JUPITER, FL—June 20, 2017 – GelTech Solutions, Inc. (“GelTech” or the “Company”) (OTCQB: GLTC), an innovator in the use of environmentally-friendly polymers for fire suppression and prevention, announced today the FireIce Wildland Fire Division has secured two new geographically dispersed western state firefighting agencies for the evaluation of FireIce products in airtankers. These agencies are running pilot programs, which include the evaluation of new state-of-the-art tanker base loading equipment. The FireIce Wildland Fire Division will also be supporting the Oregon Department of Forestry for the third straight season, as well as Saskatchewan Northern Air Operations and Washington Department of Natural Resources for the second season.
In the states evaluating our products, the Company has set up its mixing equipment at tanker base locations from which our FireIce products will be dropped on live wildland fires. Each state will be purchasing the FireIce products used in the pilot programs.
There are now 20 total U.S. and Canadian agencies with contracts or ongoing evaluations of FireIce products. In addition to the two new western states, three additional agencies in the southern and northeastern U.S. initiated evaluations in 2017.
“We are well positioned for the Western North America fire season, which generally begins in July,” said Matt Struzziero, Vice President of GelTech. “During the offseason, the FireIce Wildland Fire Division continued to aggressively pursue new agencies to evaluate and implement FireIce products and equipment. These state and provincial agencies, as well as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, continue to realize the performance, environmental, safety, and cost benefits of FireIce compared to other available fire chemicals, including long-term retardant and suppression products.”
The FireIce Wildland Fire Division is also announcing the release of the FireIce Mobile Automated Base (F-MAB), the most technologically advanced, safest, and most accurate airtanker loading equipment available on the market. Designed and developed by a Saskatoon, Canada based engineering firm in an exclusive agreement with GelTech, the F-MAB is capable of computer-controlled mixing, loading, and tracking, enabling safer and more efficient tanker base operations. Four prototype units were built and have been deployed for the 2017 season. Tanker bases utilizing the F-MAB will be able to load more airtankers at a faster rate, shortening turnaround times and increasing the number of gallons of FireIce delivered to the fire.
The FireIce Wildland Fire Division also recently completed the first production unit of the FireIce On-Board Injection system, designed and developed by industry-leader Trotter Controls for installation on the AT-802 Single Engine Airtanker. The FireIce On-Board Injection system utilizes advanced technology to automatically mix powdered FireIce concentrate with water inside the airtanker hopper, creating a finished FireIce slurry while in flight. The system was designed for the 802 FireBoss water scooper, and is currently being reviewed by the FAA. GelTech anticipates that the first system will be installed on an aircraft in the fourth quarter of the 2017 calendar year.
“After years of evaluation and testing, we are proud that these agencies are using FireIce to help reduce the challenges of wildfires,” said Michael Reger, President of GelTech. “We expect growth in sales of this product for many years to come. Additionally, several of our significant R&D projects are now coming online. Our company’s strategic partnerships with outstanding engineering firms have allowed the FireIce Wildland Fire Division to bring the most advanced tanker base and on-board mixing systems to market. Simply put, no other company is offering this level of technology in products and equipment in a wildland fire industry that is starved for new innovations.”
About GelTech Solutions FireIce Wildland Fire Division
The GelTech Solutions FireIce Wildland Fire Division specializes in providing cutting-edge fire chemicals and equipment, as well as industry-leading training and support, to wildland fire agencies around the world. Our talented team has a combined 100 years of wildland fire and aviation experience in federal, state and Canadian government agencies, allowing us to understand the specific needs, challenges and goals of our customers in the wildland fire industry. As an agile organization, our ability to be fast moving, flexible and robust – capable of rapid response to unexpected challenges, events, and opportunities in a wildland fire environment – where the “new normal” is unprecedented.
With fire seasons starting earlier and running longer than in past decades, providing wildfire response has become far costlier and more difficult to manage. GelTech Solutions also provides fixed and mobile airtanker and helicopter bases which can be rapidly deployed with our FireIce products to accommodate additional firefighting resources in a cost effective and timely manner, with expert support available at all times.
About GelTech Solutions
GelTech Solutions, under the guidance of Peter Cordani, Chief Technology Officer, developed the original FireIce product as a next-generation, environmentally-friendly firefighting agent in 2007. Over the last ten years, GelTech has expanded the original FireIce product to a family of products, equipment and services that are designed to help fire agencies and departments around the world fight fire in a safer, more effective, less costly and more environmentally friendly way.
For more information on FireIce, visit: www.fireice.com
For more information on GelTech, visit: www.geltechsolutions.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements including the expected installation of the FireIce On-Board Injection system on an aircraft, expected growth and R&D projects coming online. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects” and similar references to future periods.
Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. We caution you therefore against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include unanticipated issues with respect to the installation of the injection system, failure to meet FAA requirements, the failure to receive material orders, global and domestic economic conditions, budgetary pressures facing state and local governments, and our failure to receive or the potential delay of anticipated orders for our products.
Further information on our risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC, including our Prospectus dated April 7, 2017. Any forward-looking statement made by us speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.