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CHATILLON-sur-CHALARONNE, FRANCE, 24 SEPTEMBER, 2024 – Firefighters throughout France can face different challenges on the job every day and may need a variety of equipment to help keep them protected and safe. From the helmets they wear to the technology they use, MSA Safety, Inc. (NYSE: MSA) has the expertise and solutions to help firefighters and fire brigades protect themselves and their communities in France. These broad range of MSA Safety fire safety solutions will be on display this week at the National Congress of French Firefighters in Mâcon, France, held the 25 through 28 September.
At the Congress, MSA Safety will be showcasing its first responder-leading solutions including MSA GALLET® Fire Helmets and the MSA Connected Firefighter Platform. These solutions help to keep firefighters protected and connected at the fire scene, as well as provide firefighters with tools to simplify compliance and access data to help make their jobs easier and to be prepared and ready to respond.
MSA will be featuring its iconic GALLET head protection brand, including the GALLET® F2XR rescue helmet. Designed to meet a multitude of challenges, the GALLET F2XR rescue helmet offers firefighters a versatile option with certifications for wildland firefighting, technical rescue, urban search and rescue, climbing and water rescue. As a partner of the historic French Federation of Firefighters, MSA is hosting a webinar on September 26 at 9:30 a.m. highlighting the GALLET F2XR rescue helmet’s modularity and ease of inspection.
The GALLET F2XR rescue helmet, the iconic jet-style GALLET F1XF fire helmet, and many additional first responder helmets are manufactured at MSA Safety’s facility in Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne, France, the town that has earned the title of the fire helmet world’s capital.
“MSA Safety has a deep-rooted history in France, and the history of our Châtillon site, which joined MSA in 2002, predates MSA as a company,” said Dave Howells, President of MSA International. “MSA Gallet is a long-standing fixture in the world of fire helmets and head protection, and we have a passionate workforce in Châtillon. They’re proud of their work because they know they’re helping to keep people safe at work every day – and that is at the heart of the MSA mission.”
Congress attendees can also experience the latest enhancements to MSA's Connected Firefighter Platform, an ecosystem of hardware and software technologies that help fire departments better manage PPE and related data associated with use and maintenance. This includes the M1 Control Module, MSA’s latest electronic gauge telemetry-enabled self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA); the MSA HUB, a wireless, cloud-connected gateway for on-scene and remote monitoring systems, such as the Entry Control Board (ECB); and FireGrid software, which powers the Connected Firefighter Platform.
MSA Safety will be highlighting the impact and value of the data that is available from Connected Firefighter Platform and how data transmitted directly from the M1 SCBA to the cloud is integrated with FireGrid to help enhance safety, inform on-scene decision making, and make remote monitoring and post-event analysis easier. FireGrid Inventory Management capabilities will also be featured this year, showing how FireGrid can digitize tasks like equipment compliance checks and inspection schedules for SCBA and fire helmets. Inventory Manager can address equipment management challenges, can eliminate paperwork and makes information easily accessible in a fire department's FireGrid account. This helps departments better track equipment location and usage, and manage equipment cleaning, inspection and maintenance, which ultimately enhances equipment longevity.
Earlier this year, MSA Safety opened a state-of-the-art Connected Worker and Firefighter Experience Centre at the MSA Safety manufacturing site in Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne. The space is designed to provide firefighters with a location to further their knowledge about the latest available innovative safety technologies and make it more convenient for fire brigades to learn directly from the people who are developing the safety solutions that are helping to keep them safe on the job.
“Our investment in the Connected Worker and Firefighter Centre underscores how important not just Châtillon is to MSA, but how important our customers in France are to us,” Howells said. “We’re giving those customers here in France a nearby location to train and learn more about our products and solutions that are helping to keep them safe and we’re looking forward to sharing our latest innovations with them during the National Congress of French Firefighters in Mâcon.”
For the 130th edition, MSA is in Hall A 2A Stand A31. Keep up-to-date with the latest National Congress of French Firefighters happenings by visiting here or following MSA Safety's social media platforms.
About MSA Safety
MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE: MSA) is the global leader in advanced safety products, technologies and solutions. Driven by its singular mission of safety, the Company has been at the forefront of safety innovation since 1914, protecting workers and facility infrastructure around the world across a broad range of diverse end markets while creating sustainable value for shareholders. With 2023 revenues of $1.8 billion, MSA Safety is headquartered in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania and employs a team of over 5,000 associates across its more than 40 international locations. For more information, please visit www.MSASafety.com.