Madison Fire & Rescue: Building a Global Safety Platform
Madison Industries has long invested in companies that make the world safer, healthier and more productive. Few platforms embody that mission as directly as Madison Fire & Rescue, the group of premier rescue technology and fire suppression brands Madison built over the past several years, companies whose tools are trusted by firefighters and first responders in the most dangerous moments imaginable.
It started with a series of individual partnerships. Task Force Tips, the Indiana-based innovator in firefighting nozzles, and Amkus, known for its rescue tools on NASCAR and NHRA safety teams, were among the first to join Madison. Holmatro Group, the Netherlands-based hydraulic rescue equipment maker, followed soon after, bringing a shared mission and a culture built on entrepreneurship, trust and long-term thinking. WATERAX, a Montreal-based manufacturer of lightweight portable fire pumps trusted by wildland firefighters in more than 50 countries, and Fire Fighting Systems, a global leader in designing and manufacturing large-capacity firefighting systems for both marine and land-based applications, later joined Madison Fire & Rescue, rounding out the platform’s portfolio.
Rather than folding these companies into one homogenized operation, Madison Fire & Rescue let each brand keep its identity and technical expertise, while providing the resources and long-term capital to grow faster than they could have independently. The platform grew to roughly 750 employees serving customers in more than 125 countries, with a portfolio tied to more than 24,000 documented civilian rescues.
That growth drew the attention of one of the most respected names in industrial safety. In July 2026, 3M and Bain Capital acquired Madison Fire & Rescue, for $1.95 billion. 3M contributed its Scott Safety self-contained breathing apparatus business into a new joint venture, pairing it with the rescue and fire suppression brands Madison had built. The combined company, Sentorum, unites six brands – Scott Safety, Holmatro, Task Force Tips, Amkus, WATERAX and Fire Fighting Systems – into one of the most comprehensive life-safety companies in the world.
It’s a familiar arc for Madison: identify industry-leading businesses with real mission alignment, invest in their people and build a platform strong enough to attract a partner like 3M who will continue to develop a company built to keep firefighters, first responders and industrial workers safer for decades to come.