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Grumman
Grum2

For the Grumman line of step vans, see Grumman Olson.

Grumman Emergency Products was a fire apparatus manufacturer located in Roanoke, Virginia.

History[]

The Grumman Aerospace Corporation was a well-known manufacturer of aircraft. Its most famous products included Second World War fighters like the Wildcat and Hellcat, and Cold War aircraft like the F-14 Tomcat, A-6 Intruder, EA-6B Prowler and E-2 Hawkeye. Grumman was also a chief contractor for the US Space Program and a manufacturer of the Gulfstream business jet.

In 1976, subsidiary Grumman Allied Industries acquired the Howe Fire Apparatus Company. Howe had earlier purchased fire truck manufacturers Oren Roanoke Corporation and Coast Apparatus Inc.. Initially, Grumman maintained the Howe and Oren names but in 1980, closed the Howe plant in Indiana and consolidated production at the former Oren plant in Roanoke.

Grumman shut down its emergency division in 1992. KME Fire Apparatus acquired the rights to the product line but only produced the Aerialcat. The Aerialcat is still a part of KME's offerings.

Grumman itself was acquired in 1994 by the Northrop Corporation, and is now known as Northrop Grumman.

Production[]

Grumman built a full line of apparatus on commercial and custom chassis. It introduced its own line of aerial devices in 1982 and a custom Panther chassis from HME in 1988.

In keeping with Grumman's aircraft heritage, its fire apparatus line were given 'cat' names, including Aerialcat ladder/tower trucks, Firecat & Attackcat pumpers, Bobcat & Mini-Cat mini-pumper/brush/light rescues, Skiddy-Cat skid units, and the Panther chassis.

See also[]

Departments operating Grumman apparatus

Sources[]

  • McCall, Walter M.P. Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Fire Engine Manufacturers. Hudson, WI: Iconografix, 2009. ISBN 9781583882528
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