Milwaukee Demo Day Returns
City Electric Supply (CES) Montgomery IL and longtime partner Milwaukee Tool teamed up once again to help a local fire department train with heavy-duty tools. In 2022, CES and Milwaukee worked with the Plainfield Fire Protection District to showcase specialized tools in real-world applications.
“With the great turnout and success of the previous event, we wanted to train first responders from other fire departments with the most reliable, cutting-edge, and safe tools on the market so they can get the job done,” said Milwaukee Tool IC Territory Representative Scott Fisher.
The Oswego Fire Protection District came into the fold soon after, wanting to learn more about what Milwaukee Tool has to offer.
Bringing in Oswego Fire Protection District
“We spoke with the Plainfield department because we had been researching the latest cordless tools, specifically a 14” cut-off saw, and they had a Milwaukee battery-powered saw. That’s when we were placed in contact with CES,” said Lt. Chet Hartley of the Oswego Fire Protection District.
After connecting with CES Montgomery IL, the planning of the second Milwaukee Demo Day began to unfold.
“We helped them get in contact with Milwaukee Tool to schedule a date for the Demo Day,” said CES Montgomery IL Branch Manager Donald Davidson.
Testing out the tools
The Milwaukee Demo Day was held at the Oswego Fire Protection District Station 3 training facility.
“We had roughly four different rigs with about 15 firefighters each come through, along with our Deputy Chief of Operations and the Battalion Chief of Special Operations who both attended,” added Hartley.
An array of new lines and tools were featured in various test scenarios, including cutting through concrete in tornado simulations, entering cars to help trapped individuals, and cutting plywood and pallets to simulate cutting into the roof of a house while putting out fires.
“The centerpiece of this event was our 14” MX FUEL Cut-Off Saw,” said Fisher. “With its ease of use and anti-kickback feature for enhanced safety, the firefighters were able to get to work quickly on concrete and rebar without the hassle of gas.”
And that wasn’t all that was featured during the event. Milwaukee Tool also brought in Nitrus CARBIDE Medium Metal Blades made for cutting through cars and their High Visibility Gloves.
The firefighters were more than impressed with the equipment they saw and tested.
“There was a wide variety of tools available for us to try out,” said Hartley. “CES and four Milwaukee Tool reps from the area showed up with three tables full of tools with a variety of Sawzalls, grinder/cut-off wheels, and chainsaws. It was cool to utilize tools in different scenarios that we weren’t even aware of.”
Elevating safety through innovation with Milwaukee Tool
While tearing, cutting, and prying through concrete, plywood, and metal is the highlight of a Milwaukee Demo Day, the ultimate goal of this event is to elevate safety through innovative tools.
“We want to put the best solutions in the hands of the first responders and make sure they know how to use the right tool for the job so they can save as many lives as possible,” said Davidson.
“These Milwaukee Demo Days are critical because they allow us to show people how we can make their application easier — to save them not only time and wear and tear on their own bodies, but also people’s lives,” shared Fisher. “With innovations launching seemingly every single day, there are always new world-class solutions from Milwaukee Tool coming out with the customer in mind.”
“Having reps on site to answer questions or provide contacts was important because our unique situations often are not found in a user manual,” explained Hartley. “In our line of work, there are lives at risk. Any injury caused by a defective tool can interrupt and delay essential emergency operations, so it’s imperative that tools operate in a reliable and safe manner.”
The Montgomery IL branch is looking forward to more Milwaukee Demo Days.
“We have plans with the Plainfield department to demonstrate a full house fire and also work with the fire academy to reach more departments,” added Davidson.