Mississippi Industries for the Blind (MIB) now offers American-made, professional-grade fire shovels and McLeod rake tools to the public.  For years, the forestry fire hand tools were manufactured by MIB and only available to forestry professionals and firefighters via a contract between MIB and the U.S. Forestry Service.

The McLeod Tool and Fire Shovel have a wide variety of uses such as for constructing fire lines or other forms of wildfire suppression, or for shaping a trail’s back slope or erosion control.  These tools are designed to be reliable, efficient, and able to withstand wear.

MIB manufactures the forestry fire hand tools in its facility in Mississippi under an ISO 9000 certified quality system. Its employees oversee the robotic welding required to manufacture the McLeod rake tool, which is made of hardened, high-grade steel.  The fire shovel has a hardened, steel forged head and all assembly, drilling and riveting is also completed in house.

MIB is a non-funded agency of the state of Mississippi with a mission to train and employ those who are blind or visually impaired to promote independence and self-reliance in all aspects of their lives.

There are many misconceptions about the capabilities of the blind and visually impaired. As a result, the unemployment rate for this population is very high.

Mississippi Industries for the Blind (MIB) is a leading employer of the blind and at least 75 percent of its employees are blind and/or visually impaired.

The company has manufactured products for the U.S. Forestry Service (USFS), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA) and others.

More info: http://www.msblind.org/firetools/

The Bishop (CA) Fire Department placed an order for this American LaFrance 700 Series closed-cab pumper. It has approximately 7,000 original miles, and becuse of the department's meticulous preservation--from its original pain to its polished chrome, many consider it not only a perfect reference vehicle for those wanting to restore 1950s era 700 Series pumpers, but also one of the nicest preserved examples of this type of pumper around.

The video comes courtesy of the Sherbrook Fire Buffs.