街かど防災ラボ Company Profile

Current themes include fire prevention issues that are difficult to cover under fire protection laws, residential fire prevention, metal fires, and lithium-ion battery fires (extinguishing).

For about 40 years at a fire equipment company, I worked on residential fire prevention outside of regulatory frameworks for the last 13 years. I developed Japan's first "initial fire extinguishing device using tap water," the "Street Fire Hydrant," and later the backpack-style "Street Fire Harrier," obtaining public evaluations and patents to promote their use. By the end of July 2024, we have achieved a total of 1,140 units installed, primarily in traditional building preservation districts and around cultural properties, focusing on municipalities, voluntary disaster prevention organizations, and neighborhood associations. Unlike regulatory fire equipment, these are persuasive products, so it takes time to deliver them, but there have been successful cases in actual fires, which have been well received. Six years ago, after retiring at the mandatory retirement age for executives, I established a company hoping to expand operations with a certain equipment manufacturer, but due to the nature of the products, it did not go well, and I liquidated the company last year, continuing my previous business as a sole proprietor. The production system for the products, installation, renovation work, and inspection services are still being outsourced as before. Additionally, for the past three years, I have been working with certain fire equipment manufacturers, metal-related associations, and research institutions to commercialize a new extinguishing agent (AVD extinguishing agent: made in the UK) for domestic sales. The intended use is for lithium-ion battery fires and metal fires. This issue is still an area where regulatory solutions are insufficient.