Firefly Fire Pumps Pvt Ltd: The Pioneers of Fire and Safety Services

It all started way back in 1958 when Mr. Dinkar Mali (the founder member) a military veteran (retired) joined hands with his elder brother Shivram to start a small mechanical workshop in Kolhapur city to carry out repairs jobs of agricultural equipment and tractor trolleys under the name of Mahadeo Iron Works.

Mr. Mali had three sons Sanjay, Rajendra, and Shirish. Mr. Sanjay Mali and Mr. Rajendra Mali then took over the company matters after the sudden demise of their father in 1986 and the company was now shifted from Shiroli to the present location – Gokul Shirgaon MIDC carrying a new name as Mahadeo Engg. Works where they initiated Fire Vehicle Fabrication business. The two educated brothers worked hard day and night with a fresh zest.

In 2004, a new company was incorporated – Firefly Fire Pumps Pvt Ltd. in the same place where the business of fire vehicles was closed and manufacturing of ‘fire pumps’ was continued. The order book for such pumps was full for consecutive years, and the brand Firefly had become popular in many fire brigades pan India.

The year 2006 was a major stepping stone when the first work order was received from Taiwan,  the company’s very first foreign purchase order in history. This order was won against many established giant brands in Europe and the USA. The confidence level about the quality was now at its peak. At this point, Mr. Shirish Mali the youngest of brothers, joined the company focusing on the marketing of products.

A Need and The Solution

In the early days, majority of the vehicle-mounted fire pumps installed in India were imported from other countries. There was no Indian Manufacturer who had the capacity to manufacture fire pumps of global standards.

At that time, Firefly Fire Pumps Pvt Ltd. initiated its business in India to fill up the vacuum of manufacturing fire pumps in the country. Thus, the company began with a vision to develop firefighting pumps of Global Standards, which are manufactured in India itself.

Today, Firefly Fire Pumps Pvt Ltd is a globally recognized brand in the Fire Fighting Pump Industry and India’s largest manufacturer, supplier, and exporter of vehicle mounting firefighting pumps. It has been serving this industry for the last 40 years with 10000+ pump installations.

Over these years, Firefly Fire Pumps has consistently and successfully pioneered the field of firefighting pumps by delivering innovative products to suit the demands of fire professionals. This way it believes in contributing its share for the betterment of the firefighting community. Today, Firefly Fire Pumps Pvt Ltd is a multi-product and multifaceted company, manufacturing a wide range of firefighting pumps and equipment and exporting its products to various countries.

The Impressive Products Range

Firefly Fire Pumps Pvt. Ltd. has a wide product portfolio that includes –

• Vehicle Mounting Fire Pumps
• Power Take-off Units
• Portable Fire Pumps
• Fire Fighting Nozzles
• Trailer Fire Pumps
• Skid Fire Pumps

With this plethora of products, the company aims to serve various industries such as state fire services, oil refineries, chemical industries, automotive industries, paper industries, luxury hotels/resorts, warehouses, and the power sector with a wide range of applications such as fire fighting, de-watering, high-pressure Washing etc.

Firefly Fire Pumps has consistently and successfully pioneered the field of firefighting pumps by delivering innovative products to suit the demands of fire professionals

A Challenging Start

Majorly, fire pumps were manufactured by foreign companies. When Firefly Fire Pumps Pvt Ltd entered the industry, developing the product understanding requirements by fire professionals and manufacturing products of a global standard that would fulfill the customer’s needs was a teaching and challenging start for the company.

The Pandemic Rollout

The year 2020 was unprecedented, to put it mildly. As a country — like the rest of the world — it was a period of loss, grief, learning, and growth. Many people began working from home and juggling a chaotic work-life balance as schools and daycares shut down.

The company followed strict COVID-19 guidelines as issued by the Government. For example:

• Shifting from physical meetings to online meetings, which was tough.
• Ensuring all workplaces are clean and hygienic.
• Surfaces (e.g. desks and tables) and objects (e.g. telephones, keyboards) are wiped with disinfectant regularly
• Promotion of regular and thorough hand-washing among employees
• Placing hand sanitizing rub dispensers in prominent places around the workplace.
• Temperature check of all employees regularly
• Maintaining social distance between employees.

Advice to the Fire Enthusiasts

Firefighters have been around for centuries in many different capacities and scopes of practice. The fire service has adapted to the world as it changes, with the only goal being to continue to help people.

Firefighters are in great demand from various industries though there is a misconception that only fire brigades and government fire departments require them. Workplaces such as oil companies, MNCs, chemical plants, refineries, general industries, electricity boards, and construction firms recruit fire safety managers.

Thus, enthusiasts need to have a basic understanding of fire, hydraulics, fire prevention, firefighting tools, first-aid, communication systems, fire safety engineering along chemistry and physics.

Aspire to be Magnanimous

Firefly Fire Pumps is one of the largest vehicle-mounted fire pump manufacturers in India. It caters to more than 60% of India’s vehicle-mounted fire fighting pump market, and the company intends to increase market coverage drastically to 80%.

Firefly wants to be Asia’s largest manufacturer and supplier of truck fire pumps by 2025. It wants to be recognized as one of the best fire pump manufacturers globally, coming from India. Its core values and ideologies will definitely help the company achieve its goals.

Firefly Fire Pumps Pvt Ltd is a globally recognized brand in the Fire Fighting Pump Industry and India’s largest manufacturer, supplier, and exporter of vehicle mounting firefighting pumps

The Fire and Safety Sector Today

At present, ‘Fire and Safety’ requirements have increased to a great extent but the development of fire services has not made much headway.

The setting of industrial plants at a fast rate by using hazardous material and construction of larger and taller buildings have multiplied the problems of firefighting. The fire hazards are no longer confined to big cities and manufacturing centres. Vast quantities of hazardous material are daily moved by different modes of transport, leading to complicated fire rescue problems.

Thus, the fire services need to be organized properly with adequate infrastructure and equipment to keep pace with technology and economic growth.