“My father inspired me to work hard, no matter the task, he used to say,
“You only fail when you quit,” hence my never say die approach to life.”
Rob Qualls | Founder & Chairman | SAAM
No matter at what stage of human evolution we reach, inside any building and home, fire alarm and smoke detector systems are a vital safety feature. Each passing day, they are becoming more sophisticated, incorporating more sensors to detect not only smoke and fire but also monitoring the quality of the air.
THE SEED OF SAAM WAS PLANTED
In the year 2016, Rob Qualls laid the foundation of Spectral Analytical Air Monitoring (SAAM), a one of its own kind Smoke, Fire, Gas, and Air Quality Monitor which uses Non-Dispersive Infrared Technology (NDIR). These devices can alert individuals and authorities quicker, reducing the alert time and avoid property damage and casualties. These devices are dependent on very low power as high power means higher costs and more frequent maintenance both in residential homes and in commercial buildings. Technically, the SAAM device averts catastrophic events by measuring sub-microinch chemical changes in the air. If the device senses potentially harmful particles in the air, which could lead to fire it will send out an alarm signal.
Rob lives by the dream to become the globe’s number one premier smoke, fire, gas, and air quality monitoring-device Company. All the efforts are being put in place by Rob and the SAAM team to launch the first comprehensive air quality monitor that is portable and will enhance the performance of current smoke alarms. These devices have built-in fans, constantly monitoring the air around and detecting the air for toxic chemicals.
THE HISTORY SO FAR
Smoke alarms have become so common that it is easy to take them for granted. However, in many of the households with these devices, in some homes they are non-operational or use outdated technology, which fails to fulfill the purpose. Addressing the dire need of having an up-to-date smoke, fire and air detector, SAAM has developed a novel, patented technology using Non-dispersive Infrared (NDIR). These detectors will alert countless households, hence, also detecting the type of toxic smoke that is potentially catastrophic in today’s homes.
SAAM got its roots from a venture called Sentelligence. It was into the development of NDIR technology for the monitoring of gases, vapors, and functional fluids for the diesel engine industry, with a focus on emissions. From the time SAAM has come into picture, there has been steady support from SAAM investors and an amazing team who stood tall and withstood all the storms associated with a start-up company. The product has proved its efficiency so well that even during the crucial times of pandemic none of the investors or stakeholders withdrew their financial or moral support.
THE CORNERSTONE OF MODERN SAFETY
The pillars of SAAM were established by Rob and his team with a view to save lives of innocent people. If we look at the reports of the National Fire Protection Association (2021), in every three out of five homes, fire death is caused by fires in properties with no smoke alarms or non-functioning smoke alarms.
In order to ensure that there is no loss of life due to inadequate fire safety measures, SAAM will roll out its smoke detectors. This could be only made possible because of the efforts of the best engineers at SAAM. Their hard-work and expertise helped in the development of the SAAM devices. The entire team of SAAM has worked with a mission to build a high-end technology device which will be placed into use to save many lives.
The company just being six-years old in the industry has already made a place of its own and established locations in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Melbourne, Australia. Though it is an achievement for Rob and the entire team at SAAM, this has not been an overnight success, nor was this an easy decision for Rob. He decided to become an entrepreneur at the age of thirty nine. Normally people consider this age for settling in life, but destiny had written something else for Rob. At this point in life, many unforeseen struggles awaited his way. But no matter how big the hurdle, Rob has always been very optimistic and found his way out. One of the strongest morals of his life is ‘you are never too old to learn’, from young and inexperienced individuals to older and more-experienced people, he collected teachings from all. It is not like Rob did not fail in his attempts, or it was all bagged in one try. Rob had his share of downfalls. No matter how big the downfall, his father always inspired him to work hard. For his father also made him believe that “You only fail when you quit,” Such guidance at early stages in life instilled a ‘never say die’ approach in his life. Though he has failed a few times, he always stood up and fought back. Rob also crossed paths with people in his life who failed him, and those who encouraged him to take steps which would lead to his success.
Values passed on by his father were so deeply engraved in his heart that negativity could never make a way in his life. He could never think of doing anything, which would bring a sense of disappointment among his colleagues, investors and family.
THE SELFLESS CONTRIBUTION
Rob is very determined to contribute in ensuring safety and a healthy life for people. He has come a long way in changing almost fifty-seventy year old technology responsible for safety of people. The traditional methods of fire safety are not equipped to serve the purpose in the modern era. The SAAM team has developed devices which create an instant alert when human lives are in danger. SAAM will transform the way lifesaving home-technology has worked so far. The most recent devices developed by SAAM are capable of creating alerts in seconds by detecting trace elements of toxic chemicals in the air, which could result in smoke, fire or gas leaks.
In his personal life, Rob is a very disciplined and a family-oriented person. His typical day starts early in the morning. His morning routines start mostly by 5am and his day ends at around 6pm. He strikes to have a stable work-life balance. After a long day at work, he opts to spend time watching a movie, listening to music or watching sports. However, going on dates with his wife and spending time with friends is always a quick way to relax for him. In his leisure time, boxing used to be Rob’s favorite activity to engage in. He has been a great fan of boxing his entire life. He has also met some legendary boxers of his time and had the pleasure of stepping into the ring with some of them, only to tap gloves since he valued his life. Apart from this, he also enjoys several sports, from including NCAA basketball, football, to major league baseball, etc.
THE VISION FOR SAAM
As a Founder and Chairman Rob envisions to successfully have a SAAM device in every home, protecting consumers and saving lives while improving health. Turning out an emotional idea of ensuring safety of people to commercially launching the SAAM products in the market is still a dream come true for Rob and the SAAM team. Teams of scientists are already in place to take care of the dynamic requirements of modern safety standards.
“I am always concerned about consumers understanding the risks associated with inadequate smoke and fire protection, especially our innocent children.”
