Granite Defense Technologies (GDT) was founded in 2017 by Lisa and Tom Prentice to serve the Military and Public Safety Communities.  Having had long careers in Corporate America, in advanced information technology and operations management, it was time to forge a new path.  One that provided the gratification of serving those who serve us.

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We were extremely fortunate to be well aligned with a ranch facility outside of Austin, Texas, called Reveille Peak Ranch, or as we call it, the "Ranch".  For the last 15 years, this 1350-acre ranch has provided military and public safety personnel a remote and austere training environment at little to no cost.

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It was not long before we realized that between our backgrounds and the Ranch's resources, both natural and man-made, we had the perfect opportunity to provide technology focused solutions to our clients.  We formalized our relationship with the Ranch, and it became our base of operation.

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One day, during normal operations, a small fire accidentally started during a field training exercise.  Luckily, we already had a group of local firefighters, with a drone, on scene.  It was by happenstance that we were introduced to tactical robotics, specifically unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the roles they played in taking on challenges faced by the members of the fire service.  It became apparent there were several areas of need: the ability to test and compare drone platforms, in-the-field practical training environments, communications technologies, power systems, and analytics software. 

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Guidance from these early adopters of UAS for emergency response directed us towards the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) and their Response Robots program.  After great efforts and hours of training, we were pleased that the Ranch became designated as a partnering organization with NIST and GDT as test administrators.

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Practical, in-the-field training then became our primary focus.  We looked to the most respected and experienced law enforcement and public safety agencies with drone programs to learn from their experiences.  Then, we began crafting our training program out of these relationships, all the while maintaining the culture of "low-cost, high-value" deliverables that resonate with all city, state, and federal departments, regardless of size and budget.

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We are now pleased to offer a UAS training program that is based on the experience and input from the nation's leading agencies, delivered by top instructors, for a fraction of the cost.

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Next, we began hardware and software solution development.  Partnering with known top brands, collaborating with emerging technology manufacturers and listening carefully to our partners using this technology, we have created a field based development and testing methodology that guarantees every solution offered by GDT has been thoroughly tested as part of a capability set.  We pride ourselves on delivering outcomes, not products.

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Wanting to give back to the first responder community, we started offering quarterly gatherings at the Ranch, for no cost, in hopes to create new relationships, discover new technologies and learn from each other along the way.

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Even with the challenges brought on by 2020, GDT continues to adapt and grow.  We're excited to announce the addition of former Austin firefighter and RED Team member, Preston Culver.  A great, new addition to the GDT team, Preston will take care of all things content-related: photography, videography, graphic design, web design, marketing etc.  Also, being remote out of Houston, he's our point-person for all partners in South Texas & along the Coast.

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As we welcome 2021, GDT is excited to announce the addition of our newest member, Clay Regan.  Clay will be our Public Safety Lead as we continue to grow and improve our solutions offered to public safety entities in Texas.  Working full-time as a Commander for the Midlothian Police Department, Clay provides a law enforcement expertise to the GDT family, as well as a local representative for our partners in the DFW region.

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After all... it's all about the TEAM.