The station house requires new pumpers. You know what is required, but specifying what you need on a new truck isn’t as simple as copying the tender document from your last truck from 10 years ago. There is so much new technology to consider, and products are updated annually. Some new features may benefit your…
Metalfab’s History in Ontario, Canada As a manufacturer of quality custom fire trucks for over 50 years, Metalfab comes to you with a rich Canadian history. Although our factory is located in New Brunswick with our starting base of customers based in the Maritimes, we were drawn into the much larger Ontario market as the…
Department Spotlight: Machar, ON Risto Maki is Fire Chief at the South River-Machar Fire Department in Ontario, Canada. He’s been chief for 13 years, with the position requiring that he be full time for the last 8 years. Risto will be completing his 30th year as a firefighter this August after starting his fire services…
Introducing the Spartan FC-94 Chassis Spartan Motors released its new, purpose-built, FC-94 chassis model earlier this year. The release sparked significant discussion in the fire service and apparatus industry as some initially perceived the new model as a modern, entry-level commercial chassis. In fact, the FC-94, specially designed to address a unique set of needs…
The Story behind the Name: Why 6″ Suctions Are Called “Steamer” Ports You may have heard the Metalfab team or your fellow firefighters refer to 6″ suctions—or intakes, as it is called by the NFPA—as “steamer” ports. We have customers all the time ask us how and why 6″ suctions got this name when there…
The fire truck push-in ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the fire service. Celebrating the arrival of a new unit has been a source of pride for fire departments across North America for over a century. In recent years, the push-in ceremony has gained popularity, particularly in smaller communities. Because fire trucks are a sizable…
Every fire truck is the product of many parts brought together and assembled by the manufacturer. Typically your fire truck manufacturer will build the body and plumb and wire the unit, but the chassis, pump, valves, lights, and electrical components are all purchased from outside suppliers. At this time, every single one of Metalfab’s suppliers…
The Sounds of Fire Safety: Fire Truck Style The theme for Fire Prevention Week in Canada this year is “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.” In recognition of this important annual event, our team here at Metalfab has decided to spotlight the new sounds of fire safety fire truck style. In this article, we’re going…
The snow season is coming, which means it’s time to winterize your fire truck fleet. If you haven’t yet put a winter preparation plan in place for your fire trucks, let this serve as a reminder to do it sooner rather than later. As we all know, the weather can turn on a dime. To…
When you are building a custom fire truck, you have to make a lot of decisions around the structure of the body. First, you have a variety of materials to choose from, including aluminum, stainless steel, polypropylene, and even carbon fiber. You also need to decide whether to go with a formed body or an…