough to cover 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, costs $320, not counting shipping, Fredley said.