Company/Associate News

The POLYBILTTM BODY COMPANY, LLC is a new company formed under an agreement between W.S. DARLEY and PRO POLY OF AMERICA. The new company will manufacture and market polymer bodies to various organizations and manufacturers within the fire and commercial truck industries. W.S. Darley manufactures fire apparatus and Pro Poly of America makes apparatus polymer tanks.

AMERICAN LAFRANCE has expanded its Casper, Wyoming, manufacturing facility by 30,000 square feet. The expansion allows a second final assembly line, doubled warehouse storage, and a new showroom and delivery room. The facility specializes in production of extruded aluminum pumpers and minipumpers.

AMERICAN LAFRANCE MEDICMASTER is expanding its Sanford, Florida, manufacturing facility by 35,000 square feet to a total of 73,500 square feet. Additionally, the company will add 105 new production employees to meet the demand for its customized vehicles. The expansion is expected to be completed by fall 2000. The company manufactures Type 1 MedicMaster ambulances and RescueMaster rescue vehicles.

The INTERNATIONAL AVIATION FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION (IAFPA) has been formed to promote information exchange, study, and improvement of aircraft rescue firefighting and airport facility fire protection. The IAFPA will work closely with other international aviation fire/passenger safety organizations as a resource and offer technical expertise, support, and assistance to promote improvements affecting aircraft fire/passenger safety. For more information, contact William Mulcahey, Association Director/Media Relations, International Aviation Fire Protection Association, P.O. Box 973, Baldwin Place, New York 10505; or by e-mail: IAFPA@aol.com.

EMERGENCY ONE (E-ONE) named Brian Cardinal vice president of engineering, responsible for directing E-One’s engineering team and focusing on developing reliable operating systems and advanced designs. Bill Kirk was named director of product planning, and will be responsible for leading the product planning team to provide customized engineered products to support future product development.

TELE-LITE named Gary Billings Midwest regional sales manager, responsible for promoting Tele-Lite lighting products, Honda generators and water pumps, Tele-Aire fans, and Sabre Vent.

CUMMINS ENGINE COMPANY’s Mike Brands, executive engineer for heavy-duty engines, will be responsible for engineering the Cummins 2002 heavy-duty product line. He will continue his present role leading the engineering group. Rich Freeland, vice president of heavy-duty operations and fuel systems, now has overall responsibility for manufacturing at the Columbus, Indiana, engine and fuel systems plants and the Jamestown, New York, plant. He will manage the company’s relationship with the Diesel Workers Union in southern Indiana. Dale Good, vice-president of sales and marketing, assumes responsibility for North American end users, global automotive marketing and customer engineering, and the company’s engine data and information products business. Ed Pence, vice president of OEM business, will be responsible for Cummins’ global OEM relationships in the heavy- and medium-duty truck and bus markets. Kathy Baumes, director of finance for the truck and bus business, will serve as business partner for the team and lead planning, analysis, budgeting, and tracking business performance.

The NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION awarded Walter Smittle III its highest honor, the 2000 Paul C. Lamb Award, for his commitment to his profession, his achievements, and impact upon fire safety.

MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY (MSA) acquired ISI GROUP, INC. (ISIG), a leading developer of thermal imaging cameras (TICs). ISIG will continue to operate from its Albuquerque, New Mexico headquarters as part of MSA’s instrument division based in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.

CURTISS-WRIGHT FLIGHT SYSTEMS has expanded its teaming agreement with MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION. The two companies will jointly support and operate an Urban Search and Rescue Training Support Trailer. The trailer will be available free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis to any federal, regional, or local urban search and rescue or collapse rescue team. The 20-foot mobile support trailer will contain the Curtiss-Wright Power Hawk family of tools and Milwaukee’s battery-powered tools and accessories. For more information on the unit or to schedule a training appointment, contact Richard Otte at Curtiss-Wright at (800) PWR-HAWK.

S & S FIRE APPARATUS acquired ATTACK 1 FIRE APPARATUS from Fibre Body Industries. S & S manufactures fire tanker and pumper trucks and Attack 1 specializes in wildland brush fire apparatus and rescue vehicles.

HALE PRODUCTS named Jeffrey L. Furst vice president of sales and marketing.

PRIMEDIA WORKPLACE LEARNING appointed Chief Ron Coleman president of FIRE & EMERGENCY TELEVISION NETWORK [FETN]. Coleman, a 38-year veteran of the fire service, served as chief of departments in Fullerton and San Clemente, California, and is a past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. FETN provides training, education, and information for the fire service.

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