Ford Motor Company disinfects police vehicles with heat

by Tom Costello, Technical Director
June 11, 2020

The New York Police Department recently saw a significant percentage of its force sidelined by Covid-19 and feared the virus could spread via police vehicles. Because chemical surface disinfection has a number of shortcomings, and may not sufficiently destroy microbial infestations throughout the interior of a vehicle, the NYPD asked Ford Motor Company for a better way to sanitize patrol vehicles. In response to the request, Ford recently announced a software update which provides the ability to sanitize the interior of its police vehicles with heat.

On behalf of the entire team at GreenTech Heat Solutions, I’d like to welcome Ford (and the New York Police Department) to Team Heat.

GreenTech Heat created the pesticidal heat treatment industry

For over 30 years, GreenTech Heat Solutions has been the leader in pesticidal heat equipment. We have designed, engineered, marketed, and refined the best and most efficient portable heat equipment for insect eradication and microbial sanitization. Ford’s acknowledgement that heat can sanitize the interior of a police cruiser will hopefully help more people around the world accept heat’s efficacy.

Ford promotes the following heat protocol for disinfecting the vehicle interior:

• No personnel are allowed within the vehicle during a treatment cycle.
• The interior of the vehicle is heated to 133°F.
• Temperature is maintained for 15 minutes.
• Cool-down is accomplished with a combination of venting exterior air through the vehicle and air conditioning.

Ford states heating the vehicle interior is better than just cleaning the inside of the car with manually-applied disinfectant spray. We whole-heartedly agree! Heat permeates the entire occupant compartment and the sanitization goes much deeper than only spraying surfaces— especially on carpets, fabric seats, and door panels.

Our experience and independent laboratory research proves germs are killed even in hard-to-reach areas and there’s no chance of any places being accidentally overlooked. We know heat can kill bed bugs, lice, and other insects within the passenger compartment. The same heat treatment also reduces offending odors.

Experience goes beyond treating just cars

Unlike Ford’s solution that only works in their Police Utility vehicles— specialized versions of the Ford Explorer SUV, the GreenTech Heat Solution ePro and Titan heaters will disinfect any vehicle or any interior space from the size of closet to an entire building.

In 2018, I designed a custom heat chamber for ATL Automotive Technologies Limited in Japan. This past January, their heat treatment chambers received the Mondiale Innovation Award at the Ministry for Primary Industries Biosecurity Awards. The Biosecurity Awards attracted 70 entries and ATL was also a finalist for the New Zealand Biosecurity GIA Industry Awards.

Our Titan heaters are EPA registered and the GreenTech Heat Solutions technology has been accepted by the State of California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

The GreenTech Heat solution

From cars and closets all the way up to office buildings and medical facilities, GreenTech Heat Solutions has the equipment to allow you to self-treat with heat.

GreenTech Heat technology is 100% effective for bed bugs, cockroaches, and other insects. As recently advocated by Ford, heat kills microbes, viruses, and bacteria. GreenTech Heat equipment allows you to self-treat with heat on your schedule and as your needs demand. Our certified training lets you do it right and do it safely the first time. Heat safely kills insects and microbes everywhere they may be found in a single one-day treatment. Call us at 888-699-3944. We have bed bug heaters for sale to get started with heat today.