James Phipps

1943 – 2015 | Obituary |  Condolences

James Phipps
August 26, 1943 – March 24, 2015
Pleasant Hill
It is with heavy heart, that I must pass along the news that James Phipps has passed away. He grew up in Berkeley and graduated from Berkeley High School. He was a firefighter in Emeryville for 35 years. After retiring from Emeryville he partnered up with a fellow retired firefighter Jim Barton to create Fire Truck Headquarters, selling fire engines for SMEAL Apparatus. Jay is survived by wife Lois, step-sons Gregory Johnson, Gary Marttila, son Tim Phipps, and grandchildren Matt Zach and Melanie Johnson, Davin Marttila, and Lily Phipps. His laugh roared through the house when he watched tv. A 14 was his favorite drink. Celebration of Life party will be held at a later date. Internment is at Oakmont Memorial Park.

2014-11-16_224812

GOLDEN STATE FIRE APPARATUS EXPANDS TO NEW LOCATION ADDING IN-HOUSE CUSTOMER SUPPORT CAPABILITIES

2014-10-19_122311

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (October 17, 2014) Golden State Fire Apparatus, celebrating its 25th Anniversary in October 2014, today announced a move to new offices and service center facilities located at 7400 Reese Road in Sacramento beginning on January 8, 2015. The three acre campus features a renovated 30,000-square-foot maintenance facility with space for up to 18 apparatus bays, making Golden State Fire Apparatus a single source provider for sales and service. “After careful deliberation, and a comprehensive site selection process, we are relocating to a facility that includes a dedicated fire apparatus service department staffed by Golden State employees who are Pierce and EVT certified,” said Ryan Wright, vice president, Golden State Fire Apparatus. “Moving to California’s capital city is a major commitment and long-term investment that will benefit Pierce customers across Central and Northern California as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary.”

“Golden State Fire Apparatus, led by the Wright family, is an outstanding team and we’re excited to see this move to a campus with comprehensive in-house customer support capabilities,” said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Fire & Emergency. “For a quarter of a century, the Golden State brand has stood for excellence; this move paves the way to further support and carry on their tradition of putting the customer first.”

The new headquarters is situated on three acres, and its 30,000-square-foot maintenance facility is conveniently located near Highway 99 (close to the Interstate 80 and Highway 50 interchanges) with easy access to the Bay Area and Interstate 5 corridor. The new Golden State facilities will feature a dedicated 2,600 square-foot parts distribution department stocked with an extensive inventory. The service and repair staff includes EVT certified service and support professionals (with more than 80 years of experience), backed by Pierce’s service and training department. Among its services, Golden State will offer comprehensive warranty support, technical support, mobile service, equipment mounting, and pump testing. The company also plans to develop a strategically located network of service providers throughout its territory.

Golden State Fire Apparatus Expands to New Location; Adds In-House Customer Support Capabilities.

“We’ve had this vision for quite some time, and now it’s becoming a reality,” explained Wright. “Meeting the needs of our customers with new Pierce apparatus – and a full parts and service department – is a win-win for everyone.” For more information, call 916-330-1638, visit www.goldenstatefire.com and join the conversation at www.facebook.com/GoldenStateFire.

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, is the leading North American manufacturer of custom fire apparatus, including custom and commercial pumpers, aerials, rescue trucks, wildland trucks, minipumpers, elliptical tankers, and homeland security apparatus. In addition, Pierce designs its own foam systems and was the first company to introduce frontal airbags and the Side Roll Protection system to fire apparatus. Pierce markets its products through the industry’s largest and most comprehensive dealer and service network. The company enjoys a nationwide web of dealerships with over 600 certified and factory trained Service Brigade technicians and over 50 service centers. Visit www.piercemfg.com to learn more about Pierce.

http://www.government-fleet.com/channel/vehicle-research/news/story/2014/09/spartan-recalls-95-gladiator-metrostar-fire-trucks.aspx

Spartan Recalls Gladiator, MetroStar Fire Trucks

Spartan Motors is recalling 95 2013-2015 model-year Gladiator, as well as 2011 and 2013-2014-MY MetroStar, emergency vehicles equipped with a pressure governor or hand throttle supplied by Fire Research Corp.

The software controlling the pressure governor or hand throttle might cause an engine surge. This in turn could trigger a water pressure surge at the end of a fire hose, increasing the risk of personal injury to firefighters, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported.

The recall covers fire trucks manufactured from June 15, 2011, to Jan. 14 of this year.

To remedy the problem, Spartan dealers will install a software update free of charge. The recall is expected to begin this month.

Vehicle owners can reach Spartan customer service at 1-517-543-6400. Spartan’s number for this recall is 14013.