We’ve Been Around

Well known for its commitment to quality, value and customer service, Elkhart Brass celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2002. In 2015, Elkhart Brass was acquired by Safe Fleet creating the leading global provider of safety solutions for fleet vehicles. The combination of Elkhart Brass with FRC, FoamPro, and ROM enables the company to develop integrated systems of monitors, valves, foam proportioning, and electronic controls for the global emergency market. Elkhart Brass still operates at its original site in Elkhart, Indiana, utilizing the in-house foundry where aluminum and brass are poured daily. In addition to manufacturing, Elkhart Brass also specializes in product research and development, engineering, and product testing thanks to 3D rapid prototyping capabilities, a dedicated flow test facility, and a complete product machine shop.

Certifications and Quality

Elkhart Brass is committed to quality, as demonstrated by its ISO-9001 Registered Quality System. Striving for ways to streamline processes while maintaining the quality craftsmanship customers expect, the company has excelled. An on-site foundry assures accurate documentation and quality of materials. On-site testing facilities are also a benefit. Because firefighting is a dangerous occupation, the company makes a serious commitment to you by doing everything in its power to assure that when you use Elkhart Brass products, you have the highest quality and safest equipment available in the industry. As part of that commitment to quality, it continually strives to evaluate and innovate products, including upgrading certification credentials. Contact Elkhart Brass for further details or questions about a specific certification.

HISTORY

1902

  • Company founded by Albert E. Hansen

1920s

  • Offered first ball-type shut-off nozzle in the U.S.

1930s

  • Mystery® Nozzle, America’s first peripheral jet fog nozzle

  • Developed a line of truck-mount deck guns

1940s

  • Began making portable monitors

  • Added the integral ball shut-off to the Mystery® nozzle in the Select-O-Stream® line

1950s

  • Developed Select-O-Flow® nozzles, the industry’s first constant flow, selectable gallonage nozzles

1970s

  • Introduced Select-O-Matic® automatic nozzles, the first nozzles to operate on the availability of water rather than on pressure (still the company’s best selling product)

  • Opened an additional manufacturing site in Shreve, Ohio

1980s

  • Introduced Chief® nozzles — a lightweight, simplified version of the Select-O-Flow® line

  • Created a complete line of fireground appliances used with LDH

  • Developed Stinger® monitors — the first product with quick disconnect to move from truck mount to ground mount (prior to Stinger, two separate pieces of equipment were needed)

1990s

  • Developed a new generation of easier-to-operate Select-O-Matic® nozzles with more gallonage choices

  • Introduced X-Stream® SM-2000 Select-O-Matic® nozzle with gallonages from 500-2000 GPM

  • Developed low pressure handline nozzles, including break-apart options, all offering outstanding stream performance at 75 psi (and in some cases, 50 psi) in the Chief™, and Select-O-Matic® lines.

2000s

  • Changed the face of firefighting again with W.E.T.™ (Wireless Electronic Technology) that allows remote controlled operation of monitors from up to 1/4 mile away

  • Introduced Extender® which automatically raises Elkhart Brass compact monitors 18″ above apparatus deck

  • Introduced the Vulcan® monitor, the industry’s most compact, lightest master stream device with flows up to 1250 GPM

  • Introduced RA.M.® — Rapid Attack Monitor — for quick deployment and easy one-man operation

  • Put on the market the Unibody Valve line, featuring a cross-compatible apparatus ball valve and a butterfly valve with a robust, heavy-duty motor.

  • Developed the Glow Bumper for handline nozzles to better enhance firefighter safety.

2010s

  • Acquired by Safe Fleet creating the leading global provider of safety solutions for fleet vehicles. The combination of Elkhart Brass with FRC and FoamPro enables the company to develop integrated systems of monitors, valves, foam proportioning and electronic controls for the global emergency market.

  • Released the APEX electric valve controller with a state-of-the-art LCD screen and customizable options.

  • Introduced the XD Series of handline nozzles, including the Chief XD, Select-O-Matic XD, Phantom XD and XD Smooth Bore Tips and Shutoffs built for Extreme Duty use, or XD.

  • Launched the EXM2 line of electrically controlled monitors for apparatus mounted use, incorporated next generation electronics for reliable use.

2020s

  • Debuted the CobraMax, a fully customizable monitor with colored shroud and lighting logo customization.

  • Achieved ATEX certification on Industrial Electric Remote Control Monitor systems for use in global markets.

  • Released a series of XD Handline nozzles compliant to European Norms (EN) for use worldwide, including the Chief EX EN, Select-O-Matic XD EN, and Phantom XD EN.