femsa (fire and emergency manufacturers and services association)

What femsa (fire and emergency manufacturers and services association) does

FEMSA (Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association) is a 501(c)-style nonprofit trade association incorporated in Virginia and headquartered in Ashland, VA. Founded in 1967, it represents over 130 manufacturers, dealers, distributors, and service providers that supply equipment and services to fire departments, EMS agencies, and emergency responders in the United States and Canada. The association functions as an industry convening body rather than a product vendor, delivering value through a searchable Member Directory & Buyer's Guide, an annual conference jointly hosted with the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association (FAMA), industry newsletters and member news feeds, and a Governmental Affairs Committee that advocates for first-responder legislation on Capitol Hill.

FEMSA's commercial platform is built on a recurring membership model: companies pay annual non-refundable dues in exchange for directory listing, conference access, advocacy representation, and member resources. Secondary revenue derives from annual conference registration, sponsorships, and marketing packages. Day-to-day operations — including membership management via Member365 and website/administrative services — are outsourced to First Arriving under a 2022 partnership that consolidated previously fragmented systems into a unified member portal. Leadership is volunteer-based, drawn from member companies, with David Russell (Fire & Safety Services, Inc.) currently serving as President following a 2022 transition from James Long (W.S. Darley & Co.). Cross-organizational alliances with FAMA, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA), and Sourcewell extend FEMSA's reach into federal advocacy, standards-setting, and cooperative procurement channels.

Name

femsa (fire and emergency manufacturers and services association)

Legal name

Fire And Emergency Manufacturers And Services Association

Website

https://femsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FEMSA is a nonprofit trade association, founded in 1967, representing 130+ manufacturers, dealers, and service providers supplying equipment to U.S. and Canadian fire and EMS agencies through membership, advocacy, education, and its annual conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from manufacturers, dealers, and service providers in the fire and emergency services industry. The privacy policy notes that membership dues are non-refundable upon termination.
2. Annual Conference and Events: Revenue generated from the FEMSA/FAMA Annual Conference including registration fees, sponsorships, and vendor participation. The 2026 conference is scheduled for October 6-9 in Louisville, KY.
3. Event Sponsorships and Marketing: Marketing opportunities and sponsorship packages for members participating in conferences and industry events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FEMSA is a nonprofit trade association that represents fire and emergency equipment manufacturers, dealers, and service providers. It delivers membership services including a searchable Member Directory & Buyer's Guide, an annual conference, legislative advocacy through the Governmental Affairs Committee, industry news and newsletters, member spotlight profiles, and a public safety events calendar. The association acts as a unified industry voice connecting 130+ member companies with fire departments, EMS agencies, and other fire service organizations.

Product overview

FEMSA (Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association) is a trade association providing a platform of membership services for fire and emergency equipment manufacturers and service providers. Rather than a single product, FEMSA offers an integrated suite of member services including a searchable Member Directory & Buyer's Guide for procurement, Annual Conference for networking and education, Governmental Affairs Committee for legislative advocacy, Industry News & Newsletters for communication, Fire Service Events Calendar, Member Spotlight profiles, and a secure Member Area with resources. The association represents over 130 manufacturers and companies serving millions of fire and EMS professionals worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Member Directory & Buyer's Guide Online searchable directory of FEMSA member companies segmented by product and service category or location, enabling fire departments and EMS agencies to find fire and emergency equipment suppliers.
• Annual Conference Annual industry conference providing networking opportunities, educational sessions, and business intelligence from speakers for fire service professionals. The 2026 conference is scheduled for October 6-9 in Louisville, KY.
• Governmental Affairs Committee Joint FAMA/FEMSA legislative advocacy and education program that represents members before governmental entities to promote issues related to first responder needs, including the annual Hill Day in Washington, DC.
• Industry News & Newsletters Member news feed and archived newsletters providing updates on personnel changes, company news, and industry developments from FEMSA members.
• Fire Service Events Calendar Calendar of public safety events available for download, helping members stay informed about industry gatherings and training opportunities.
• Member Spotlight Featured profiles of FEMSA member companies highlighting their products, services, and company histories to the fire service community.
• Member Area & Resources Secure member-only section containing resources, member suggestions portal, job listings, partner information, and public and international resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 224 attendees from 127 member companies at 2019 Annual Conference

