Alexis News

Alexis Snozzle Fills Range of Needs For Washburn Article from Fire Apparatus Magazine Washburn Fire Protection District Chief Jess Erkman and his Board of Trustees faced a quandary when considering the purchase of a new piece of apparatus. They wanted an elevated waterway so they wouldn’t have to put firefighters on the roof of a structure, and they wanted a vehicle that could be operated with limited manpower. In addition, they wanted something that could handle penetration into metal-sheathed factories and warehouses in their Washburn, Ill., fire district. Chief Erkman, the trustees and the truck committee were torn between a straight stick and an articulating boom, and found the answer to all their needs with the purchase of an Alexis 65-foot Snozzle Hydra-Sword pumper. “We were looking for a vehicle with an elevated waterway that was safe for the firefighters,” Erkman said. “We also wanted something that was simple to operate, requiring only one firefighter to run it, and quick to set up.” The chief said the district had purchased several vehicles from Alexis Fire Equipment of Alexis, Ill., and was pleased with the equipment and service. “They’ve always taken great care of us,” he said. “So after we did our research and found that the Snozzle was what we wanted, we had them build the truck for us.” Erkman, a 24-year veteran of the department who has served the past 12 years as chief, noted he and members of the truck committee were able to examine a Snozzle and review its applications at the Fire Department Instructors Conference trade show in Indianapolis, Ind., in 2009. Alexis Fire Equipment president Jeff Morris said Washburn Fire Protection District officials “told us the application they wanted to get into and we built them a Snozzle… It was a natural fit for us because we had the long relationship with the customer, and also with Crash Rescue, so it worked out well.” The Snozzle is made by Crash Rescue Equipment Service Inc. in Dallas, Texas. It’s an elevated water tower built on a lightweight telescoping and articulating system with a rotating base. The unit is designed as an initial attack tool and for master stream application. Grady North, vice president of business development and strategy for Crash Rescue, said the Snozzle unit mounts midship behind a pumper’s cab. “By mounting it midship, we’re able to keep everything else relatively standard,” North said. “From the pump back, the pumper can be standardized, which is a feature most fire departments like.” Both the lower and upper boom on the Snozzle articulate, North noted, and the unit has a 20-foot telescoping section in the upper boom to allow the operator more flexibility in getting around obstacles, such as trees and power lines. “With a straight stick [aerial ladder] you have limited maneuverability, especially in narrow, tree-lined streets,” North said. “But the knuckle on the Snozzle gives added flexibility and allows the operator to maneuver around things where an aerial ladder couldn’t.” He noted that the Snozzle also can operate 15 feet below grade level, allowing it to penetrate into basements. “We consider the Snozzle an option to go on a standard pumper as opposed to being another aerial device,” North pointed out. “It doesn’t take any more manpower to operate than a standard pumper, because the pump operator is also the Snozzle operator.” The Snozzle also is available with a forward looking infrared (FLIR) ball camera mounted on the tip of the upper nozzle for size-up and rescue operations, although the Washburn district did not choose that option. The 65-foot Snozzle purchased by Washburn is Crash Rescue’s HS 2 model, which has two master stream nozzles – one at the 65-foot elevation and the second at the 50-foot elevation. Total flow capacity is 1,500 gpm, with 500 gpm coming from the top nozzle and 1,000 gpm from the mid-level nozzle. Both nozzles are remotely controlled by an operator on the ground. “The two nozzles allow the fire department the flexibility to attack a fire with one nozzle while protecting exposures with the second,” North pointed out, “or to use both nozzles to attack the fire.” Piercing Nozzle One of those nozzles is a piercing nozzle, Chief Erkman noted, which is important to Washburn firefighters if they have to fight a fire in one of several metal-skinned buildings. One of those structures is a varnish and ink factory, while the others are large metal warehouses and shops. “When we found the Snozzle, we knew we wanted the piercing nozzle because of those structures,” the chief said. “And while we haven’t pierced anything with it yet in a fire, we’ve been training with it and think it will fulfill our needs.” Crash Rescue sells Snozzle units to manufacturers to put on their pumpers and also will build the units onto a chassis in Dallas. Washburn’s unit was built at Crash Rescue’s Dallas facility. When it was completed, a three-man team headed by Washburn First Lt. Brett Erkman, the chief’s son, traveled to Texas to inspect the work and receive initial training. “We had to drive the truck from Dallas to Alexis,” Brett Erkman said. “It was quite the sight to see, and we had people looking twice at us because it was only the cab, chassis, pedestal and waterway rolling down the road.” Morris of Alexis said that once Washburn officials decided what they wanted, his firm designed the pumper around the Snozzle. “We used our AutoCAD program,” he said, “and designed the pumping capacity, water capacity and compartments they needed, and put it together with what Crash Rescue built.” Custom Built Morris pointed out that most Alexis Fire Equipment units are custom built to customer needs, although the company does make some standard units. “Mostly we work with departments to design the truck the way they want,” he said. “We’ll work it up through the design process, make a presentation with our design, then tweak it with anything else they want and build it for them.” The usual build time is about 12 months for a vehicle like Washburn’s truck. “Washburn wanted to make payments at certain times, so due to funding issues this took longer than 12 months,” Morris said, “but we’re always willing to work with departments and be flexible.” Training Operators Chief Erkman thinks all of his 28 volunteer firefighters eventually will become trained operators on the Snozzle Hydra-Sword pumper, something that is a boon to a small department covering a mostly rural area. He said approximately half of his firefighters had completed the training. “We cover about 90 square miles with only three towns in it,” he said. “Washburn is the largest town with 1,250 residents, and there are two other smaller towns – Lowpoint and La Rose.” The chief’s son, Brett Erkman, sees the most important advantage to the new vehicle as the fact it only needs a single firefighter to operate it. “You might have another firefighter or two help set it up, but then they can staff another truck,” he said. “When we have a 15-minute response time to a call out in the boonies, we usually end up with a defensive battle, and the truck is set up to handle that well.” Lt. Erkman said once the stabilizers are set out on the truck, the rest of the operation can be done using a remote control unit with its joysticks. “It’s not hard to operate at all,” he said. “It’s pretty much joysticks and video game-type work. The truck is very user friendly in its movements as long as you ease your way into it.” Chief Erkman noted that while the department had not had an opportunity to use the Snozzle on a fire, his firefighters have spent a lot of hours training on it. “It’s an important piece of equipment to have if we want to keep firefighters out of a house, especially on daytime calls where we might only get six firefighters for a structure fire,” he said. “We’re looking to use it as an offensive attack unit, but when we’re out in the rural areas, it’s mostly defensive battles.” Chief Erkman praised the trustees for their support, saying the district “is blessed with great trustees who give us the equipment we need.” View Technical Specs and Photos of Apparatus »

