How Fire Rover's CEO Turned Crisis into Growth and Built a Firefighting Tech Leader

Fire Rover specializes in rapid, efficient crisis response. The Farmington Hills, Michigan-based tech company—ranked five consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 list—focuses on detecting and extinguishing industrial fires before they escalate.

It was during a moment of crisis that Will Schmidt, Fire Rover’s CEO, took the helm. Schmidt first encountered the company at a trade show in early 2018 while working for Pacific Western Bank. Impressed, he toured their Detroit-area headquarters. He recalls,

"It didn’t really fit into any box that I had at the time—it was a little small and so forth—but [I] nevertheless wanted to keep in touch."

About nine months later, Brad Gladstone, Fire Rover’s founder, passed away. Discussions about Schmidt’s potential role during the transition led to his appointment as CEO in fall 2019. Schmidt explains,

"The idea was hatched to come out and . . . flip from the side of investing and telling people what they should do to actually getting in the hot seat."

Fire Rover’s Dual-Phase Firefighting Technology

The company’s firefighting technology operates in two key phases: detection and suppression.

• Detection: Uses thermal cameras, light sensors, and smoke-detecting computer vision software to identify industrial fires early.
• Suppression: Remote operators monitor the situation and deploy targeted suppression streams as needed.

Schmidt notes,

"Typically, we’ll be applying suppression five minutes before something like a traditional sprinkler head would pop, because it takes some time for the heat to accumulate at that sprinkler head."

"Because we’re highly concentrated, we’re able to use about 88% less water, typically, to put this fire out—which means they can get back to work quicker, with less cleanup, less damage from the fire, and less damage from water."

Midwest Roots Fuel Fire Rover’s Innovation

Fire Rover, ranked No. 1,434 on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list, operates from a suburb north of Detroit—a location that may surprise those accustomed to innovation hubs like San Francisco, Austin, and Boston. Schmidt credits the Midwest’s strong regional talent pool of mechanics, electrical engineers, and plumbers for supporting the company’s growth.

Becoming CEO required Schmidt to relocate his family from St. Louis to the Detroit area, a transition complicated by the onset of COVID-19. Despite the challenges, the move proved beneficial for the company. Since joining, Schmidt has scaled and professionalized Fire Rover, enabling key employees to take vacations for the first time.

"The business is probably 10 times the size it was,"

Customer Relationships Drive Expansion

Schmidt emphasizes the importance of maintaining strong relationships with customers, many in the waste management, scrap metal, and recycling sectors. These partnerships have been critical to Fire Rover’s growth. He also highlights expanding sales opportunities as industrial fires among the company’s clientele remain a persistent risk.