Having come to the rescue of American firemen, a North Yorkshire computer company is bracing itself for a multi-million dollar reward.

Information technology specialist RTIX Ltd of Harrogate has at last gained a foothold in the US with Role Model, its interactive software which is already testing the training and competence of a quarter of the fire brigades in the UK.

With installation next month of Role Model at the Plano fire service in Dallas, Bob Taylor, founder managing-director of RTIX, is expecting a multi-million dollar response from hundreds of other US fire brigades and is preparing to double his existing staff of 17 over the next 18 months.

His plans also include physically expanding the RTIX premises at Sceptre House in Hornbeam Square, buoyed also by the knowledge that the European Union has recently adopted the training methods of UK emergency services.

He is also encouraged by the fact that the software, which highlights potential problem areas, records and evaluates all training and competence and cuts down administration time and cost, is being used increasingly by the ambulance service in Britain.

But it is the Dallas contract - the result of 30 successful project demonstrations in three days to US fire brigades at the International Fire Show in Kansas - which for the moment holds out the most promise.

Mr Taylor began the company with his brother, Mark nine years ago, building it up to a £1million turnover venture, which has just been awarded Investor in People status by Harrogate MP Phil Willis.

Mr Taylor said: "The potential in the US is huge. In this country we have 100 or so large fire brigades. In the US they are much smaller and number around 26,000 of whom we think about 1,000 are suitable for this kind of specialist software."

Considering that installations of Role Model cost between £20,000 and £40,000, the market is worth tens of millions of pounds. "And there is no competition," he said.

Role Model is designed to maintain accurate individual or group assessment in the workplace after incidents, exercises or simulations.

Mr Taylor said: "Around the world we're witnessing greater demands placed on the fire, police and emergency services.

Increased public scrutiny and more complex technology mean that training and development must be central to operational strategies.

"This product can greatly assist in that strategy and ultimately help communities to be served to an even higher standard."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.