Our Fire Pumps
WATERAX is proud to continue its century-long tradition of designing, manufacturing and supporting high-performance and durable portable pumps suited to meet the most difficult water handling requirements.
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About
WATERAX
WATERAX has a long, proud and exciting history of moving water around the world. WATERAX originated as Watson Jack & Company, which was founded in 1898 by Montreal, Quebec native John Colquhoun Watson Jack. Born on August 19, 1870, Jack was a Canadian inventor, businessman and trail-blazer.
In 1904, shortly after founding Watson Jack & Company, John Colquhoun Watson Jack became an agent for Sprague Electric, Sprague Elevator and Otis Elevators. He diversified his business holdings and by 1910 Watson Jack & Company was trading in metals, dyestuffs, chemical boilers and electrical supplies. In 1925, Watson Jack & Company became the manufacturer of a powerful 200 PSI portable fire pump called the WAJAX (an acronym of Watson Jack’s name).
After Watson Jack & Company and its FH Hopkins subsidiary were acquired by BJ Coghlin & Company in 1954, the operations of the two newly acquired businesses were merged to form a single subsidiary. This subsidiary was called Watson Jack Hopkins Ltd. until 1959 when it was renamed Wajax Equipment Ltd.
In 1964, Wajax Equipment Ltd. purchased Pacific Marine’s fire division and its name was changed to Pacific Pumpers Inc. This merger made the Canadian company North America’s leading producer of wildland firefighting equipment, with an offering that included the MARK-3® pump.
Since the 1960s, the MARK-3® series has been the gold standard in performance, reliability and durability. The MARK-3® is the standard wildland portable fire pump trusted by forestry agencies around the world and a truly innovative Canadian success story. Between the 1980s and 2010s the company continued to transform, operating under different banners until it was incorporated into WATERAX in 2014. Based in Montreal, Quebec, today the company exports wildland firefighting equipment to over 50 countries around the world.
Product News
WATERAX News
When Extreme is the New Normal
Wildland firefighting is one of the most dangerous and demanding professions in the world. Firefighters battle grueling, life-threatening situations and go where most people would never dare to go. As fires become more extreme, it’s essential that the equipment that...
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Articles
Logging in Jefferson County (CO) for Fire Mitigation Stokes Anger Among Residents
John Aguilar - The Denver Post EVERGREEN — Hundreds of freshly cut ponderosa logs lay stacked in rows in Elk Meadow Park, some measuring several feet in diameter — and more than a century old. Not far away, wood chips and slash litter a clearing where trees once...
NM Lawmakers Seek Assurances Over Prescribed Burns
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are looking for assurances from the U.S. Forest Service that the agency is taking preventative measures to ensure that future prescribed fires don't turn into disasters. They sent a letter this...
Celebrating 60 Years of PHOS-CHEK: Honoring George Roby, a Hero of Fire Safety
PHOS-CHEK fire retardant was first approved by the US Forest Service for use as an aerial fire retardant in 1963. In the decades since, PHOS-CHEK has helped firefighters to save countless lives and protect thousands of homes from wildfire. To celebrate the fire...
Video: A Life Vest and an Airboat for a Wildland Fire? Yep!
Grab your life vests! Our fire personnel @ Sacramento NWR (CA) completed a #rxfire via airboat and terra torch - allowing them to reach areas of the wetland that are normally inaccessible. Regular fire in wetlands is vital to promote healthy habitat for wildlife 📽️...
Mount Tamalpais Prescribed Fires Delayed Amid ‘Tricky’ Factors
Richard Halstead The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif. (TNS) Feb. 19—A prescribed burn on Mount Tamalpais planned for this month — the first one in years — was postponed because of wetter-than-expected conditions, and it is now uncertain if it will take place...
Why’s He Always Yelling At Me
If you’re anything like me, you might think you know what your boss is thinking when he or she talks to you. You think you can tell by the expression on their face or the particular words they use. Are they happy with me? Do they think I’m doing a good job? I usually...