October 2012 Archives

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation is awarding much needed equipment to Rendon Fire Department during a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012 at the Firehouse Subs restaurant in Burleson.

Otherwise unavailable due to budget constraints, the department benefits with a thermal imaging camera worth more than $12,100. The donated camera will detect body heat and hot spots in burning buildings, allowing firefighters to reach victims in half the time and put out deadly fires.

Since 2005, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has donated more than $412,400 to public safety entities in Texas.

“We’re honored to provide this equipment in order to protect our firefighters and citizens,” said Paula Raymond, franchisee of the Burleson Firehouse Subs restaurant. “The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation gives us the opportunity to show our appreciation in the best way possible, by giving back.”

Firehouse Subs is renowned for hearty, oversized portions and piping hot subs. The founders’ 200-year firefighting heritage inspired the formation of the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which provides funding, resources and support to public safety entities. Throughout the month of October, all Firehouse Subs restaurants will celebrate Fire Safety Month by encouraging patrons to purchase $1 and  $5 medallions in order to raise much-needed funds for the Foundation. Guests who purchase a medallion will receive a free Duracell® 9-volt battery for their home smoke detector while supplies last.

Each restaurant also recycles leftover, five-gallon pickle buckets and sells them to guests for $2. Donation canisters on register counters explain the non-profit’s mission and collect spare change, while the round up program allows guests to literally “round up” their bill to the nearest dollar. All funds raised benefit the Foundation.

The presentation takes place at the Firehouse Subs located at 12650 South Freeway in Burleson. Attendees to the event include local firefighters and their families, franchisee Paula Raymond, area representative Ryan Franklin, and Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation development manager Meghan Bender.

In 2005, Firehouse Subs created the non-profit, Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, with the mission to provide funding, life-saving equipment and educational opportunities to aid first-responders. Through the non-profit 501(c)(3), Firehouse Subs has given more than $5.2 million to hometown heroes, including fire and police departments and EMS organizations.

Firehouse Subs, founded in Jacksonville, Fla., by former firefighting brothers Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, is a 536-unit fast casual restaurant chain. Firehouse Subs offers oversized portions of premium hand-sliced meats, steamed to make the flavors burst, then piled high with fresh produce atop a toasted sub roll. The restaurants reflect the authentic firefighter heritage, as well as the founding family’s 200 years of firefighting service.

For more information on Firehouse Subs or this donation, please visit Firehousesubs.com, Facebook.com/firehousesubs or follow on Twitter at @firehousesubs or @savinglives.

DDIFO Sponsor Plotwatt, the Durham based Technology Company that provides energy management solutions to businesses and homeowners throughout the United States, has been invited to present its data, technology innovations, and results to the White House Office of Technology and the Department of Energy as part of the Green Button Initiative.

The DOE’s Green Button initiative is designed to provide electric utility consumers with access to their detailed energy usage. 

Plotwatt’s patent-pending technology measures this usage either directly from the electrical breaker boxes in commercial installations or from smart meter data in residential installations.  That software technology then “learns” how each electric appliance in a business or home operates and is able to show customers usage, cost per month for each appliance in electricity charges, and how to reduce energy consumption and cost.

“Plotwatt is very excited about this opportunity”, stated Luke Fishback, CEO of Plotwatt.  “Plotwatt has been working with The White House and the DOE for a year and we’ve provided results well above the standards set by the Green Button initiative.  We have thousands of residential installations and our commercial division is working with multiple franchised quick-serve restaurant concepts. 

Using our technology customers can plainly see the reduction in energy consumption and the reduction in monthly electric charges”.

PlotWatt is a technology company that helps multi-location businesses and homeowners save money by reducing energy bills and improving appliance management. The company, headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, was founded in 2008.

As winners of the 2011 GE Ecomagination challenge and recipients of over $4 Million in grants, prizes and investment the PlotWatt team of scientists, mathematicians and computer programmers is committed to finding simple, low cost ways to save you money on energy bills.

North Carolina Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee Pete Turner worked with Plotwatt to analyze his restaurant power consumption in real time and recommend efficiency changes, and had this to say. 

“These changes have resulted in thousands of dollars of savings annually at our flagship DD/BR next to the Duke campus.

They also offer notification via text msg if say a freezer compressor doesn’t kick on in a certain amount of time.

Additionally, they offer automatic monitoring of refrigeration temperatures which eliminates the need for crew to take temps every 4 hours.   It results in immediate savings.

The future belongs to the efficient and Plotwatt is all about efficiency.

Plotwatt is a Sponsor of the DDIFO National Conference at Mohegan Sun and exhibited the details of their program last Friday September 28th at the DDIFO conference.