	Alexis Fire Equipment: Continuing a Tradition of Building Quality Fire Apparatus Article from Enjine!-Enjine written by Ron Heal When the Village of Morton, Illinois Fire Chief Joe Kelly requested bids for a platform aerial quint, the low bid that met all the specifiations came from Alexis Fire Equipment. Alexis Fire Equipment is well known to the Morton Fire Department. They have provided the department with a variety of fire apparatus for more than 50 years. In early 2010, Alexis delivered a RK Ladder 101-foot platform quint, built on a Spartan Gladiator chassis, with a Hale Qmax 2,000 gpm pump and a 450 gallon tank. The platform is the newest piece of apparatus to be housed in the recently completed $4.5 million 4-bay fire station on the village's northside. The new platform replaces a 1981 Sutphen platform quint that interestingly was sold through Alexis Fire Equipment. At that time in the Alexis history, the company did not build aerial apparatus, however they were the sales representatives for Sutphen Corporation. Chief Kelly is pleased to continue a strong business relationship with Alexis Fire Equipment. "It is nice to be able to pick up the phone and know that Jeff Morris or one of his top associates will be available to assist with any problem or concern. Being only an hour and a half from the manufacturing and service center in Alexis, Illinois is a big help as well", explained the chief. It is these types of long-term relationships that have seen Alexis Fire Equipment grow into a company that annually manufactures 75 or more rigs, producing a full line of apparatus from skid units, to pumpers, tankers, rescues and aerial devices. [article continues] Download Full Featured Article PDF

