Company name: Paratech Inc.
Website: https://paratech.com/
1. Where did your company name originate from?
The name was created by one the founders of the company, Peter Nielsen. It means “Partnering with Technology.”
2. What was the inspiration behind starting your company?
The founders of the company, in the early 60s, were part of the Chicago Civil Defense, which was a volunteer group. They discovered the need for products that could help make more efficient and safer rescues; among the first products the company introduced was the Paratech PryAxe.
A four-episode mini documentary on the company can be viewed here: www.paratech.com/history
3. What is your signature product and how does it work?
Paratech has 3 signature product lines:
Air Lifting Bags
MaxiForce and MultiForce Air Lifting Bags, Rescue Air Cushions
Rescue Support Systems
Building Collapse, Vehicle Stabilization, Lifting Pods, Rescue Monitoring Systems and Special Mission Tenders (Trailers)
Forcible Entry Tools
PryAxe, BielTool, Titan Crash Axe, Hooligan Tools, Percussive Rescue Tool, Pakhammer and Total Rescue Kit
On top of this, our company delivers high-quality training and tactics courses within the usual disciplines but based on Paratech equipment.
4. Why do you believe your products are essential to your Fire community?
All Paratech product development is based on actual problems encountered in the field – we provide solutions to existing problems, not the other way around.
Virtually all Paratech products are multifunctional, giving rescuers more options with the space available on their response vehicles.
5. What has been the biggest challenge your company has faced?
There are many, but in recent history, obviously the coronavirus lockdown created some huge challenges for a company that is very much hands on and engaging directly with fire departments. Within weeks of the initial COVID-19 lockdown we started an in-house production of online workshops featuring all of our product lines in various e-learning scenarios.
This resulted in 44 free instructional workshops viewed by more than 32,000, all made by our own regional managers and experts in various fields throughout the U.S. View them for free on: www.paratech.com/workshops
6. What makes your company unique?
Paratech Inc. is veteran-founded, veteran-run and maintains a very close connection to our customers. Our regional managers work closely with their local fire departments and training institutions, providing free consultation on equipment cache combinations, product in service familiarization and Partech Universities at low cost.
7. What do your customers like best about you and your products?
Versatility, simplicity in use and durability – all things that are also extremely important on a rescue scene. Your equipment can’t fail in a rescue, you have to be able to easily and effectively deploy it and everything you have on your response vehicle should have more than one purpose. We deliver on all three.
8. What is the most rewarding part of serving the first responder/local government community?
By nature that is a very giving community. As an organization, if you don’t let your stakeholders down, you will have their support. Paratech never backs away from our products and services; we will take on any question and suggestion about our product and find answers or solutions to whatever it might be – every time.
9. Do you support any charitable organizations within public safety/community? Tell us more.
Paratech supports numerous initiatives within the industry, both locally and internationally.
Some of those include the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Fire Equipment Manufacturers and Services Association (FEMSA).
10.Is there any fun fact or trivia that you’d like to share with our users about you or your company?
Fun fact: Paratech was the first air lifting bag manufacturer to utilize Kevlar in its air lifting bags.
11. What’s next for your company? Any upcoming new projects or initiatives?
Paratech Inc. is one of the most innovative companies within the niche we operate; no other company in this area comes even close to the output of new products every year.
This year the biggest new announcement in our world was the introduction of the Rescue Guardian (https://paratech.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Rescue-Guardian-Page.pdf)
We also launched a new training initiative by partnering with accredited and thoroughly vetted training institutions and companies to deliver off-the-shelf and tailored Paratech specific training.
You can find the latest news at www.paratech.com/future.