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Big Red, specially designed for
the USA Disaster Relief Corps, was built by Alexis on
a 2006 International 7400 4x4 chassis with a stainless-steel
body. |
Big
Red
Alexis' new midi-rescue
is built for a unique kind of agency
Article from Fire Rescue Magazine/Apparatus Ideas
written by Bob Vaccaro
During this year's Fire Department Instructors Conference
(FDIC) in Indianapolis, I made my usual rounds of all
the manufacturers, seeking out the new and innovative
products for 2006. Rounding a corner, I came across the
Alexis display, which featured what I originally thought
was a midi-pumper, with a federal-style emblem on the
door, lettered for the USA Disaster Relief Corps (USADR).
Initially, I thought this was some sort of new vehicle
built for FEMA or a newly created government bureaucracy.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Greg Landon, Alexis sales representative,
informed me that the vehicle actually belonged to a
privately owned and funded agency headed by Dean Galloway,
who was present at FDIC. Further, the vehicle that I
thought was a midi-pumper was in fact a midi-rescue
response vehicle built by Alexis on an International
7400 chassis-with an interesting story behind it.
Article continues...
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The East Dundee & Countryside
Fire District recently received a federal grant to purchase
a 3,000-gallon tanker/pumper for the district. The new
truck will replace the old one, which had a capacity of
only 1,000 gallons. Acquiring the new vehicle means the
department can serve rural residents more efficiently.
The pumper truck is scheduled to be in service by May
1. (Marina Makropoulos
/ Staff Photographer) |
'District
gets new firetruck'
Ready by May 1: Grant
covers most of $300,000 cost of tanker/pumper
Article from Suburban Chicago News
written by Tom Polansek
EAST DUNDEE - A new truck that can carry 3,000 gallons
of water soon will help rural residents of the East Dundee
& Countryside Fire Protection District receive better
service, Chief Mark Rakow said Tuesday.
The district bought the vehicle, a red tanker/pumper truck,
for nearly $300,000 with the help of a $225,000 federal
grant.
All the necessary equipment, such as radios, is being
installed inside, and the tanker is slated to go into
service by May 1, Rakow said.
"We've been wanting a tanker for a long time,"
he said.
Rakow said firefighters use tanker trucks when there is
no municipal water service at the location of a fire.
In the district, that includes some homes in Barrington
Hills, South Barrington and East Dundee's Lakewood Estates.
Normal fire engines carry only 1,000 gallons, Rakow said,
so the tanker's larger capacity gives firefighters greater
flexibility.
"We have a portion of the village where there's no
water," he said.
The federal money to help pay for the tanker came from
the Department of Homeland Security under its Assistance
to Firefighters Grant Program. U.S. House Speaker Dennis
Hastert, R-Yorkville, announced the award last year.
"We know well the importance of investing in our
emergency services, and particularly our first responders,"
Hastert said in a statement at the time. "These dollars
will go directly toward bolstering local fire services,
and ensure that our first responders have the resources
they need to protect our communities."
To make room for the tanker at the district's fire station,
a reserve fire engine temporarily has been moved to a
village garage for storage, Rakow said. The district plans
to renovate and add on to the station to make room for
all the vehicles and complete other improvements.
"Our building was built in 1950," Rakow said.
"It wasn't built at that time for trucks this large.
Structurally, the floor and things can't take the movement
of a 66,000-pound tanker. It wasn't designed for that."
Construction of the station is scheduled to begin this
spring.
03/29/06
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Alexis Fire Equipment delivered
a top-of-the-line pumper to Quad Township Fire Department
in West Burlington, Iowa. It is built on a four-door conversion
Peterbilt with a stainless steel body. Alexis is in the
middle of some of the most fertile crop lands in the country
and grain elevators dominate the skyline.
(Fire Apparatus Photo by Medora Hebert) |
'Alexis
Builds Reputation For Quality' Article
from Fire Apparatus Magazine
written by Ed Ballam
ALEXIS, IL—Departments in the market for high-quality,
custom apparatus know that Alexis Fire Equipment makes
some of the finest in the nation. Even their motto; "Demand
to Be Different," says volumes about the attention
to detail and care the company takes in providing customer
satisfaction.
"We're not the big numbers company, but we are a
customer service-oriented company," says Jeff Morris,
president and one of the owners of the business started
by his father, Gene Morris, in 1947. "I like to treat
people the way I'd like to be treated."
And for Morris, that means giving the 75 or so fire departments
that buy apparatus from him every year the most value
for their money. Alexis builds pumpers, rescues, tankers,
and even a few aerials, as well as some unique specialty
rigs, like ATV incident response units for Chicago, dive
team vehicles and command centers. The company also does
a large number of refurbishing jobs annually...
