APPLETON, WI—The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation company, have announced the 2016 winners of the annual “IAFC Fire Chief of the Year” awards. Volunteer Fire Chief, Willard H. “Bill” Halmich, of the Washington (MO) Volunteer Fire Company, and career Fire Chief, Harry Beck, of the Mesa (AZ) Fire and Medical Department (MFMD), are this year’s recipients.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and Pierce Manufacturing announced the 2016 winners of the annual “Fire Chief of the Year” awards at Fire-Rescue International. Volunteer Fire Chief, Willard H. “Bill” Halmich, of the Washington Volunteer Fire Company in Washington, Missouri, and career Fire Chief, Harry Beck, of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department in Mesa, Arizona are this year’s recipients.

Winners (selected by a committee appointed by the IAFC) are honored for their leadership, innovation, professional development, integrity, and contributions to the fire service as a whole. Sponsored by Pierce, the 21st annual awards will be presented on August 18 in San Antonio, Texas.

“Every year, I look forward to learning who the IAFC committee has chosen for these incredible honors,” says Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of the Fire & Emergency segment and Pierce Manufacturing. “Both Chief Harry Beck and Chief Bill Halmich remind us all of the extraordinary impact that truly outstanding leaders have on the communities they serve, as well as on the advancement of the fire service. All of us at Pierce congratulate Chiefs Beck and Halmich!”

Career Fire Chief Honoree: Harry Beck, Mesa (AZ) Fire and Medical Department
Chief Harry Beck, who has devoted more than 40 years to fire and emergency services, began his career with the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department, where he rose through the ranks to the position of deputy chief. He joined the MFMD, located in the nation’s 38th largest city, as chief in 2003. Known as a progressive team builder and innovator, Beck’s accomplishments with the MFMD are far reaching and reflect a leadership style that fosters empowerment and collaboration.

As chief, he established a five-year strategic vision that guided the department through financial challenges during the Great Recession. Beck led efforts in developing innovative processes—through partnering with health services organizations—to deliver fire service-based EMS that has set an example for the state of Arizona and that have the potential to revolutionize it on a national basis. Through this process, Beck was able to secure a multiyear Healthcare Innovation Grant totaling $12.5 million to enable the MFMD to expand programs to provide more efficient and effective emergency response for those who call 911 for help. He coordinated with the United Mesa Fire Fighters to lead the development and implementation of improved services for first responders, including PTSD awareness, life stress and addiction awareness, and resiliency training. Earlier this year, Beck secured funding for a new MFMD dispatch center and city emergency operations center. Recognition for outstanding eff

CHARLOTTE, Mich.,  August 16, 2016 – Spartan Emergency Response (“Spartan”), a business unit of Spartan Motors, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAR), announced that the City of Battle Creek, Michigan, has purchased two Spencer Manufacturing pumper/rescue vehicles built on Spartan cab and chassis. The decision by Battle Creek ends a lengthy evaluation process of competing vendors’ service quality, vehicle safety and ergonomics, and manufacturing capabilities.    

Vehicle Safety was Paramount

Vehicle safety was a top priority for the City of Battle Creek, as it sought to replace a response vehicle that was damaged beyond repair in a rollover collision. This is a major concern of many fire departments, as rollovers are the leading contributor to fatal fire apparatus crashes in the United States.¹

The Spartan cab and chassis configuration selected by Battle Creek features several occupant safety features, including Spartan’s Advanced Protection System® (APS), automatic traction control, and All Belts to Seats (ABTS) driver and passenger restraints. APS is a Spartan industry-first, employing an array of outboard satellite sensors that send data about the vehicle’s location, relative to surrounding objects, to a restraint control module that determines which airbags to deploy in the event of an imminent collision.

“Spartan has made firefighter safety a priority,” said Daryl Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spartan Motors. “The number of vehicle crashes involving fire apparatus has remained stubbornly high, so we’ve invested in the engineering of features and systems that protect the entire crew in the event of a collision. We’re now manufacturing those safety provisions with a process and at a rate that makes the price accessible for almost any municipality.”

In addition to the industry’s best safety features, several elements of the trucks were custom-designed to meet Battle Creek’s ergonomics, passenger comfort, and storage requirements. The vehicles’ rear hose bed was configured as low as possible to provide firefighters with easy and safe access, the cab was custom-designed to meet the department’s five-person seating requirement, and full-width gear compartments were included to ensure these trucks could withstand the double-duty requirements of a pumper/rescue.

The Selection Process

Battle Creek’s selection process began with a tour of the Spartan Motors plant, with representatives of Spartan Motors, Kodiak Emergency Vehicles, and Spencer Manufacturing on hand to answer questions. A responsive and reliable service partner was an important decision factor, and the plant tour provided Battle Creek with a first-hand look at the partners that would be building and supporting their vehicles.

“Spartan took the time to go over all of the details of the product that were important to us, and gave us the space and time to absorb the information and follow up with others in their organization. The plant tour