Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) company, announced today that it has delivered seven pumpers built on the Pierce Saber custom chassis mounted with Canadian company MAXIMETAL’s firefighting body configuration. The “MaxiSaber” apparatus represent the first seven of the 35 awarded pumper trucks to be built and delivered to the City of Montreal Fire Department over the next five years.

Since instituting an agreement in 2015 with MAXIMETAL of Saint-Georges de Beauce, Quebec, Canada, Pierce has sold its Pierce Saber custom chassis to MAXIMETAL who in turn, manufactures and mounts its various firefighting body configurations onto the chassis. The completed apparatus are provided to fire departments across Canada.

“When we searched for a body builder to work with Pierce in the design of a family of apparatus specifically for the Canadian market, MAXIMETAL stood out as the perfect fit because of their reputation for quality, reliability, and focus on superior customer service and support,” said Jim Johnson, president of Pierce Manufacturing. “Over the last four years, we’ve learned how well our collaborative vision aligns, and we look forward to continued growth across Canada in the years to come.”

In 2018, MAXIMETAL announced it was awarded the $32.1M contract spanning five years with the City of Montreal Fire Department - one of the largest contracts in the company’s history.

“MAXIMETAL is honored to work with Pierce Manufacturing in the fulfillment of such a significant apparatus order for the City of Montreal Fire Department,” said Chris Sapienza, director of business development. “MaxiSaber configurations offer a value-driven chassis without compromise on build quality, cutting edge performance and advancements in visibility, space, ergonomics, and serviceability.”

The City of Montreal Fire Department covers 166 square miles and serves 1.7 million citizens from 67 fire stations. Built on contouring Mount Royal and completely surrounded by water, Montreal is recognized as a cosmopolitan city with one of the largest underground networks in the world. As the second most populous city in Canada with unique geographic attributes and infrastructure design, many factors contributed to the selection of MaxiSaber apparatus including a primary focus on safety, egress in and out of the cab, noise reduction, visibility and overall performance.

Drummondville-based L’Arsenal will work with the Montreal Fire Department providing aftermarket and product support.

“L’Arsenal is equipped to provide exceptional aftermarket service and support to ensure that the new apparatus for the City of Montreal Fire Department maintain optimal performance, maximizing time in service,” said Jean Thibault, President of L’Arsenal. “We look forward to supporting the department and the community with our experience and expertise.”

The apparatus included in the City of Montreal Fire Department’s order will include a total of 35 MaxiSaber pumpers – all built on the Pierce Saber custom chassis with the last delivery estimated to take place in 2022. Other apparatus features include a spacious cab interior with a raised roof transition line, wraparound windshield for excellent outward visibility, a 450 hp engine, and a 50-degree cramp angle for excellent maneuverability along the city’s narrow roads and alleys.

For a comprehensive review of Pierce custom chassis, visit www.piercemfg.com  for specs, video, and images. To learn more about the MaxiSaber, visit www.maximetal.com.

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Editor’s Opinion | Chris Mc Loone

“Clean Cab” Is Not a Dirty Term

By the time this editorial is in print, FDIC International 2019 will have come and gone.

Leading up to the show, we received many teasers and preshow introductions of products revolving around reducing firefighter exposure to contaminants found on the fireground that could lead to cancer in the future. In the weeks leading up to the show, there was also a “ramp up” of questions regarding the “Clean Cab Concept” and its viability.

My take on cancer prevention is that doing something is better than doing nothing. In terms of the Clean Cab Concept, I believe there are enough components to it that departments can employ a couple of parts or go full bore and adopt the entire concept. There aren’t many in the fire service who deny at this point that there is a problem with cancer in our business. And, I predict that most are in favor of some method of reducing—to the extent that it is possible—our exposure to carcinogens. However, if you bring up the words “clean cab,” get ready for, to put it mildly, a lively conversation.

 

The components of the Clean Cab Concept are one thing, but you also have to consider the idea of what proponents of it are trying to do and also the impact any component will have on your operations. In the conversations I’ve had, many of the objections voiced regarding the Clean Cab Concept have to do with its effect on operations.

No one will debate that what we do is dangerous and if we are going to aggressively attack a fire on the interior, our personal protective equipment (PPE) will be exposed to harmful contaminants. It’s just the way it is. Smoke has never been good for us. The idea on the fireground is to limit our exposure to these harmful contaminants—again, to the extent that it is possible.

We often refer to different things not as absolutes but as “other tools in the toolbox.” I look at this concept as one more tool in the toolbox to help us do our jobs that also helps us limit adverse health effects. To my way of thinking, that’s not a bad thing.

Agreeing that limiting our exposures is not a bad idea, it’s then time to figure out how to put these limits in place while not impacting the efficiency with which we do our jobs—and this is where the heated discussions start.

Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) in the cab—this is, I feel, where many get locked up immediately. The way I look at it, there are departments that have opted to keep SCBA out of the cabs for years for entirely different reasons. Whatever the rationale, they made a decision to do it and were able to work out the kinks. Is it for everyone? Absolutely not.

Fire apparatus design—another point of contention. For those not enamored with the Clean Cab Concept, the idea of taking a compartment and reserving it for SCBA or PPE vs. equipment we need for our jobs is just too much. I contend that any adjustment we make in apparatus design always results in a trade-of

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