For over 50 years Summit has been rising to meet the apparatus challenges of the fire industry
It has been said that Summit specialises in specialty trucks. They are willing to take on the challenges of building trucks that are beyond most truck manufacturer’s conventional designs.
“The unique pumper or one-of-akind vehicle is something that Summit feels it can do better than the competition.” says Joe Messmer, president and co-owner of Summit Fire Apparatus in Northern Kentucky.
For the past 50 years brothers Joe and Tom Messmer have been building fire trucks with the help of a loyal group of employees. Summit does not have a standard truck; rather each truck is designed and manufactured to meet the unique needs of each customer, which allows them to uphold the highest standards. Joe Messmer, says, “In 50 years we have learned one thing for certain, customers want what they want.
‘WHILE SEVERAL OTHER MANUFACTURERS SAID AN INDUSTRIAL FOAM PUMPER WAS TOO COMPLICATED, SUMMIT MET THE SPECIFICATIONS APPARATUS WITH NO EXCEPTIONS AND KEPT THE OPERATIONS SIMPLE.’
And we give them just that, by building their ideas into safe,
well equipped units.”
Charles Messmer started the company in 1957 with a Ford pick-up truck, a portable welder, determination and Godgiven talent.
In the beginning his focus was on metal fabricating. Charles Messmer was one of the founding fathers of the local fire department.
He served as chief from 1963 to 1969. (Joe went on to serve as Chief for 26 years. Joe and his son Mark still hold positions on that same fire department.)
As Charles became more involved with firefighting, so did the focus of the business. He built his first unit, a tanker, in 1958.
Refurbishing and repair of wrecked and older units was also a big part of the business. That is one reason that to this day, each part Summit
produces is automated. Joe Messmer says, “If a department tears up a tailboard, we can manufacture a new one.”
The part can be shipped to the department and can be “bolted or installed right in place.” Joe and Tom Messmer assumed control of the business in 1969 after the death of their father, Charles.
The company has changed and grown since then. It remains family owned and operated. They have recently added a third generation
family member, Mark, Joe’s son, in the sales division. As always
Summit is committed to providing affordable, quality apparatus.
Their current line of apparatus includes Heavy Rescue Trucks, Mini-Rescues, Haz-Mat Units, Brush Trucks, Pumpers, Tankers/ Tenders, Air & Light Vehicles, and Trailers.
The service department performs preventive maintenance, repair and
collision work as well as refurbishment of older units. Summit may have found its niche in challenging and unique trucks.
While several other manufacturers said an industrial foam pumper was too complicated, Summit met the specifications with no exceptions and kept the operations simple.
To date they have manufactured three industrial foam pumpers, one for an oil refinery in Toledo, Ohio and two similar rigs for Bulwer
Island, Australia. It was quite a challenge to build such complex, mammoth rigs.
The Toledo pumper is 100 inches (254 cm) wide, has a 3,000 gpm (11,355 lpm) Hale RME pump, FoamPro AccuMax 3300 foam system (capable of delivering individually metered foam solution to each of nine discharges), a 1,000 gallon (3,785 l) fiberglass foam tank, mid-ship mounted Hydro Sword, and an articulating telescoping aerial nozzle.
This foam and pump component configuration had never been accomplished before. The chassis is a Spartan Gladiator with a Caterpillar C13 diesel engine and Allison Gen IV transmission.
It has stainless-steel plumbing and a side-mount pump panel with retractable deck and railing, 15 kw Power Tech generator, six Extend-A-Lites, a 4,500-watt Will-Burt light tower, rearmounted 5,000 gpm (18925 lpm) Akron monitor and a rearview camera system with an LCD monitor and two heavy-duty cameras.
The front bumper extension stores two 1 ¾ inch (4.445 cm) attack lines. Toledo’s Chief, Chris Herman says, “We were impressed with the factory and were able to view other vehicles being built. All of the employees had a can-do attitude, no matter what part of the factory we were in. The quality and workmanship that Summit puts into its vehicles is amazing.” Chief Herman named the unit “The ragonslayer”.
On September 11, 2001, the very foundation of emergency response changed. Equipment and training were enhanced to prepare for terrorist attacks. When presented with this new challenge, Summit produced a CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives) Response Vehicle for the Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana tri-state area. The 37 feet 7 inch (1145 cm) custom trailer is pulled by a Freightliner.
