Industry News 8/19

Aug. 1, 2019
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is looking for proposals for its Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL in 2020.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is looking for proposals for its Conference & Expo in Orlando, FL in 2020.  The Association is looking for sessions that address a wide range of topics, but will focus primarily on the NFPA Fire & Life Safety Ecosystem, code compliance, building life cycle, preparedness and emergency response, active shooter and hostile events, emerging technologies, investments in safety and a skilled workforce, and data.

Proposals should be submitted on any of these topics—especially those that touch on the following areas:

  • STEM—Increasing the pipeline of professionals into fire protection–related careers
  • Professional development—Ensuring that fire and life safety professionals have the knowledge and skills they need
  • Diversity—Promoting and enabling diversity in the workforce

The deadline for submissions is Sept. 16, 2019.

The NFPA Conference & Expo will be held June 15-18, 2020 in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

Visit nfpa.org/2020proposals to complete proposal submissions.

Spartan Motors, Inc. has launched Detroit Truck Manufacturing (DTM), a captive channel supplier of fabricated aluminum cabs for Spartan’s fire trucks, as well as its cab and chassis product it supplies to over 40 OEM fire truck manufacturers. DTM will enable Spartan to achieve greater flexibility through further insulating the organization from risk in its broader supply base, optimizing its cost structure and quality control efforts.

“In addition to producing cabs designed for final stage manufacturing, this initiative further protects Spartan from potential supplier disruptions in our changing economic climate,” said Daryl Adams, president and chief executive officer, Spartan Motors. “While we plan to further expand our supply base across the organization as part of our long-term strategic growth and financial initiatives, creating a captive channel cab manufacturer provides Spartan greater flexibility and an optimized cost structure to fuel additional, profitable growth.”

DTM represents an organic growth opportunity for Spartan Motors through its proximity to the Detroit area, strategic customers, highly skilled automotive talent pool, and improved quality of product validation. This initiative will further Spartan’s vertical integration strategy for efficiencies and savings, along with reduced material costs and freight savings that will be leveraged across the enterprise.

Residing on five acres in Madison Heights, MI, this new facility will improve quality while reducing lead times by utilizing world-class flexible manufacturing technologies. As Spartan Motors continues to grow and expand by reinforcing its commitment to U.S. manufacturing, DTM also provides a pipeline to highly skilled talent with unique competencies in the areas of fabrication, welding, quality assurance, and manufacturing optimization.

For more information, visit spartanmotors.com.

On May 5-7, 2019, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, in partnership with the Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation, brought together the nations fire service leadership for the 17th Annual Harry S. Truman Legacy Symposium and Fire Forum. The Symposium’s theme was Historic Preservation and Harry Truman’s Legacy toward Fire Prevention. In 1947, President Truman called for a National Conference on Fire Prevention to “Bring the ever-present danger from fire home to all our people, and to devise additional methods to intensify the work of fire prevention in every town, and city in the Nation.” The May Symposium, held 72 years later to the day, revisited the historic event and discussions were held on the relevancy of the report published in May 1948. You can read the full report at firehero.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/truman-report-1947.pdf. 

Now, the Honorable Bill Pascrell Jr. has entered this historic event into the Congressional Record. You can view the Congressional Record at firehero.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/CREC-2019-05-23-pt1-PgE662-3.pdf.

Congressman Pascrell is a nationally recognized leader in Congress on the issue of fire safety. He authored the F.I.R.E. (Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement) Act, which became law in 2001. This law established the only federal program that delivers grant dollars directly to fire departments. This program, administered by the Department of Homeland Security, is the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. Now, the nation’s 32,000 career, volunteer and combination fire departments can apply for federal grants to purchase the equipment, training, and vehicles needed to serve their communities. The AFG program also funds Fire Prevention and Safety Grants, for fire awareness and prevention activities, as well as fire safety-related research. The SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant program, which provides federal support for staffing of local fire departments, was also conceived by Pascrell. Pascrell is a true friend of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the fire service.

For more information, visit firehero.org.

Jason Witmier and Andy Plofkin have been promoted to national account managers at Safe Fleet Fire, EMS, & Industrial. In their new roles, they will be responsible for further developing strategic and tactical sales initiatives to expand FRC, Elkhart Brass, FoamPro, and ROM presence in the United States. With diverse industry backgrounds and experience, both Witmier and Plofkin bring a high level of expertise to service all customer levels. Witmier will manage regional sales managers covering the eastern U.S. with Plofkin managing those in the western U.S.

In addition, Jerry Herbst has been promoted to national account manager, Elkhart Brass Municipal Products. In addition to managing the municipal product sales manager team across the U.S., Herbst will focus on managing key national accounts to drive continued municipal product sales growth. A 40-year veteran of the fire service, Herbst has served in all rank positions including fire chief. He also has a long and extensive instructing background and is a subject matter expert in evaluating, developing and implementing equipment solutions for effective fire attacks.

Also, Peter Luhrs has been promoted to vice president of product management. In his new role, he will have the responsibility for new product development, product management and engineering functions for all fire, EMS and industrial products at FRC, Elkhart Brass, FoamPro, and ROM. In his new role, Luhrs will be responsible for product, integration and new technology strategies to deliver a portfolio of products to exceed the future challenges and increase safety of customers. He replaces Eric Combs who has been promoted to vice president of strategic initiatives for Safe Fleet

For more information, visit safefleet.net.