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First ArrivingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 February 2022First Arriving serves as FEMSA's administrative services provider supporting meetings and events, communications and marketing, financial reporting, membership management, and general administrative support. They also designed and developed FEMSA's new website launched in early 2022, consolidating multiple data platforms into one unified system for better member communication and registration management.
• SourcewellminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 September 2021Sourcewell, a government cooperative purchasing organization, partnered with WFCA (founders of FireRescue GPO) to provide procurement solutions. Revenue from the FireRescue GPO program supports the International Association of Fire Chiefs and state fire chiefs associations. FEMSA is connected to this network through WFCA partnership.
• FAMA (Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEMSA and FAMA jointly host the Annual/Fall Conference and work together on the Governmental Affairs Committee (GAC) to advocate for fire service legislation and maintain leadership relationships with governmental entities. The organizations share educational programming and industry initiatives.
• Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFCA is a member organization serving fire chiefs throughout the western United States. FEMSA maintains a partnership with WFCA for industry representation and collaborative initiatives in the fire service community.
• Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEMSA participates in CFSI events including the annual CFSI Dinner held in Washington, DC as part of Hill Day activities. CFSI represents fire service interests at the federal level.
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFPA is referenced as part of the FEMSA community of organizations working on standards, education, and fire service advancement.
• Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFDSOA cooperated with Darley and FAMA to host a Virtual Fire Apparatus Conference, providing educational content for emergency vehicle technicians. FEMSA shares news about FDSOA events with its members.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA): FDSOA is a niche association for safety officers that cooperates with FAMA on apparatus training; it overlaps with FEMSA's audience and has co-hosted educational events that FEMSA members consume.

Direct peers

• Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association (FAMA): FAMA is FEMSA's closest counterpart, representing fire apparatus manufacturers; the two jointly run the Annual/Fall Conference and the Governmental Affairs Committee, making them directly comparable trade bodies in the same fire-service ecosystem.
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): IAFC represents fire chiefs and senior officers and is a key buyer-side counterpart to FEMSA's manufacturer members; Sourcewell's FireRescue GPO revenue flows through IAFC, making it a structurally comparable trade body.
• Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI): CFSI is the federal advocacy counterpart for the fire service and FEMSA's Hill Day partner at the CFSI Dinner; it is a small, mission-aligned trade-style organization serving overlapping constituents.
• Safety Equipment Institute (SEI): SEI is a smaller standards/certification association serving personal protective equipment manufacturers, structurally similar to FEMSA as an industry trade body supporting fire and safety equipment suppliers.

Broad incumbents

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA is the dominant fire-safety standards and codes organization; while broader in scope than FEMSA, it serves many of the same manufacturers, dealers, and fire departments and is a referenced FEMSA partner.
• Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM): AEM is a broader industrial trade association that, like FEMSA, runs industry events (e.g., CONEXPO), advocacy, and member services; it is comparable as a larger trade-association operating model serving equipment manufacturers.
• National Safety Council (NSC): NSC is a large nonprofit safety-focused membership and advocacy organization; while its scope extends beyond fire, its member-funded advocacy, training, and events model is structurally analogous to FEMSA's.

Regional players

• Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA): WFCA is a regional fire chiefs association that FEMSA partners with directly; it is comparable as a smaller membership association serving the fire-service ecosystem but with a geographic concentration in the western U.S.

Others

• Sourcewell: Sourcewell is the government cooperative purchasing organization tied to FireRescue GPO; it is not a peer association but is a key commercial partner in FEMSA's distribution ecosystem for member products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/FEMSANews
• Facebookfacebook.com/FEMSAnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/femsa-news
• Instagraminstagram.com/femsa_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 femsa (fire and emergency manufacturers and services association)