The Rookie - In The News
Custom Modification
Date: December 2012
Meeting the Needs of Our Customers
In our efforts to continually improve the versatility and efficiency of The Rookie, and to meet the specific needs of our clients, we recently completed a custom modification.
The First Annual International Conference for Fire & Rescue Executives, 2011
Seattle, Washington | October 16 - 18
Date: October 2011
We were able to take part in this inaugural conference hosted by Chief Gregory M. Dean and the Seattle Fire Department, as one of 46 exhibitors in the trade show portion of the event. The opportunity to meet face-to-face with key fire service decision makers was priceless. We enjoyed making new contacts as well as touching base with some folks we'd already met. We spoke with fire chiefs from Fairfax, VA and Boston, MA. We received great feedback on The Rookie product line and interest from as near as Seattle and California to as far away as Texas and Denmark.
The event was a perfect fit for our Rookie Sidekick Hose Rolling Systems as the theme was "Preparing for Tomorrow... Are You Ready?" which closely ties to one of our key premises, "Be Prepared." We were able to do some demos and really show face-to-face how our fire hose rolling systems are a valuable asset to any fire department.
Thanks go out to Stacy Browning and everyone else who played a part in making this conference a great success for us.
Oregon-based Company Aims to Expand Sales Territory: Deschutes River Manufacturing hires new sales manager for Japanese market
PRESS RELEASE
Date: February 2010
Bend, OR - Deschutes River Manufacturing, an Oregon-based company, has recently been preparing for its second foray into international sales and export. After a successful sales trip to Saudi Arabia last spring, they are preparing to approach the firefighting industry in Japan, aiming to raise awareness and increase sales of their product – the Rookie Sidekick fire hose management system.
The Rookie Sidekick, a light-weight, portable, motorized fire hose roller can be mounted onto any receiver hitch or run from a portable stand. After hoses are rolled, The Rookie Reloader can be used to transform the hose roller's portable stand into an efficient hose handling system. The Reloader allows easy transportation of the rolled hose from the testing/cleaning area to the storage area and reduces the labor needed to re-load and re-deck fire hose onto engines.
To guide and direct the sales and export process, Deschutes River Manufacturing recently named Tosh Kubota as the company's sales manager for the Pacific Rim and Industrial sales sectors. His major focus will be the development of contacts, leads and sales in Japan, but he will also be working to expand industrial sales closer to home as well. Kubota is a Japanese national who has been living in the U.S. more than 25 years. He has extensive business experience working in both the U.S. and Japan, and working for both U.S. and Japanese companies. He is fluent in both English and Japanese, and has a thorough understanding of the business practices and cultures of both countries.
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American-Made Product Makes Successful Debut in Saudi Arabia: The Rookie Sidekick Motorized Fire Hose Roller is on the job in Al Jubail and Riyadh
PRESS RELEASE
Date: May 2010
Bend, OR - The Rookie Sidekick is a motorized fire hose roller, developed and manufactured in Oregon by Deschutes River Manufacturing. Since it's development in 2002, The Rookie has been successfully put to the test by industrial, municipal and wildland fire departments throughout the US and Canada. Now, it's rolling fire hose in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Chevron Phillips Company (SCP) and Jubail Chevron Phillips Company (JCP) are collectively known as S-Chem. They are based in the area of Al Jubail and recently purchased a gas model Rookie Sidekick System. The purchase was a result of a trip last spring to test the international market and introduce Deschutes River Manufacturing's fire hose management system to firefighters in Saudi Arabia.
Deschutes River Manufacturing's sales and marketing trip was the result of ongoing exploration of the feasibility and potential for exportation of the Rookie Sidekick hose roller to other countries. Saudi Arabia is just one of the several new export markets the company has been able to make in-roads into - with the much appreciated support of Alexa Hamilton, Global Trade Specialist at Business Oregon (the export assistance arm of the State of Oregon Business Development Department) and Gail Snyder with the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Service in Portland.
