Spressatura,  
Thanks for the reply.  Yes I did invent this system but no reason to mention that.  All the more reason it breaks my heart and angers me that this system wasn't there to help prevent this from becoming what it did.   
Fortunately New York, Chicago, Cincinnati and a few other cities haven't had a high-rise event where this was needed.  Being an officer in the high-rise district of Chicago for 29 years, it breaks my heart this wasn't in Hawaii especially because they were considering this.  But the day it is used during a major high-rise event,  I'll be so proud when New York, Chicago or one of the other major cities gets the chance to save lives and protect property hundreds of feet above ground level like never before.  I live to make sure people are safe.  Firefighters usually are the ones who invent the most useful tools that we use everyday.  
As you mentioned, a tax-subsidized but believe it or not that will never happen until it's used.  For now they play with fire