Alexis Announces FireGuard, Inc. as a New Addition to Dealer Network August 11, 2010 – We are pleased to announce the addition of FireGuard, Inc. as our new dealer in South Dakota, Nebraska, and the counties of Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, Rossuth, Sioux, O’Brien, Clay, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Humboldt, Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Monona, Crawford, Caroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Pottawattamie, Cass, Adair, Madison, Warren, Marion, Mills, Montgomery, Adams, Union, Clarke, Lucas, Fremont, Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, and Wayne counties in Iowa. FireGuard brings many years of experience in fire apparatus sales and service and have sales people throughout the territory. We are very pleased to have this strong addition to our group of dealers!

Alexis Announces Emergency Apparatus as a New Addition to our Expanding Dealer Network February 12, 2009 –We are pleased to announce the addition of Emergency Apparatus as our new dealer in North Carolina. Their territory includes the state of North Carolina, with the exception of Brunswick, Columbus, Robeson, Richmond, Scotland, and Anson Counties in North Carolina. We have listed some information on our dealer below. We are very pleased to have this strong addition to our group of dealers. Emergency Apparatus, Inc. has been in the business of providing fire-fighting, rescue, police, mobile, air-light and other emergency vehicles and special equipment for over 15 years. They are dedicated to serving the needs of all emergency service providers in North Carolina. Their sales engineering staff has over 100 years' combined experience in providing emergency services - we know your problems and we have the solutions! Emergency Apparatus, Inc. are located in Sanford, NC, about a half-hour south of Raleigh. To get in touch, call us toll-free at 800-222-9940 or 919-777-2480, send us a FAX at 919-777-2470, or e-mail us at: edfinch@emergencyapparatus.com Charlie@emergencyapparatus.com

Download Flyer »	Tanker 8 on it's way home Summit Ironville Testimonial Thu. Jan 7th 2010 Capt. McKenzie and Chief Engineer Porter completed the final inspection on Tanker 8 today at Alexis Fire in Alexis, IL. The tanker is a 2009 International 7400 with 330hp. The Fire body consists of a 300 gallon elliptical tank with a 2.5inche rear tank fill and a 4 inch rear tank fill. It is also equipped with an air actuated rear dump with directional tubing. The body also has 2 large compartments that will hold 2 air packs, fittings, and some fire hand tools. There is a 3000gallon drop tank mounted in a manual rack on the officer’s side of the vehicle. It is also equipped with a custom hose tray on the driver side with section for 200ft of 1 3/4th attack line, and 25ft of 4inche fill hose. The visual warning system is a Whelen LED light package. It is also equipped with Grover Air horns and a Federal Signal PA300 Electronic siren. We would like to extend a very large thank you to staff at Alexis fire and our salesman Harry Sutphen for assisting us and making the tanker even better than what we had hoped for. We would truly like to thank the crew that came together at the last minute to get the hose tray reconfigured at the last minute. We would also like to thank the crew that trained us on the pump and the air dumping system in the zero degree weather and snow conditions. The Tanker should be home in the Firehouse Monday and will be placed in service by our firefighters as Tanker 8 hopefully that evening and be making runs for many years to come.

Download Flyer »	Sandwich Fire Department Celebrates 125 Years SANDWICH, ILLINOIS - In conjunction of the City of Sandwich's 150th Anniversary September 26th and 27th, the Sandwich Fire Department will be celebrating their 125th anniversary. The fire department will be joining the City of Sandwich's parade on Saturday, September 26th, at 10am with antique fire apparatus from all around. At 1pm they will be hosting a Citizen's Bucket Brigade consisting of 5 person teams--anyone can organize a team and come to compete by coming down to the fire station for an entry form. During the Citizen's Bucket Brigade, there will be a static Antique Fire Truck Display where there is a prize for Best In Show Antique Fire Truck. On Sunday, the Sandiwch Cub Scout Troop will be hosting a Pancake Breakfast from 7:30am til 12pm at the Fire Station. During the Pancake Breakfast at 10am, the Sandwich Fire Department will have an Open House until 2pm which will consist of Fire Engine Rides, Child Safety Trailer Tours, Fire Safety Literature and Coloring Books, Equipment Display and Blood Pressure Screenings, Antique Fire Truck Display, Car Extrication Demonstration, and Refreshments. For more information regarding this event and to read full article, please download flyer. Download Flyer »

