Eric Allen: Co-Founder / Inventor
Eric Allen is the creator of the FAST Board and Co-founder of FAST Rescue Solutions, LLC. Eric began his career in firefighting in the United States Navy. In 1996, after an honorable discharge, he joined the Philadelphia Fire Dept. In 2004 Eric joined Philadelphia’s Special Operations and was assigned to Squad 47. Other accomplishments include being a member of PATF 1 as a Rescue Specialist, Technical Search Specialist, and Technical Search Manager.
In his many years as a firefighter, Eric repeatedly saw firsthand the urgency of downed firefighters in confined spaces, and the dangers faced when their evacuations took too long to complete. He and his fellow firefighters had been witness to the painful losses of far too many firefighters. Something needed to be done. Eric decided to find a better way. After many different approaches to the problem and the realization that the solution had to combine emergency evacuation with technical rope rescue, and after extensive research and testing Eric developed the FAST Board - a rescue board that is a complete rapid intervention system. The FAST Board has proven to be a far superior way of accomplishing confined space evacuations, and many other rescue scenarios. Eric’s concept gives rapid intervention teams a tool that makes rapid evacuations safe and manageable.
In September 2015, Eric teamed up with his long-time friend and entrepreneur, Sam Cohen, and FAST Rescue Solutions was born.
Sam Cohen: Co-Founder / CEO
Sam Cohen co-founded FAST Rescue Solutions, LLC with longtime friend and Special Operations Fire Fighter, Eric Allen, in September 2015. As the current Chief Executive Officer, Sam spearheads the sales effort for this innovative organization focused on saving lives. The FAST Board, the flagship product in the company’s arsenal, embodies the next evolution in rescue equipment through an integrated approach to emergency evacuation.
Sam graduated from Drexel University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Before his involvement with FAST Rescue Solutions, Sam developed a successful career with a Fortune 700 Company, whose primary focus is to provide comprehensive financial services to labor union members. During his tenure, Sam held multiple roles with increasing levels of responsibility, including General Manager and Vice President of Sales. Sam has a proven track record for exceeding sales targets, developing new talent and providing motivational leadership in a team environment.
An avid reader, Sam in his free time searches for new material to satisfy his craving for knowledge. He also enjoys the fine art of whiskey-making and of course, tasting the end-product.