It has 14 rescue-style compartments, side awnings, a ramp for
wheeled equipment, rooftop storage, a Will-Burt light tower, 25 kw generator, and lighted walkway from the front of the vehicle to the rear observation platform. Inside is an enclosed science and research room with pass-through, fume extraction hood, work counter and wall cabinets.
A Summit exclusive is the addition of a sequencer to their Air & Light Vehicle. Some say a sequencer is not required on an air compressor truck. The sequencer conserves air and pressure in extended use circumstances, saves time and removes the concern about firefighters going into a fire wearing SCBA cylinders that are not filled correctly. Summit thinks, ‘safety first’ makes all the difference. Kenton County’s Air I is built on an International 4400 2-door.
It has a 16 feet (487.680 cm) Equipment body with six compartments and refill station, IH Engine 330 hp, exhaust brake retarder, 33.2 cfm (0.94 cmm) & Emergency Magazine”, Robert Tutterow wrote, “Their
application is limited only by the imagination.” In rising to the challenge to make the utility vehicle even more useful, Summit designed a trailer to be pulled behind an RTV. They call it the R.E.D.
(Remote Evacuation and Deployment) Wagon. It is 7 feet (213.360 cm) long and 3 feet (91.44 cm) high. It can seat six crewmembers or transport three patients on the on-board Stokes baskets when the seats are folded up. It has run-flat tires, suspension axles, electric brakes, a fold-up hitch, and shadow lighting. Joe Messmer said, “As with all of the units Summit builds, the R.E.D. Wagon can be customised to meet your needs.” The R.E.D. Wagons were used during a large grass fire in Kentucky this past summer and to help search for a missing girl in an Ohio State Park.
Over the years Summit has had the opportunity to assist many departments in the design and construction of their challenging [rojects, those that other manufacturers would not attempt.
They designed and manufactured a pumper that could squeeze into a parking garage. Another department presented specifications for a ventilation unit with a fan capable of 750,000 cfm (21,237 cmm) of airflow and a misting system. “We knew we had a few design modifications to make when the initial drawing showed the truck nearly as tall as a two-story building.”
Mako compressor, and a 100 kw Marathon Electric Lima Mac generator. The Hale driveline transfer case is installed inside the frame rails. The brushed stainless steel operations panel is located inside the fill and operations compartment.
It includes all necessary controls and instrumentation for compressor and fill station operation along with the SCBA cylinder sequencer, a totally enclosed fragmentation station (capable of charging two SCBA cylinders simultaneously while two others are attached and ready to revolve in), storage for 28 SCBA cylinders and a Kussmaul pump plus super package.
Lights include two Will-Burt Night Scan light towers, eight GFE extend-a-lights, two Hannay 300 feet ( 9,144 cm) air hose reels, two Hannay 300 feet (9,144 cm) electric reels, and recessed into the body head rail are three 1000-watt FRC Focus lights.
Air I is shared by three counties in Northern Kentucky. Several
fire departments within those counties house the unit for threemonth
periods. Firefighters from all departments have been trained to use the equipment and they know they can count on the air truck and support from their neighboring departments when the need arises.
‘THE SEQUENCER CONSERVES AIR AND PRESSURE IN EXTENDED
USE CIRCUMSTANCES, SAVES TIME AND REMOVES THE CONCERN
ABOUT FIREFIGHTERS GOING INTO A FIRE WEARING SCBA
CYLINDERS THAT ARE NOT FILLED CORRECTLY.’
Utility Vehicles are growing in popularity because of their versatility and compact size. They have innumerable on and off road applications. In a recent article in “Fire Apparatus says Joe Messmer, “I am happy to note, with the redesign of the fan, the unit is now a manageable height.” Joe is currently talking with a customer who is looking for a trailer to act as a constant ‘night watchman’ in remote locations of their facility.
Their idea is to equip the trailer with motion activated surveillance equipment, lights and cameras to dissuade thieves or at least catch them on film in the act.
In talking to Joe one gets the sense that he loves his work. A red-blooded firefighter to the core, Joe takes great pride in building excellent fire apparatus. “I think I have the greatest job in the world. The customers seem to react when we start talking about the fire industry, they know I have lived it.” says Joe Messmer.
Joe Messmer says, “We believe our service to firefighters, emergency personnel and their departments involves more than building fire trucks. We are building relationships and friendships as well. We understand that listening to you, our customer, is key. With over 50 years of firefighting and fire truck manufacturing experience, we have the expertise to design and build your truck.
New technology and enhancements abound in our units, but affordable quality remains constant.”
