RAIN Evolves Through 3 Stages --->
  • Stage 1 is Research And Development (R&D). A separate entity: FIre Termination Equipment Research And Development Corporation (FITERAD) has been formed to preside over this stage. FITERAD is a for-profit Delaware Corporation.
  • Stage 2 encompasses the production, marketing, distribution and support of the RAIN system. The for-profit Delaware Corporation: FIre Termination Equipment Corporation (FITECO) has been formed to conduct this stage.
  • Stage 3, Operations, can be conducted in many different forms as the chart shows. In the U.S. aerial firefighting operations are now conducted by private businesses under contract with various government agencies. Also, agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, the Air National Guard and California's CALFIRE fight wildfires directly, maintaining their own equipment and crews.
These stages and entities are discussed in more detail, below.
<<Previous (About Us) Next (Nature Of Project)>>
Home About Us Home Evolution Chart Nature of Project R&D Organization ProgramOffice Funding Status

R&D: FITERAD

The RAIN System is "patent pending" and assigned to FITERAD. FITERAD's total purpose is to collect the Intellectual Property (IP) needed to create and operate RAIN Systems. This effort is expected to involve the U.S. Government as the funding source exclusively. Because of this strong tie to the Government, FITERAD has been formed separately for this purpose and has the "culture" of a government contractor.

Production/Distribution: FITECO

The manufacturing and international marketing, distribution and maintenance of RAIN Systems will be a very different kind of business than FITERAD's R&D activities. Therefore, a separate corporation with a culture tailored to this function has been formed.

FITERAD licenses its IP exclusively to FITECO. FITECO may cover some of FITERAD's expenses.

Operations

In some cases, when a nation does not have ample facilities to support operations, FITECO may form a separate company there for that purpose. Ownership and ongoing operational authorities can take many forms, private and public. Each will have to be dealt with depending on circumstances.