Visiting the Fire Station

Continuing the design process of The Dalmatian, the HCEF InvenTeam visited the Austin Fire Department to have a functionality and consumer test of our prototype. Not only was this a great opportunity to connect with our local firefighters, but we were also able to obtain some valuable feedback about our product. We received praise for the prototype's lightness and functionality, but found that a drawback to our device the hose would fall off of The Dalmatian if the hose moved off track. Along with their critiques, the firefighters offered clever suggestions to improve our product, such as adding an LED strobe light so that the function of the device would double, acting not only as a continuous water flow device, but as a geographical anchor so that firefighters can better known their location in a burning home. We are so appreciative of the firefighter's help and we are excited to continue our design process, using the feedback to make adjustments to The Dalmatian.