Warm Welcome to Our New Alexis Employees November 10, 2008 – In order to serve our customers better, Alexis Fire Equipment is pleased to announce the expansion of our sales staff with the addition of new employees: Joel Schreiber, Kevin Hunter and Tony Birchfield. Joel Schreiber has 17 years of product and sales experience in the fire service industry. Joel will be providing unique product solutions in Peoria, Tazewell, Woodruff, McLean, DeWitt, Macon, Piatt, Champaign, and Vermillion counties in Illinois. Kevin Hunter has many years of sales experience in sales and service and is a member of the Fox Lake, IL Fire Department. Kevin will be covering McHenry, Lake, Cook, Du Page, Will and Kane (East of the Fox River) counties in Illinois. He will also cover Porter and Lake County in Indiana, and Walworth and Kenosha counties in Wisconsin. Kevin’s addition will allow Alexis Fire Equipment to provide an even higher level of service for both your apparatus and equipment needs. Alexis Fire Equipment is also pleased to announce the addition of Tony Birchfied to our sales staff. Tony has 7 years of sales experience in the fire service industry, and is a member of the Cuba, IL Fire Department. Tony has a strong history of being a resource to his customers offering them multiple solutions for their needs. Tony will be covering Southern Fulton, Schuyler, Mason, Logan, Menard, Morgan, Cass, and Brown counties in Illinois.

Alexis Announces IMSupplies as an Addition to Dealer Network October 28, 2008 –Alexis Fire Equipment Company is pleased to announce the addition of the team at IMSupplies to our dealer network. IMSupplies will be the Alexis authorized dealer representing our full apparatus line in Eastern Pennsylvania. IMSupplies is also able to offer your Alexis Apparatus purchase on the Pennsylvania Costars program. For full contact information, please visit our Sales Representatives page at http://www.alexisfire.com/Dealers/index.html In addition to apparatus sales, IMSupplies is also the factory authorized service center for Eastern Pennsylvania. Providing 24/7 road service and a full spectrum of apparatus maintenance plans, rest assured your apparatus repair is in good hands. Please visit the IMSupplies website today at http://www.imsupplies.com/ to learn more about the products and services offered by IMSupplies to our customers in Eastern Pennsylvania. We are confident IMSupplies will provide the outstanding quality and customer service Alexis has strived to maintain to each of their customers. With the full support of Alexis behind every sale, feel comfortable knowing that together we will meet and exceed your expectations every time. Contact Rick Debroisse today at 717-564-0550 today for apparatus needs today. You’ll be glad you did!

Alexis Welcomes LaFRANCE Equipment Corporation as an Authorized Dealer October 3, 2008 – Alexis Fire Equipment Company is pleased to announce the addition of the team at LaFRANCE Equipment Corporation to our dealer network. LaFRANCE Equipment Corporation will be the Alexis authorized dealer representing our full apparatus line in Western New York. For contact information and a complete listing of the territory covered by LaFRANCE Equipment Corporation, please visit our Sales Representatives page at http://www.alexisfire.com/Dealers/index.html In addition to apparatus sales, LaFRANCE Equipment Corporation. is also the factory authorized service center for Western New York. Providing 24/7 road service and a full spectrum of apparatus maintenance plans, rest assured your apparatus repair is in good hands. Please visit the LaFRANCE website today at http://www.lafrance-equipment.com/ to learn more about the products and services offered by LaFRANCE Equipment Corporation to our customers in Western New York. We are confident LaFRANCE Equipment Corporation will provide the outstanding quality and customer service Alexis has strived to maintain to each of their customers. With the full support of Alexis behind every sale, feel comfortable knowing that together we will meet and exceed your expectations every time. Contact Todd Steadman today at 607-733-5511 today for apparatus needs today. You’ll be glad you did!

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

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] Download Full Featured Article PDF (1.5 MB)

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.

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