ROSS HOWEY, For the Independent

When firefighters are responding to a structure fire or to medical call, the last thing that they need is for their equipment to fail them. That is where businesses such as C-Max Fire Solutions in St. Jacobs come in. C-Max conducts regular service and repairs on fire trucks from all over Ontario, so that these vehicles will be in top condition.

C-Max Fire Solutions, a division of Weber Fabricating, developed after the company began building firefighting apparatuses in the late 1980s. From 1988-2001 the company built 64 different fire trucks. The business is now focused on the service and maintenance of fire trucks, as well as conducting annual tests of equipment to ensure the pumps and aerial ladder portions of these trucks are operating fully and safely.

C-Max has two main employees, Mark and Kathy Brookes. Mark, as a certified Emergency Vehicle Technician, is trained to repair and maintain all the equipment including the lights and sirens that are so vital to ensuring emergency responders get where they are needed. Most fire departments demand that anyone working on their vehicles have this certification. It is vital that the person repairing the equipment be an expert because any mistake could be disastrous. He is able to repair just about anything that would go wrong with emergency equipment.

As Kathy puts it: “We call it a one-stop shop!”

They are also a service centre for KME Firetrucks, a manufacturer located in Pennsylvania renowned for the quality and versatility of their vehicles. KME requires that anyone repairing or servicing their vehicles be EVT certified. As well as repair and service, C-Max is also responsible for converting KME fire trucks for use in Canada and training departments on how to use their new apparatus. Mark will deliver the truck to a department and spend the day training the firefighters.

Fire departments need their trucks 24 hours a day and even though most departments do have a spare truck, it is imperative that repairs are done quickly and because of this Mark is available 24/7 for repair calls all across southern Ontario.

Some repairs can be as simple as replacing a valve in the pump and others require Mark to dismantle far more of the truck to get at the inner workings. C-Max is not simply limited to repairing KME trucks, but any brand of fire truck.

C-Max Fire Solutions is located directly beside Weber Manufacturing, which has paid off as this has given them the ability to repair metalwork such as dented doors and to fabricate shelves as well as a new line of organizational pull-out shelves for fire trucks. These shelves would make it much easier to get equipment such as the Jaws of Life out of the truck in a hurry.

C-Max Fire Solutions provides a service that is vital if fire departments are to continue their life saving efforts across Ontario. They are not often acknowledged, but their work helps to save lives. If you’re interested in learning more about C-Max Fire Solutions as well as the services they offer go to their website: www.c-max.ca.