David Johnston, owner of the company, made the trip to Dammam, Saudi Arabia on April 27, 2010 to meet with Mounzer Mahmassani of HEBA Fire & Safety Equipment Co, which provides fire fighting and safety products and services across Saudi Arabia. He was accompanied by his colleague, Ed Martin, owner of Training Specialties,Inc (TSI) with offices in Baton Rouge, LA and Exton, PA. TSI is the master distributor of the Rookie Hose Rollers to the industrial sector for the East and Gulf coasts. Ed has 35 years of professional experience in the industrial and municipal fire industry. He focuses on training and testing of fire apparatus including ladder trucks, pumpers and foam systems and has been to Saudi Arabia 8 times for training and testing jobs. "He knows his stuff and was an invaluable part of making this trip a possibility," says David. READ MORE
Bright Future for Fire Crew Labor Saving Devices: Deschutes River Manufacturing’s ‘Rookie’ Hose Reel System Looks to Extend International Reach
SIMON MATHER Cascade Business News
Date: November 2009
Fire departments from as far afield as Asia and South America are poised to benefit from trailblazing labor and time-saving devices pioneered by Central Oregon technical innovators Deschutes River Manufacturing.
For years, the ‘grunt’ work involved in hand rolling hoses and lugging them back to the fire truck following an incident has fallen to newer fire fighters, tasked with laboriously rolling, squeezing and re-decking, or reloading, 100-foot-plus lengths.
But in recent times, hoses have grown ever wider and heavier, especially when residual air and water needing to be expelled is factored in, and the ante has been upped regarding back injury risk for effective weights that can hover over 150 pounds.
Pondering the situation led Deschutes River Manufacturing's founder David Johnston to tap 27 years of mechanical experience as a millwright to develop an ingenious portable, motorized fire hose roller first launched onto the market in 2002.
Since then, the Bend-based company has been revolutionizing the way industrial, municipal and wildland firefighters in the U.S. and Canada work, while recently great strides have been made towards spreading the word on a global scale. READ MORE
Deschutes River Manufacturing Names Steve Grediagin Sales Manager
Date: October 2009
Deschutes River Manufacturing recently named Steve Grediagin as the company’s new sales manager for its Rookie Sidekick line of motorized fire hose rollers. In his new role, Grediagin has already helped several new fire departments take delivery on orders for the company’s injury-prevention and labor-saving equipment.
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NEW DISTRIBUTOR: Continental Fire & Safety Represents Rookie Sidekick Fire Hose Rollers in New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania
Date: March 2008
Deschutes River Manufacturing’s Rookie Sidekick line of portable motorized fire hose rollers will now be available in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania from Continental Fire and Safety. Based in Trenton, New Jersey, Continental Fire and Safety provides innovative and advanced fire, safety and suppression equipment. The company also distributes the Rookie Reloader, for transporting and re-decking rolled fire hose.
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NEW DISTRIBUTORS: L.N. Curtis & Sons and Shipman’s Fire Equipment Pick Up Deschutes River Manufacturing’s Rookie Sidekick Fire Hose Roller Line
Date: October 2007
Deschutes River Manufacturing’s Rookie Sidekick line of portable motorized fire hose rollers will now be available through two established distributors, L.N. Curtis & Sons and Shipman's Fire Equipment Co.
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PRODUCT UPDATE: The Rookie Sidekick All-In-One Portable Motorized Fire Hose Roller Now Rolls Any Size Fire Hose Up To 7-1/4 Inch Diameter
Date: September 2007
Deschutes River Manufacturing has improved its widely used portable motorized fire hose roller, The Rookie Sidekick All-In-One (AIO). By simply moving two pins, the updated AIO instantly adjusts to roll hose of any diameter, from 1-1/2 to 7-1/4 inches.
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BEND INNOVATOR LOOKS TO MAKE FIRE WORK EASIER - 'The Rookie' fire hose roller saves hours of exhausting grunt work
Anna Sowa - The Bend Bulletin
Date: June 3, 2007
After firefighters squelch the last embers of a blaze and their 100-foot hoses fall limp without water, someone must roll the roughly 100-pound hoses up, pushing remaining air and water out, and lug them back to the truck. Bend resident David Johnston says his Rookie-brand portable fire hose rollers save rookie firefighters from doing the grunt work.
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NEVER HAND ROLL FIRE HOSE AGAIN: The Rookie Sidekick All-In-One Portable Motorized Fire Hose Roller Effortlessly Rolls Any Size Fire Hose
Date: February, 2007
With The Rookie Sidekick All-In-One (AIO), firefighters can wave good-bye to rolling fire hose by hand. Deschutes River Manufacturing, creator of the world’s only portable motorized fire hose rollers, has developed a one-machine solution for rolling hose of any diameter, from 1-1/2 to 6 inches.
