They're calling it "the future of firefighting," and it's made right here in Maine.
Two brothers have developed a tool which allows firefighters to battle the most dangerous fires from a safe and secure distance.
Their latest design is called "The Thermite."
It's the latest twist on technology first built for the battlefield.
"What it does, it takes away the firefighter from the real hazardous situation," said Geoff Howe, co-founder of Howe & Howe Technologies.
Unveiled this past summer, the Howe's began developing The Thermite 18 months earlier.
Launching the project only days after witnessing one of the world's "worst" hazardous situations, the catastrophic nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan.
"We turn on the news, couldn't believe it. Two or three days later you have Japanese guys running into dangerous situations," Howe said.
"We were upset because we had the technology here. If it was in place at the time, it could have been used, we could have saved lives," said Mike Howe, co-founder of the same company.
Working now to save lives in the future, this latest design basically retrofits the Howe's well proven remote controlled war tank, with a high powered water gun and high definition camera.
Imagine this small demonstration fire as some highly explosive or other potentially deadly situation.
"We're able to send a robot in, address it, literally recon, send information back to the fire and rescue but also address it as in put the fire out," said Geoff.
"Not only is it a reduction in risk and you're managing your risk a lot better, but it's also a reduction in cost because insurance premiums will be a lot lower and less people will be hurt and injured," Mike added.
On the market only since August, already, the company has orders for four Thermites, made in Maine by Mainers, this project helping to keep more than two dozen workers employed here full time, and the materials, 90% manufactured by Maine companies.
"This is a dream come true for us. Not only are we living in Maine, employing in Maine; we're employed in Maine and we're building things in Maine," Geoff commented.
And they'll keep building they say, as long as there's still the question:
"What do we need in society that we don't have that nobody else has thought of that we can build?"
Over the past decade the Howe brothers have developed an array of rugged, remote controlled vehicles, mostly for the military.
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