Throughout 2007, Scott Health & Safety is celebrating its diamond anniversary, recognizing its history as a leader in innovation and manufacturing excellence. Since its humble beginnings as a small aviation company to its current position as a world leading manufacturer of life saving products, Scott is proud of its past and is positioned for growth in the future.Scott Health & Safety was founded as Scott Aviation in 1932 when Earl M. Scott began manufacturing the first pivoting tail wheel for airplanes in his Lancaster, NY home. The company grew steadily for the first few years as manufacturer of several different aviation components, but exploded when, during World War II, the British Royal Air Force asked Mr. Scott to develop a walk-around, on-board oxygen system for its pilots so they could safely fly to altitudes of 30,000 feet over the Burma Hump into China. From that invention, Mr. Scott developed the first Air-Pak® SCBA model in 1945 called the 6000 B4A. Thinking there was a market for his product for the fire service, Mr. Scott approached the local departments about his SCBA, but it wasn’t an overnight sensation. “Back then, firefighters were nicknamed “smoke eaters” for good reason,” says Mike Ryan, newly appointed General Manager and Vice President of Scott Health & Safety. “They simply used wet handkerchiefs or canister masks to filter smoke as they fought fires.” Seventy-five years later, the Scott Air-Pak has become synonymous with self contained breathing apparatus within the U.S. fire service and is used every day by hundreds of thousands of U.S. firefighters in a majority of the most populated cities in America, including New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Miami, San Diego and Phoenix. It is the premier SCBA in the U.S. and was crucial to the search and rescue efforts during 9/11 in New York and Washington D.C.From its beginning as an aviation components manufacturer in Earl Scott’s basement, Scott has grown to become the premiere manufacturer of innovative respiratory and other personal protective equipment and safety devices for industrial workers, police squads, militaries, homeland security forces, rescue teams and firefighters around the world. Scott took its first foray into the international market in 1997, specifically the newly opened Chinese market, to form the joint venture manufacturing facility Shanghai Eagle to develop SCBA for the Asian market. That venture was successful in its first year of operation and is now the largest SCBA manufacturer in the region. In 1999, the company split into two separate businesses - Scott Aviation and Scott Health and Safety. In 2000, Scott Health & Safety grew again internationally when it acquired Kemira Safety Oy with a 70 year history of manufacturing quality, innovative respiratory products. Kemira became Scott Oy and continues to supply Scott with innovative designs and products for industrial workers. Tyco International purchased Scott Health & Safety in 2001 and has grown the company’s global presence by adding several very respected and powerful global brands to the Scott Health & Safety family. Protector, a premiere brand of respiratory protection products and Unisafe, a recognized as leader in eye, head and ear protection equipment, have extended the reach of Scott into new product lines and global markets. In 2004, Tyco divested its last connection with the original Scott Aviation to concentrate on Scott’s core line – personal safety products. Later in 2004, Tyco added Fire Equipment de Mexico, S.A. (F.E.M.S.A.), a manufacturer of firefighter protective clothing and other firefighting gear, to Scott’s product line which extends Scott’s reach into the South & Latin American markets.Now, with six global manufacturing locations, Scott produces products that protect thousands of individuals around the globe each day from environmental hazards including smoke, toxic fumes, combustible gases, falling objects, and contaminants.“Over the past 75 years, Scott has been on the forefront of innovation, using extensive research and gathering “Voice of the Customer” input to design and develops its products, many of which have become standards in the industry,” says Mr. Ryan, “Beginning with the first compressed air SCBA, some of the other firsts Scott has introduced include the single-lens facepiece, the integrated PASS device, the 4500 psi cylinder, the snap-change cylinder, and the Top-Down Convertibility™ design concept, which allows a personal issued facepiece to be used in multiple applications from air-supplied to air-purification.”Today, the innovative spirit continues at Scott with the introduction of several new products that will revolutionize the way firefighters do their jobs. The Scott Pak-Tracker™ Firefighter Locator System is an innovative firefighter locator device that is available as both a stand-alone system or integrated into an SCBA. The new Scott EPIC™ Communications Systems is a revolutionary wireless facepiece-integrated communications system that will change the way firefighters communicate with each other on the fireground. Scott is also introducing several new products in gas detection, including a fixed instrument utilizing photoionization detector (PID) technology, normally only found in portable instruments.“It is through our commitment to innovation and groundbreaking product development that Scott Health & Safety remains on the forefront of protecting firefighters and industrial personnel from harmful working environments,” continues Mr. Ryan, “We support all our products with excellent customer support and the best warranty in the business, and we will continue this mission for the next 75 years and beyond.”For more information about Scott Health & Safety, visit our website at www.scotthealthsafety.com.About Scott Health & SafetyScott Health & Safety, a business unit of Tyco International, is a premiere manufacturer of innovative respiratory and other personal protective equipment and safety devices for firefighters, industrial workers, police squads, militaries, homeland security forces, and rescue teams around the world. With five global manufacturing locations, Scott produces products that protect thousands of individuals each day from environmental hazards including smoke, toxic fumes, combustible gases, falling objects, and contaminants. The Scott product line includes self-contained breathing apparatus, supplied air and air-purifying respirators, gas detection instruments, thermal imaging cameras, firefighter locators, head, face, eye and hearing protection, decontamination showers, and safety signs and markers.About TycoTyco International Ltd. is a global, diversified company that provides vital products and services to customers around the world. More information on Tyco can be found at www.tyco.com.For more information, contact:Dan McKinney, Marketing Communications ManagerScott Health & SafetyPhone: (704) 291-8418Email: dmckinney@tycoint.com
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