Not to be confused with HME or BME.
KME Fire Apparatus is a fire apparatus manufacturer located in Holden, Louisiana.
History[]
KME's origins are found in an auto repair shop started by John "Sonny" Kovatch in 1946. The business grew and branched into several auto and truck related businesses, including Kovatch Mobile Equipment, which built special-purpose military vehicles and airport refueling vehicles. In 1983, Kovatch Mobile purchased fire apparatus manufacturer Car-Mar, a builder of stainless steel pumpers and tankers.
In 1985, KME Fire Apparatus was formed after Kovatch acquired some of the assets of the former Hendrickson Mobile Equipment company. KME obtained and used Hendrickson's distinctive chassis. The rights to the name Hendrickson's Mobile Equipment and other parts of the assets were then sold off, hence HME. Around the same time KME also bought assets from Mack's fire apparatus manufacturing division, specifically their technology, inventory, machinery and apparatus body construction methods.[1] KME was producing pumpers when aerial products were added to the product line in 1987, using ladders from LTI and Fire Spire (Hahn).
In 1992, KME acquired the rights to Grumman Emergency Products (Howe-Oren Roanoke Corp) line of aerial devices, the Aerialcat designs, manufacturing resources and other assets of the now closed division of the business.
In 1997 KME purchased the Walter Motor Truck Company, thus entering into the ARFF area of fire suppression. KME offers a whole line of sole-source apparatus, including pumpers, ladder trucks, rescue/command units, wildland, tanker, industrial and airport apparatus.
In April 2016, Kovatch Corporation announced the sale of its fire apparatus business to Florida-based REV Group.
In September 2021, REV Group announced that the plants in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania and Roanoke, Virginia will close by April 2022 and production will shift to other REV Fire Group facilities.
In November 2021, REV Group announced the expansion of the Holden, Louisiana Ferrara Fire Apparatus facility. In April 2022 production was moved to Holden.
In September 2022, Kathy Kovatch-Reaman (the daughter of KME's founder John "Sonny" Kovatch) and her husband acquired a large portion of KME's former factory complex in Nesquehoning, with plans to lease the space out to local businesses, especially ones with ties to the fire/EMS service. [2]
Logos[]
Facilities[]
KME's main operations were in Nesquehoning, but it also operated a manufacturing facility in Roanoke, Virginia, where KME aerials were built. Repair facilities in California and New York were closed in a streamlining project undertaken after the REV Group purchase. KME's main facility is now in Holden, Louisiana.
Products[]
The company builds a full line of apparatus on custom or commercial chassis. Custom chassis include the Predator, Panther and Severe Service lines. The company delivers trucks across Canada and the United States. Major customers include Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, New York City Fire Department, and Philadelphia Fire Department.
Current Custom Chassis[]
- Predator (ca.mid-2000s-present)
- Panther (ca.mid-2000s-present)
- Severe Service (ca.early-2010s-present)
Discontinued Custom Chassis[]
Aerials[]
- AerialCat
- FireStix (55' or 75' Tele-Squrt type boom)
- Tuff Truck
- Talon High Reach Extendable Turret (HRET)
Pumpers[]
- Flex
- PRO Series (Pumper Rescue Operations)
- Challenger
- Legacy
- Rear-mount
- Ridgerunner Wildland
Rescues[]
- Heavy Duty
- Medium Duty
- Light Duty
- Special Service
- Wet Rescue
- Combination
Tankers[]
- Eliminator
- Dry side
- Wet side - Legacy Series or LX Series
- Elliptical - Legacy Series or LX Series
See Also[]
Departments operating KME apparatus
References[]
- ↑ Carbon Firm Buys Mack Technology For Fire Trucks. The Morning Call. March 29, 1985. Accessed Dec. 26, 2020.
- ↑ Nesquehoning couple with Kovatch ties purchases former KME buildings. Times-News Online. September 15, 2022. Accessed October 2, 2022.