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DESCHUTES RIVER MANUFACTURING DEMONSTRATES FIRE POWER
Publication: Cascade Business News
Date: January 8th, 2007
Deschutes River Manufacturing recently demonstrated its power fire hose rollers for 400 industrial firefighters from across the U.S. at the Texas Engineering Extension Service's Brayton Fire Training Field in College Station, Texas. The company also donated two of its power hose rollers with portable stands and a reloader to the TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute.
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ROOKIE SIDEKICK POWER HOSE ROLLER TESTED IN TEXAS
Publication - Fire Apparatus
Date: January, 2007
Deschutes River Manufacturingrecently demonstrated its power fire hoserollers for 400 industrial firefighters fromacross the U.S.at the Texas EngineeringExtension Serviceís Brayton Fire TrainingField in College Station,Texas.The com-pany also donated two ofits power hoserollers with portable stands,and areloader to the facilityís Emergency Ser-vices Training Institute (ESTI).
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30 DAY TRIAL AVAILABLE FOR WORLD'S ONLY MOTORIZED PORTABLE FIRE HOSE ROLLERS
Novemember 20, 2006
Deschutes River Manufacturing, creator of the world's only portable motorized fire hose rollers, has introduced a 30-day trial program for firefighting professionals to tryout The Rookie Sidekick hose rollers and The Rookie Reloader. Wildland, municipal and industrial fire suppression organizations pay only the cost of shipping the equipment and may put it through the paces without any obligation to buy.
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ROOKIE POWER FIRE HOSE ROLLERS ASSIST FIREFIGHTERS AT TEEX EMERGENCY SERVICES TRAINING INSTITUTE
September 27, 2006
Deschutes River Manufacturing recently demonstrated its power fire hose rollers for 400 industrial firefighters from across the U.S. at the Texas Engineering Extension Service's Brayton Fire Training Field in College Station, Texas. The company also donated two of its power hose rollers with portable stands and a reloader to the TEEX Emergency Services Training Institute.
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DRM NOW OFFERS THE ROOKIE SIDEKICK IN A 6-INCH LDH MODEL
February 23, 2006
Deschutes River Manufacturing has expanded its LDH series to include the Rookie Sidekick 6-inch LDH (RSLDH6) hose roller as well as the 5-inch LDH (RSLDH5) roller, according to David Johnston, owner of the small manufacturing company based in Central Oregon.
"We've had requests from industrial fire fighters to produce The Rookie Sidekick LDH (tm) to handle even larger diameter hose," explained Johnston. "Which makes sense since the whole point is to save firefighters' time and energy by alleviating the backbreaking task of hand rolling fire hoses, especially 5- and 6-inch hoses."
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THE ROOKIE MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Cascade Business News-Small Manufacturing Edition
November 16, 2005
Life can change in an instant, but sometimes that's a good thing. At least it was for David Johnston.
Johnston worked for Willamette Industries for 27 years, the last 10 as a millwright, before he learned the mill would be closing in 2002 and he'd be losing his job. Knowing he needed some work, a friend asked him to build six portable hose rollers for the local forest service office.
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CENTRAL OREGON MANUFACTURER INTRODUCES NEW 5” LARGE DIAMETER HOSE ROLLER
April 22nd, 2005
BEND, OR – Deschutes River Manufacturing’s (DRM) RookieTM and Rookie SidekickTM products continue to save firefighters time and energy by alleviating the backbreaking task of hand rolling fire hoses.
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CENTRAL OREGON MANUFACTURER ROLLS OUT NEW EQUIPMENT FOR FIRE FIGHTING INDUSTRY
December 15, 2004
BEND, OR — The Deschutes River Manufacturing (DRM) RookieTM and Rookie SidekickTM products continue to save firefighters time and energy by alleviating the backbreaking task of hand rolling fire hoses.
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News and Press Contact Information:
Deschutes River Manufacturing
65533 Old Bend - Redmond Hwy
Bend, OR 97701
toll free phone: 877-868 -1951
fax: 541-389-4218
e-mail: the-rookie@bendbroadband.com