Captain Richard Birt retired at the end of 2020 as a firefighter-captain for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. He now focuses on the educational platform he founded, Solar And Fire Education, (S.A.F.E.), which provides free training for firefighters on how to safely mitigate a fire incident involving solar and battery storage systems. After Hurricane Maria caused the failure of the electrical grid across Puerto Rico in 2017, Birt spearheaded a disaster relief effort that resulted in 15 solar and battery micro grids being installed on strategically placed fire stations across the island to keep the emergency services operational. Birt was awarded the Medal of Honor from his department in 2018 for his work in Puerto Rico, and continues his disaster relief work as a technical advisor for the nonprofits Solar Responders and Empowered By Light. Contact Captain Birt at solarandfireeducation@gmail.com to inquire about free solar training.
