MILWAUKEE FIRE BELL CLUB INC

What MILWAUKEE FIRE BELL CLUB INC does

The Milwaukee Fire Bell Club Inc is a 100% volunteer nonprofit organization founded in 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to provide civilian on-scene rehabilitation support to firefighters at major incidents. The club operates three purpose-built mobile apparatus vehicles — Rehab 1 (a fully equipped mobile kitchen stocked with food service and ready-to-eat items, tents, misting fans, chairs, water, and foot warmers), Rehab 2 (a first response unit offering light refreshments, interior seating, and two restrooms), and Rehab 3 (additional rehabilitation support). Members are automatically dispatched by the Milwaukee Fire Department dispatch office on all third-alarm or greater incidents and can also be activated by special call from on-scene Battalion or Deputy Chiefs, with documented mutual aid responses to neighboring jurisdictions including West Allis, Cudahy, and Greenfield.

The organization is funded entirely through donations and fundraising rather than commercial pricing. Services are provided free of charge to municipal fire departments and active firefighters, with no disclosed contracts, subscription tiers, or fee structure. The Milwaukee Fire Bell Club is a founding member of the International Fire Buff Associates (IFBA), established in Milwaukee in 1953, and hosts the IFBA International Convention every ten years, most recently the 70th Anniversary Convention in summer/fall 2023. The 2026 officer roster (President Doug Hanke, Vice President Anne Hermsen-Yockey, Treasurer Chris Callen, Secretary Bob Wade, and Directors Bob Ristic, Tim Byers, and Trevor Pinkalla) confirms continued active operations under an annual elected-leadership governance model.

Name

MILWAUKEE FIRE BELL CLUB INC

Legal name

MILWAUKEE FIRE BELL CLUB INC

Website

https://milwaukeefirebellclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Milwaukee Fire Bell Club Inc is a 100% volunteer nonprofit founded in 1947 that provides on-scene firefighter rehabilitation services to the Milwaukee Fire Department and surrounding jurisdictions via three specialized mobile apparatus vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Services / Firefighter Rehabilitation Support

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Firefighter rehabilitation services
• Volunteer fire support
• Mobile rehab apparatus
• Emergency canteen services
• Fireground support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a nonprofit volunteer organization, the club operates through donations and fundraising events such as charity rides. Received approximately $3,700 donation from House of Harley Davidson in August 2022.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Milwaukee Fire Bell Club provides on-scene firefighter rehabilitation support services at major fire incidents in the Milwaukee Metropolitan Area. Using three dedicated mobile apparatus (Rehab 1 mobile kitchen, Rehab 2 first response unit with refreshments and restrooms, and Rehab 3), the 100% volunteer organization delivers hydration, nutrition, cooling/warming facilities, shade tents, and restrooms to firefighters at third alarm or greater incidents. Services are dispatched automatically through the Milwaukee Fire Department dispatch office and are provided free of charge to fire departments.

Product overview

MILWAUKEE FIRE BELL CLUB INC is a nonprofit 100% volunteer organization that provides on-scene firefighter rehabilitation support services. The organization operates three dedicated response apparatus vehicles—Rehab 1 (mobile kitchen), Rehab 2 (first response unit with refreshments and restrooms), and Rehab 3 (additional rehabilitation support)—that respond automatically to third-alarm or greater fire incidents, as well as special calls from on-scene Battalion or Deputy Chiefs. The organization was founded in 1947 and is a founding member of the International Fire Buff Associates (IFBA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Fire Buff Associates (IFBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1953MFBC is a founding member of IFBA, which was founded in Milwaukee in 1953. The club hosts the International Convention each ten years in honor of its founding. The 70th Anniversary IFBA Convention was hosted by MFBC in summer/fall 2023.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• International Fire Buff Associates (IFBA): The international association of fire buff and firefighter-support clubs, of which MFBC is a founding member (1953). It is comparable as the umbrella ecosystem in which MFBC operates and as the convener of the conventions MFBC hosts.

Regional players

• Chicago Fire Buff Club: A long-standing volunteer fire-buff organization supporting the Chicago Fire Department with on-scene firefighter rehabilitation and canteen services. Directly comparable as a peer civic-support organization serving a major Midwestern fire department in a different metro.
• Boston Fire Buff Club: Volunteer firefighter-support organization serving the Boston Fire Department with on-scene rehab and refreshment services. Comparable as a regional IFBA-affiliated peer with the same nonprofit, volunteer-driven structure.
• Cleveland Fire Buff Club: Volunteer firefighter-support organization serving the Cleveland Fire Department. Comparable as a regional IFBA-affiliated peer operating the same nonprofit, all-volunteer rehab-and-canteen model.
• Detroit Fire Buff Club: Volunteer fire buff organization supporting the Detroit Fire Department. Comparable as a regional peer providing similar on-scene rehabilitation support to firefighters in a different metro.
• Philadelphia Fire Buff Club: Volunteer fire buff organization supporting the Philadelphia Fire Department with rehab and canteen services at major incidents. Comparable as a peer in the IFBA-affiliated fire-buff community with a similar mission and volunteer-only operating model.

Emerging players

• Fire Department's Coffee (FDC): Nonprofit social enterprise that funds firefighter mental and physical wellness programs. Comparable as a nonprofit funding the broader firefighter-support mission, though its primary focus is coffee-funded grants rather than on-scene rehab apparatus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milwaukee-fire-bell-club-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 MILWAUKEE FIRE BELL CLUB INC