Salina, KS—Mike Weis is proud to announce the recapitalization of Weis Fire & Safety and Draft Commander led by B12 Capital Partners.

Mike Weis, along with his father Gary, and Gary’s wife Char, have devoted themselves to providing quality products and services to fire departments across the nation. Recapitalizing the business allows Gary and Char to start the next chapter of their life–retirement.

With the recapitalization, Mike remains in the ownership group and continues as President of the new Weis Fire and Safety Equipment, LLC. He will be joined by David Hansen, the new CEO, who brings over 35 years of manufacturing leadership experience.

“Our goal with this partnership is to provide a stronger sales and marketing presence for Weis Fire and Draft Commander,” says Weiss. “Our existing customers can rest assured that our quality, customer service and business philosophy are not changing. We strive for no disruptions to operations during the transition.”

Michael Wedel, of B12 Capital Partners notes, “We are very excited to be partnering with Mike and thank Gary and Char for all they have done for the fire industry. We are committed to working with Mike and the rest of the Weis team to deliver the quality products and superior customer service the market has come to expect.”

Hansen notes, “It’s business as usual for Weis Fire. We have Mike Weis continuing as president. All employees are being retained, and operations will continue right here in Salina. Mike and Gary have done a remarkable job growing this business and it’s an honor to carry on their legacy.”

For more information, visit www.weissfiresafety.com.

Lieutenant Steven Lawrence, PIO for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue has announced that the department has received three new specialty fire apparatus.

“We have put our ‘new’ high-water/brush truck into service,” he says. “It will be housed at Station 7 and be called Brush 7. The vehicle was bought from the state and fully refurbished to meet our needs, and it has the capability to move 15-20 people and access flooded areas within our city. It’s a 1995 Stewart & Stevenson Standard Cargo truck LMTV, 4×4 with a fully automatic transmission.

“Hazmat Utility 5 was delivered to Station 5. This new utility truck was built on a Ford F-550 chassis with the body and center console custom built by E-ONE in Ocala. Hazmat Utility will respond to the majority of hazmat incidents within St Petersburg. This truck will be able to rapidly respond to incidents throughout St Petersburg and neighboring areas.”

Lawrence continues, “Station 4 welcomed their new heavy rescue. The heavy rescue will support the Technical Rescue Team(TRT) and is able to respond to any technical rescue call within Pinellas County, Florida.”

Summerville (SC) Fire Department 101-foot AerialCat™ tractor-drawn aerial ladder. 94-foot horizontal reach; Predator Severe Service LFD tractor and chassis; seating for seven.

The Merriweather Fire Station No. 14 has officially opened in Columbia, reports patch.com

The new 6,800-square-foot fire station is a full service station offering both fire and EMT assistance.

Construction began on the fire station in March 2019 and a dedication ceremony was held recently. The Merriweather Fire Station has two apparatus bays, a kitchen, dining room, general use rooms, a command center that doubles as a community center for special public events and administrative offices.