[article continues]
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'Like
driving a Cadillac' Article
from The Galena Gazette
written by Amy Alderman
HANOVER—The Hanover Community Fire Protection District
recently replaced a 19-year-old pumper with a new engine
from the Alexis Fire Equipment Company of Alexis.
Hanover's first red Engine, number 610, which cost $186,000,
has a Peterbuilt Crew Cab. The front seating allows for
five firefighters and special seating allows them to suit
up in self-contained breathing apparatus while en route
to the fire. The former pumper only allowed two firefighters
to sit in the cab.
It feels like driving a Cadillac, said fire chief Mike
Weede. The 330 horsepower engine with automatic gears
and exhaust breaking has the power to pull the truck up
hills and drive at 55 to 60 mph.
The pumper the district is replacing struggled to reach
60 mph. Weede also ordered $7,000 worth of hoses and equipment
paid for by the district's ladies auxiliary and firefighters.
Trustees on the fire protection district's board Dan Harkness
and John Bingham "were very instrumental in getting
this truck and equipment," Weede reported.
"They went with the wishes
of the chief and the best interests of the fire department."
The chief reported that he hopes to get the pumper on
the road by the end of December. All firefighters will
have to be trained on the truck and its equipment.
The Hanover Community Fire Protection District not only
services the town of Hanover, but the Savanna Army Depot
and parts of Mt. Carroll.
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AFE President Nominated for FSB 2004
Best Bosses Program
In 2004, FORTUNE Small Business and Winning Workplaces nominated
Alexis Fire Equipment President, Jeff Morris, as one of the
distinguished finalist for the 2004 Best Bosses program. FORTUNE
Small Business received over 200 nominations for this year's
Best Bosses program. These included many great leaders who have
produced impressive business results through enlightened people
practices.
Jeff has focused the energy of the 59-year old family business
on quality and customer satisfaction. Employees at Alexis Fire
Equipment Company take pride in their work and Morris recognizes
their contributions: Anyone whose craftsmanship was instrumental
in building a piece of equipment are listed on a tag placed
inside the door of the vehicle. More importantly, employees
are confident that their work is valued: There is no union in
this ISO 9001-certified operation, and the staff has opted for
a performance-based pay plan. Jeff has led the organization
into the global economy, consistently growing revenue and doubling
the staff over the last five years with limited turnover.
Alexis Fire Expands Facility Space by
36 percent
In August 2003, Alexis Fire Equipment completed facility expansion,
which included buying existing buildings and remodeling them,
added 20,000 square feet, bringing the total area to about 55,000
- triple the company's size 15 years ago. Older buildings surrounding
the original Alexis Fire Equipment facility were transformed
into new work spaces for the many different departments that
compose the company.
Alexis Fire Sales and Administrator moved into the new spacious
facility across the street in the old Ford Motor Company building.
The new facility, which consolidates the sales, administration
and accounting teams, is cleaner and quieter, which makes for
better and more efficient communication between employees.
Some highlights of the new Alexis Sales facility include a full
conference area, private offices, and a new Truck Inspection
and Acceptance Center where departments can perform their final
inspections and delivery acceptance away from noise and congestion
of the manufacturing area. The new facility not only has more
space, increased privacy and better climate control for personnel,
but also houses a fully restored 1897 Steam Pumper on display
in the lobby showroom area as well as a popcorn machine for
visiting customers.
Part of the expansion included the remodeling of a former lumber
yard building nearby to create the new Alexis Service Center,
which can handle twice as many fire trucks as before.
The Alexis Merchandise Center now also has its own building,
which sells over 75 top name brands and fire/rescue accessories.
The move of these internal departments outside the original
building has left more room for building a fabricating Alexis
custom trucks in the main facility. Roger W. in fabricating
states, "We moved into a larger part of the building which
gives us more room. We are able to build more bodies at one
time."
Waterjet Machining Center
On Monday, August 25, 2003, Alexis Fire Equipment introduced
the Omax JetMachining Center model 80160/30 HP pump into the
facility. This American-made waterjet machine cuts materials
with a high pressure stream of water injected with abrasive
material and was producing parts only three days after arrival.
The machine cuts virtually any materials ranging from titanium,
stainless steel, glass, brass and inconel, to composites, ceramics,
aluminum, mild steel and hardened tool steel. The advantages
to the Omax JetMachining Center are no thermal distortion, no
heat affected zone, and less set up time. The pressure of the
water is 48,000 psi with a water stream width of .015”.
The machine has a dynamic positioning accuracy of + or - .005”.
The table size is 170” long and 83” wide. Cut thickness
range is paper to 4” thick steel and has a cut speed of
3/16” thick aluminum of 65 inches per minute.
"We are seeing some benefits from the new water jet cutter,"
explains Roger W. in fabricating. "There is less warp of
the material and a better cut."
AFE is currently using the machine for Alexis products and also
for other job shops and wishes to expand to any job shop wanting
high quality machined parts.
