Pierce Manufacturing Inc. of Appleton, Wis., announced the expansion of its dealer network in April, appointing two new Canadian dealerships: Micmac Fire & Safety Ltd. based Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and Wholesale Fire & Rescue Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta.…

Friends of the late Tom Troutner have established a scholarship in his honor with the IAFC Foundation. Troutner, who died Feb. 10 after losing a battle with cancer, had a distinguished 23-year career in the fire service equipment industry, culminating at the time of his death as director of sales and marketing for Niedner, a division of Tyco International. On the board of directors for the Fire & Emergency Equipment Manufacturers and Services Association for many years, he also served a distinguished 23-year career in the U.S. Marines. The Troutner scholarship will be awarded annually to a military or civilian firefighter. For more information, visit www.iafcf.org online or call 571-344-5410.… Equity Residential, America's largest publicly traded apartment company, has announced a program to help new residents employed by fire or police departments or as school teachers in 1,000 communities in 34 states nationwide. Hometown Heroes provides discounts, which are different in each market and can be applied in addition to other community promotions, and include a percentage off the rent and zero equity deposit and application fees. For more information, visit www.equityapartments.com…. Smiths Group is buying SensIR Technologies LLC, a leading U.S. manufacturer of infrared-based detection equipment used by hazmat teams around the world, for a total of $75 million. The newly acquired business will fall under Smiths Detection, one of the company's four operating divisions. Smiths Group is satisfying the acquisition in cash and it is expected to close in May, subject to regulatory approvals. Smiths Group designs and manufactures safety systems and products in aerospace, detection, medicine and in the mechanical and interconnect industries. For more information, visit www.smiths-group.com…. First Virtual Communications of Redwood City, Calif., and McLean, Va., recently announced that its Click to MeetT Express 2.1.4 has met interoperability requirements as a Department of Defense Collaborative Tool Suite. A Defense Information Systems Agency Joint Interoperability Test Command report issued in March also certified the technology is optimized for use on all DOD networks. Click to Meet Conference Server is a multi-point audio and video conferencing and training solution. For more information, visit www.fvc.com…. The Economic Development Association of Western Nevada named the Haws Corp. of Sparks, Nev., “Business of the Year.” Haws makes fountains and emergency equipment, including drench showers and eyewashes. The company relocated to western Nevada from Berkeley, Calif., in 1996 and is a premier example of a large company helping the economic development of an area, said EDAWN. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.hawsco.com…. Seagrave Fire Apparatus has added two new dealers: Command Seagrave Inc. in Cincinnati and William Shoemaker Associates Inc. in Hamburg, N.Y.… Grace Industries Inc., a family-owned manufacturing company of life-safety equipment, has received a U.S. General Services Administration contract to sell its life-safety products through the GSA Multiple Awards Program under Federal Supply Schedule Contract # GS-07F-5727P. This contract allows all federal agencies and many state agencies, to buy directly from Grace Sales, Owings, Md., at “most favored customer” pricing associated with volume buying. Grace products meet or exceed NFPA 1982 requirements for PASS as well as the UL 913 Standard for Intrinsic Safety. For more information, visit www.gracesales.com.