DUBUQUE FIRE EQUIPMENT

What DUBUQUE FIRE EQUIPMENT does

Dubuque Fire Equipment, Inc. is a family-owned fire-safety services company founded in 1945 in Dubuque, Iowa, currently under third-generation Blaser family ownership (Maggie Blaser, President/Owner). The company sells, services, and inspects portable fire extinguishers (Ansul, Amerex, RangeGuard, Badger), restaurant and industrial fire suppression systems (Ansul R-102, PIRANHA, RangeGuard, I-101, SAPPHIRE), emergency and exit lighting, and first-aid cabinets, and it performs kitchen hood, vent, and duct cleaning under NFPA 96. Ancillary streams include CO2 and beverage gas delivery, first-aid cabinet restocking, and DOT-certified high- and low-pressure hydrotesting of SCBA, SCUBA, oxygen, carbonic gas, CO2 fire extinguisher, and paintball cylinders.

The operating model is a regional, mobile field-services platform backed by a non-mobile shop at 1170 Roosevelt Extension, Dubuque, providing on-site recharging and inspections through seven mobile recharge vehicles plus dedicated hood/duct cleaning, CO2 delivery, and installation vehicles, with 24-hour emergency service coverage. Technology is limited to an electronic record-keeping and bar-coding system for service tracking on fire extinguishers, suppression systems, emergency lighting, eye-wash stations, and alarms, plus ICC/NAFED, ANSUL, DOT E020, and ISNetworld/PICS A-rated certifications. The company is licensed in Iowa (FP-063), Illinois (0034-AB), and Wisconsin (1213253) and serves a Tri-State footprint roughly covering a 100-mile radius of Dubuque, Southwestern Wisconsin, and Northern Illinois.

Revenue mechanics are professional-services-driven: recurring NFPA 17 semi-annual suppression inspections, annual and 6-year internal extinguisher inspections, and on-demand recharges and hydrotests create a compliance-driven annuity, with pricing quoted per job rather than via published tiers. Customers are primarily restaurants and food-service operators, with secondary demand from industrial and commercial accounts needing fire suppression, extinguisher service, and DOT hydrotesting; engineered gaseous suppression and fire detection systems are delivered through a partnership with Vendigard Fire Equipment, and hood installation is co-delivered with Advantage Sheet Metal.

Name

DUBUQUE FIRE EQUIPMENT

Legal name

Dubuque Fire Equipment, Inc.

Website

https://dbqfire.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dubuque Fire Equipment is a family-owned Tri-State (Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin) fire-safety services firm selling, servicing, and inspecting fire extinguishers, restaurant and industrial suppression systems, kitchen hoods, exit lighting, and DOT-certified cylinders for restaurants, commercial, and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection Services

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (33331)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire Extinguisher Services (Inspection/Recharge/Hydrostatic Testing) (IMAIAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Testing, Inspection, Maintenance & Compliance Services (NFPA/Local Code) (HSAHAFAG)

Keywords

• Fire extinguisher services
• Fire suppression systems
• Kitchen hood cleaning
• Hydrotesting services
• Commercial fire safety

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubuque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fire Extinguisher Sales, Service & Installation: Sales, servicing, and installation of fire extinguishers including Ansul, Amerex, and RangeGuard brands. Includes annual and 6-year internal inspections performed on-site.
2. Fire Suppression System Sales, Service & Installation: Restaurant and industrial fire suppression systems including ANSUL R-102, PIRANHA, RangeGuard, and I-101 systems. Semi-annual inspection and testing per NFPA 17.
3. Kitchen Hood, Vent & Duct Cleaning: Pressure washing and scraping technique cleaning for restaurant kitchen exhaust systems per NFPA 96 requirements.
4. First Aid Cabinet Restocking & Sales: Onsite restocking and delivery of first aid cabinets according to customer specifications.
5. Carbonic Gas (CO2) & Beverage Gas Delivery: Delivery of CO2 cylinders (5#, 10#, 15#, 20#, 50# & 75#) and nitrogen for beverage dispensing, helium for balloons, and beer mix for restaurants/taverns.
6. DOT Hydrotesting Services: DOT certified high and low pressure hydro-test facility for SCBA, SCUBA, oxygen, carbonic gas, CO2 fire extinguisher cylinders, and paintball cylinders.
7. Emergency & Exit Lighting Sales & Service: Sales and servicing of emergency lighting units and exit signs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dubuque Fire Equipment sells, services, and inspects portable fire extinguishers; designs, installs, and inspects commercial fire suppression systems (including kitchen and industrial systems); performs kitchen hood and exhaust cleaning; operates a DOT-certified hydrostatic testing facility for cylinders; and delivers CO2 and beverage gases. The company also supplies emergency/exit lighting, first aid products, and related safety equipment, supported by a mobile service fleet.