Content submitted by Mike Shull
Manufacturing Department
As we look at the manufacturing process, it becomes apparent
that just like the other aspects of Alexis Fire Equipment, the
process starts with customer expectations and ends with customer
satisfaction.
All aspects of manufacturing processes are ultimately driven
by and for the customer. “How” a task is accomplished
is the part controlled by Alexis Fire Equipment.
One aspect of the manufacturing processes which has been recently
updated is the engineering software. We currently have eight
draftsmen working with Autocad 2004. Three of the eight draftsman
also have been trained on the new solid modeling program from
Autodesk, called Inventor R8.
The Response 1 bodies and top mount pump modules have all been
modeled and we are in the process of finishing the pumper bodies.
Future looks bright. Soon a customer will be able to pick from
a menu on a computer screen the type of truck and the accessories
he wants and watch his picks come to life in a solid model.
Which can be viewed and rotated at any angle. Embedded in this
model will be the bill of materials and all production drawings.
Content submitted by Mike Shull
Refurb Department
Refurbishment of fire apparatus is nothing new to Alexis Fire
Equipment. At AFE refurbs, reconditioning, upgrades and repairs
have always been part of the service provided to our customers.
In the past, this type of work was scheduled and completed in
conjunction with new truck production. Due to the nature of
any refurb project, this would sometimes create problems for
both new trucks and the refurb projects.
Over the past year we have made many changes and improvements
in our manufacturing plant layout. We now have a dedicated floor
space and location specifically for refurb projects. To make
the refurb process more efficient, we have dedicated employees
for the refurb department. This enables the same team to work
on the project from beginning to end. This increases productivity
and quality by making fewer people accountable.
Our refurb department is capable of handling all types and levels
of fire apparatus refurbishment such as new booster tank replacement
(plastic and core-ten steel), rust repair, wreck damage repair,
compartment and body modifications, electrical and plumbing
system upgrades, partial and full cab and body repaints and
color changes.
Communication is key to successfully completing any refurb project.
The customer must be clear about what is expected to be done.
Hidden damage and unforeseen problems are sometimes found while
the project is being completed. It is our responsibility to
inform the customer when problems are found. We can let the
customer know about their options and any changes or additions
needed. As with our new truck production, it is our goal to
provide the customer with the same quality of craftsmanship
from the refurb department.
Content submitted by Doug Gau
Service Department
AFE Service Division has moved to a new facility that has increased
floor space and parts area to better serve customers. Also added
area in service department for body and paint repair.
Our in-field testing program has been a success this past year.
This has created a service for our customers to maintain their
apparatus much more conveniently then in the past.
Our service personnel have attended OEM training seminars at
Hale, Class One and Waterous and have also continued to obtain
their EVT certifications.
Some Service Tips:
1. When looking to have testing done on your apparatus, be sure
you are getting the proper test procedures done. The pump lubricant
should be changed and inspected before any testing is performed.
This will show any existing contamination or improper lubricant,
which could lead to a serious problem if not corrected.
2. Have foam system strainers periodically checked for contamination
or blockage.
3. With the introduction of the oil-less priming systems, some
of the lubricated systems seem to be neglected. Be aware of
the systems you have and have them serviced accordingly.
Should your department have any questions in regards to maintenance
testing, feel free to call our service department at your convenience.
Our service department offers in field service and testing.
We also offer pick-up and delivery of your apparatus for repair
if needed.
Content submitted by Brian Dillbeck,
Service Manager
Paint Shop
We are now using a new epoxy primer sealer which will give better
adhesion, chemical resistance and better overall durability
of the finish. Using the non-sanding epoxy will reduce the amount
of material used, and less man hours on the truck will help
reduce cost.
The Paint Shop has two new employees, Chris and Rick. Our plan
is to train the new workers to work as a team to completely
prep the truck for paint and to help finish out the truck after
painting. We are using a new type of spray gun which uses lower
air pressure and less material. This gives better atomization
of the paint.
Customers might be advised to make sure road salts are removed
from wheel well areas, seams, and other areas that could possibly
cause a corrosion problem.
Merchandise Department
Over 75 top brands of fire and rescue accessories carried. New
products include Aim Gas Detectors, North American Fire Hose,
FireFlir Thermal Imaging Camera, and Underwater Kinetics. Shop
Our Merchandise Store Online »
ISO Transition
ISO update - Transition completed to be certified under 2000
standard. The date of our transition audit was October 23-24,
2003. We are currently ISO 9001/2000 and previously were ISO
9001/1994. Our Registrar is AFAQ Ascert, International. The
definition of ISO is International Organization for Standardization.
ISO 9001:2000 states requirements for quality management systems
when it is necessary to demonstrate that an organization is
capable of effectively meeting customer and regulatory requirements.
Our Quality Objectives are to reduce build problems, reduce
warranty claims, and increase market share.
Article submitted by Diane
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