Joseph Mirabile, president and CEO of USSC Group, was awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2019 for Security and Safety. The award recognizes leaders who excel in innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities, while transforming the world. Mirabile was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a special gala event in Philadelphia. 

"I am honored to receive the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award on behalf of our passionate and dedicated employees as well as our talented management team,” Mirabile said. “Our team works hard every day to solidify USSC's unfaltering commitment to advance the safety, survivability and technology that our customers deserve by creating innovative products that save lives. 

USSC has experienced exponential growth and has received several notable accolades in 2019. USSC recently opened a new 300,000-square-foot state-of-the-art headquarters, dedicated to worker safety and environmentally safe conditions, attaining the gold standard of an IOS 14001- environmental certification. 

USSC broke ground on an additional 200,000 square feet of modern world-class manufacturing space to be opened in early 2020. First quarter acquisitions included Vista Brake Lock, a safety and security system designed to prevent the theft of emergency vehicles and Child Check-Mate, a unique alarm system which aids school bus drivers to ensure that all children have safely disembarked their vehicle upon the completion of each run. USSC has also helped champion legislation requiring fire suppression systems on all school buses. 

In addition, USSC Group was named Philly's Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies, by the Philadelphia Inquirer, and certified as a Great Place to Work. USSC also received Smart Business Networks 2019 Dealmaker of the Year award at their annual Aspire Awards in Philadelphia. USSC plans to hire several hundred additional employees over the next year. 

For more information, visit usscgroup.com.

Mission Critical Partners (MCP) was selected by the 9-1-1 Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (9-1-1 ACOG) to support the development and implementation of a Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) system. Located in Oklahoma City, 9-1-1 ACOG provides vital emergency response services to the surrounding suburban and rural communities.

“We’re honored to partner with the 9-1-1 Association of Central Oklahoma Governments as we work to support the evolution of the region’s public safety communications’ capabilities,” said Kevin Murray, MCP’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We understand how critical public safety systems are, and our ultimate goal is to utilize our expertise to equip the region of Central Oklahoma with the public safety communications technology necessary to foster safer communities.”

MCP will work alongside 9-1-1 ACOG leadership and engaged local stakeholders to develop a strategic plan that is compatible with its public safety answering point (PSAP) needs. With 21 PSAPs spread throughout the 9-1-1 ACOG region, MCP will work with 9-1-1 ACOG staff and PSAP stakeholders to facilitate the development of a comprehensive set of requirements that best fit its unique technical and operational needs and then oversee a successful procurement and implementation. The strategic partnership across each PSAP will help Central Oklahoma to meet the demands that come along with today’s evolving public safety landscape.

In an effort to provide Central Oklahoma with a holistic approach to 9-1-1 deployment, MCP’s support will range from the development of an initial NG9-1-1 Strategic Plan, an NG9-1-1 Readiness Assessment, a Geographic Information System (GIS) Readiness Review and a workforce optimization study to an emergency services IP network (ESInet) and NG9-1-1 Core Services (NGCS) procurement. As a vendor-neutral firm, MCP will assist in the RFP review process in assessing each proposal’s compliance with applicable industry standards and ACOG requirements.

“We are excited about our new partnership with MCP as we strive to effectively implement NG9-1-1 and believe that MCP’s technical and professional guidance will help us sustain our leadership role in providing the most advanced 9-1-1 services in the State of Oklahoma,” said Mark W. Sweeney, ACOG executive director.

MCP will provide additional procurement support for 9-1-1 ACOG’s call handling equipment (CHE) solution assessments, helping to develop the CHE technical and functional requirements that support the replacement of the current systems in a seamless transition.

Formed in 1988 to implement, administer and coordinate the operation of regional Enhanced 9-1-1 emergency communication service, 9-1-1 ACOG provides its services to nearly 50 communities in Central Oklahoma.

For more information, visit missioncriticalpartners.com.

Spartan Emergency Response is advancing its global position in safety-driven product design with an extended order from the National Fire Departments Association (Junta Nacional de Cuerpos de Bomberos), in Chile. This eight-unit order, built on custom Spartan chassis, adds to an already 114-truck Spartan fleet in the country, 10 units of which were delivered in 2018.

Spartan has supplied highly customized apparatus to meet the specialized needs of Chile’s geography and demographic since 2012. The National Fire Departments Association’s Spartan fleet extends to cover multiple categories, including rescue units, salvage, ventilation, overhaul, and traditional fire extinguishing for this highly customized market.

“In the midst of serving communities around the world faced with natural disasters and dense populations across diverse geographies, first responder safety remains our top priority,” said Todd Fierro, president of Spartan Emergency Response. “Our universal impact starts with the men and women who put trust in our team and our products. Our earned reputation as having a safe, reliable, and consistent product, regardless of the level of customization, goes beyond borders.”

This add-on order includes highly customized trucks built to the specifications of the National Fire Departments Association through its close partnership with Spartan’s dealer in Chile, Pesco S.A.

The extended order includes two distinct models, including C7 and C8 ladder tender designs. The C7 ladder tender is used to maximize space for carrying a significant number of ground ladders and personnel in the cab. The C8 ladder tenders are designed to maximize space and carry firefighters on the apparatus. The National Fire Departments Association’s custom C8 model features exposed side-mounted ladders for quick access and deployment.

As a recognized leader in design, manufacturing, and assembly, Spartan engineers and manufactures a line of purpose-built and reliable emergency response apparatus, leading the way in industry safety.

For more information, visit spartanmotors.com.

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