Press Release

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MSA (NYSE: MSA) announced today that it has been awarded a $1.9 Million contract to provide Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) to the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire (PBF).  The decision was made after a thorough and competitive evaluation process conducted by representatives of the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters Local No. 1 Union and by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Administration.  In all, three SCBA manufacturers competed for the award.

Under the terms of the contract, MSA will produce approximately 450 FireHawk® M7 Air Masks, 1000 facepieces and 900 cylinders for the PBF.  In addition to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, the SCBA will also be used by the City of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.  The SCBA award represents an extension of the protective equipment support MSA currently provides to the Bureau.  Other MSA fire service products used by the PBF include Cairns Fire Helmets, thermal imaging cameras and various gas detection devices.

"The Firehawk M7 Air Mask represents the most advanced technology available in critical personal protection and is a staple of MSA's product line for the fire service market," said Joseph A. Bigler, President, MSA North America.  "We're proud to reestablish our partnership with our hometown department, but more importantly, we're honored that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire has again entrusted MSA with the responsibility of protecting the men and women who keep us safe each day."

Mr. Bigler added that the SCBA contract also represents the beginning of a new partnership between MSA and the PBF, as MSA will now be better positioned to seek input from its hometown department on future product development initiatives. 

"This partnership with MSA, coupled with the fact that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) research facility is located in the South Hills area of town, sets the stage for Pittsburgh to become a product development hub for fire fighter safety in the United States," said Michael Huss, Director of Public Safety for the City of Pittsburgh.  "The Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire is pleased to be a part of this new and exciting opportunity."

MSA is now conducting on-site product training and facepiece fit testing, a process required to ensure the proper fit of the SCBA facepiece to each individual user.  Approximately 85 percent of the force has been trained and fit tested, and plans are in place to complete the process within the next two weeks.  The new Air Masks are expected to be in use by years' end.

About MSA:

Established in 1914, MSA is a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people's health and safety.  Many MSA products typically integrate any combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations. The company's comprehensive line of products is used by workers around the world in the fire service, oil, gas and petrochemical industry, homeland security, construction, mining and other industries, as well as the military.  Principal products include self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, gas detection instruments, head protection, fall protection devices and thermal imaging cameras. The company also provides a broad range of consumer and contractor safety products through retail channels.  These products are marketed and sold under the Safety Works brand. (More information on Safety Works products is available at www.SafetyWorks.com.)  MSA has annual sales of approximately $1 billion, manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America, and 42 international locations.  Additional information is available on the company's Web site at www.msanet.com.

SOURCE MSA

Mark Deasy, +1-724-741-8570