NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Two Norfolk firefighters will appear on an episode of “Shark Tank” this week to pitch a product that could save lives.
Norfolk Fire-Rescue’s Brett Russell and Eric Hartsfield work together at Fire Station 7 on the technical rescue team. The pair have been developing a product for four years, which could provide private homeowners a safe way of escaping house fires, according to a city news release.
The product is called Rescue Ready. It is a ladder that can be pre-attached outside of a home’s window and used as a safe escape from a house fire.
Russell and Hartsfield traveled to California in June 2019 to pitch their product to “Shark Tank” investors. “Shark Tank” is an ABC series that features entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs pitch their business plans to a panel of investors hoping that someone will take the bait and invest in their products and ideas.
On “Shark Tank,” Russel and Hartsfield showed a need for self-rescue tools due to the way house fires spread and changes in building construction. Their episode will air at 10 p.m. on Wednesday. according to a city news release.
The pair have also developed a new version of Rescue Ready that will be available for purchase on Kickstarter soon.