Product overview

Dubuque Fire Equipment is a family-owned fire safety service company operating since 1945, offering a comprehensive portfolio of fire safety products and services. The core offerings include fire extinguisher sales, service, installation, and hydrotesting (Ansul, Amerex, RangeGuard, Badger brands), fire suppression system installation and maintenance for restaurant and industrial applications, and kitchen hood/duct cleaning services. The company also provides emergency lighting, first aid supplies, CO2 and beverage gas delivery, and engineered alarm systems through partnerships. Supporting services include mobile recharge units for on-site maintenance, electronic bar coding for regulatory compliance tracking, and fire safety training demonstrations. The company operates as an authorized distributor for multiple fire equipment manufacturers while providing independent inspection, testing, and certification services across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fire Extinguisher Sales, Service and Inspection
• Fire Suppression System Design, Installation and Inspection
• Kitchen Hood and Exhaust Cleaning
• Hydrostatic Testing (DOT Certified)
• CO2 and Beverage Gas Delivery
• Emergency and Exit Lighting
• First Aid Supplies and Cabinets

Quantifiable outcome

• Quick hydrotest turnaround of 3-5 days for 12-year hydrotesting at local shop
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Advantage Sheet MetalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDubuque Fire Equipment partners with Advantage Sheet Metal for restaurant hood installations. The partnership allows both companies to serve as a single source for hood installation and fire suppression system projects, simplifying customer coordination.
• Vendigard Fire EquipmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVendigard Fire Equipment and Dubuque Fire Equipment collaborate through the Tri-State Single Source Service to provide all installation, maintenance, and inspections for engineered gaseous fire suppression and fire detection systems.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Koorsen Fire & Security: Family-owned regional fire safety services company headquartered in Indianapolis, operating across the Midwest. Closely comparable to Dubuque Fire Equipment in operating model — mobile service fleet, multi-generation ownership, NFPA inspection, suppression service, and hydrotesting — though at materially larger scale.
• Pye-Barker Fire & Safety: PE-backed fire safety services consolidator that has acquired more than 100 regional operators. Directly comparable in offering (extinguishers, suppression, alarms) and acquisition-led growth strategy, but with vastly greater scale and national reach.
• Sciens Building Solutions: PE-backed fire safety and security services provider with a multi-state footprint. Comparable in recurring inspection revenue model and integrator role, though focus skews toward detection and alarm systems alongside fire suppression.
• Fire Systems Inc. Mid-sized fire protection services contractor providing inspection, service, and installation of extinguishers, suppression, and alarm systems. Comparable in service breadth and customer mix, though operating in a different regional geography.
• Vanguard Fire Systems: Regional fire suppression and extinguisher services company. Comparable in core offering (Ansul-distributed systems, kitchen hood suppression, hydrotesting) and customer base of restaurants and industrial accounts.
• Performance Systems Inc. (PSI): Regional fire and life safety services provider in the Midwest. Directly comparable in service mix — extinguisher service, suppression systems, and kitchen hood cleaning — and operates mobile service routes similar to Dubuque's seven-vehicle fleet.
• Summit Fire & Security: PE-backed fire and life safety services provider offering inspection, testing, and installation services across multiple states. Closely comparable in operating model and recurring revenue thesis, though at significantly larger scale.

Others

• Brooks Equipment: National distributor of fire extinguishers, suppression systems, and related equipment. Comparable ecosystem position as an authorized distributor of major brands (Amerex, Ansul, Badger) — enabling or adjacent rather than a direct service competitor.

Broad incumbents

• APi Group: Public holding company with a large life safety services segment offering extinguisher, suppression, sprinkler, and alarm services. Comparable service lines but operates as a multi-billion-dollar broad incumbent across fire and security infrastructure.
• Cintas Corporation: Large public services company whose Fire Protection division provides extinguisher service, suppression, and alarm inspection. Operates a national footprint with mobile service routes, comparable to Dubuque's GTM, but as part of a much broader uniform, first aid, and facility services portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dubuque-fire-equipment

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DUBUQUE FIRE EQUIPMENT