A Canadian Company Established in 1959!
On being discharged from the Canadian Army in 1945 and finishing an interrupted education, Thomas Webster started his career in the fire protection industry in Windsor, Ontario as an accountant with the General Detroit Corp. Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of a large United States manufacturer of fire extinguishers. He later became General Manager of the Canadian operations before the company was eventually sold and the Canadian subsidiary was dissolved.
In 1959, with three children and another on the way, Mr. Webster and his wife Selena founded National Fire Equipment Ltd. from their small family home on St. Paul Avenue in Windsor. With hard work, determination, and considerable financial sacrifices, National eventually became a respected supplier to the fire industry specializing in standpipe sales, fire extinguisher service and system installations in the Southwestern Ontario area. Mr. Webster later joined forces with Canadian Fire Hose Corp. (CFH) in 1965 and moved to Montreal.
In 1973 he moved to his hometown of Toronto and established the new National Fire Equipment Ltd. head office in Scarborough. Shortly thereafter, with partners, he started Mercedes Textiles Ltd., now the premium hose manufacturer in Canada. National continues to supply a complete line of Mercedes fire hose products today. In addition to industrial and municipal fire hose, National Fire Equipment also offers a complete line of forestry and municipal fire fighting products including pumps, nozzles, and tools.
Mr. Webster’s two sons, Keith and Daniel, had become active in the business and, in the early 1990s, decided to diversify the company into the fire sprinkler markets. Through strategic acquisitions and internal growth, National Fire expanded its product lines to offer its customers complete system components in all major centers across Canada.
After purchasing the assets of Simplex Grinnell’s steel pipe fabrication facility on Matheson Boulevard in Mississauga, Ontario, and forming National Fire Fabrication Ltd., the company became one of the largest providers of prefabricated steel pipe to fire contractors in the country.
Thomas Webster became less active in the business and fully retired in 1991. Daniel Webster took over as president in 2004.
After a long career, growing up in the great depression, serving his country and wounded in the fields of Belgium during World War II, with 5 children, and 9 grandchildren, that start of our company at the age of 95 on Canada Day July 1, 2016, Mr. Webster passed away of natural causes at Sunnybrook War Veteran’s Center in Toronto.
Thomas Webster’s youngest son, Daniel Webster continues to operate the business today and is the sole owner. Working along side the fantastic employees of National Fire we continue to grow and diversify. We look forward to the next 65 years!
In 2024, National Fire embarked upon on our 65th Anniversary in business! Over six decades of providing fire protection solutions to our valued partners across Canada and many other parts of the world! How time flies when you are having fun!
I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our customers and suppliers. Our growth has been exceptional. From the home of my father’s garage in Windsor, Ontario, to branches and sales offices across the country, we have become the largest provider of fire fighting products in Canada. Our growth over the many years would not be possible without your support. All of us at National Fire value our customers and suppliers and thank you for your support of the many years.
I would also like to thank all the employees of National Fire. Your professionalism, hard work and commitment is the reason we have become a leader in our industry. All of us together are greater than any one of us alone.
To all our employees and future employees, it is my privilege to also communicate the values and principles that guide our conduct and interactions within our organization.
At National Fire Equipment, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism. Our success is built upon the foundation of trust, accountability, and ethical behaviour, and it is imperative that each of us upholds these principles in every aspect of our work.
We are committed to fostering inclusive and collaborative environment where every individual is valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best.
As we engage with our colleagues, customers, partners, and the community at large, we must always conduct ourselves with honesty, transparency, and the utmost regard for fairness and ethical practices. Our reputation as an organization hinges on the conduct of each and every one of us, and it is incumbent upon us to act with the highest level of professionalism and integrity.
All employees of National Fire Equipment are familiar with our full Code of Conduct, which outlines the specific behaviours and practices that are expected of all members of our organization.
Thank you for your commitment to upholding our Code of Conduct and for embracing the values that define National Fire Equipment.
Established in 1959, National Fire Equipment Ltd. is a multi-branch company dedicated exclusively to the fire protection industry. With our corporate offices located near Toronto, Ontario and distribution centers and sales offices across the country, National Fire offers the most complete range of fire protection products in North America. We keenly support our trade associations such as NFPA, CASA and NAFED in the ongoing improvement of our industry and the advancement of fire protection safety. We work with building code consultants, designers and consulting engineers in the development of fire protection products to improve fire safety, enable fire fighting and protect lives.
We are a fully diversified, one-stop shop for fire protection specialists involved in the specification, design, installation, inspection, testing and service of fire protection systems and components. We are the leading manufacturer and supplier of fire protection equipment in Canada. No matter what industry sector you service or type of equipment you need, if it’s involved with fire protection, we have it!
National Fire Equipment is Canada’s leading fire protection supplier of innovative products, services, and solutions. We are committed to being a trusted partner to our valued customers through our highly knowledgeable and dedicated team.
The employees at National Fire are among the brightest in the business. Many of our customer service and sales team are from the industry and have worked in the contracting and system design field. Our customer support people understand your business and know every product’s capabilities to help you choose the right equipment for the job or application.
If you want a plumbing product, go to a plumbing store. We sell only fire fighting related products to fire protection professionals. And we support that exceptional commitment through knowledgeable advice from our technical support experts.
While we continue to develop our own manufactured products, we are committed to always sourcing out through the global markets, providing the most innovative products available to our customers. Our distribution divisions partner with the leading and most innovative manufacturers in the fire protection industry – names such as Fike, Tyco, ASC Engineered Solutions and Strike First to name a few. We carry the largest and most diverse inventory of fire protection products in the country.
