Vertical Timeline

Our Story

Timeline

This is Me

Today

My name is Karina Warshaw. I’m a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend and lover of community.

The Bedford Fire Department

1999

In 1999 I answered the call of our local volunteer fire department and signed up. Many hours of training later, I became a firefighter and EMT.

Firefighter/EMT

2000

As a firefighter I worked with the other members of our team to fight fires, attend to motor vehicle accidents, help with flooding incidents, etc. As an EMT, I was called upon in multiple situations involving people’s health. Calls came 24/7 and were answered every time.

9/11

2001

Things changed for everyone on 9/11. As a firefighter/EMT I now had to think about terrorism response. As a mom, I now had to think about how I was going to keep my own family safe.

Stuart joined the BFD

2003

A number of years after I joined the fire department, Stuart joined. He became a trained firefighter and, together, we responded to calls.

American Red Cross CPR Instructor

2004

I became an ARC CPR instructor and trained hundreds of emergency responder volunteers and community members.

Hurricane Katrina

2005

As with most of the country, we were glued to our tv, watching in horror as Hurricane Katrina ravaged southern states, leaving people homeless and worse.

NYC Living

2009

Stuart and I moved back to NYC after having lived and raised our children in Westchester County, an hour north of NYC.

CERT

2009

I became a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) member in NYC. We were trained by the FDNY, the NYPD, OEM and FEMA instructors. One of the things they emphasized was having a GO-bag so each individual could help themselves, their families, friends and neighbors during emergency events.

Hurricane Irene

2011

We were directly involved in Hurricane Irene in 2011 which affected mostly Vermont.

Hurricane Sandy

2012

In 2012 Hurricane Sandy struck NYC where we were directly affected along with our business and our employees. It was during Hurricanes Sandy and Irene that the importance of having a GO-bag became even more clear.

The VLES GO-bag

2017

We designed the VLES GO-bag as the bag we would want to have in an emergency situation. The bag itself is strong and smart, the contents we put in are logical and useful. The Family Plan is essential. Along with the personal items that you add, your VLES GO-bag will be indispensable when unexpected emergencies occur.

Delivering Peace-of-Mind

2019

After more than one year in the market the VLES GO-bag has become part of the evacuation plans and emergency plans for families around the country. We are humbled by the acceptance and acknowledgements we have received from our customers and the media.

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Everybody needs a GO-bag
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