Peerless Pump has been a recognized name in fire protection for more than a century.
Headquartered in the United States, the company manufactures centrifugal pumps designed for industrial, municipal and fire safety applications worldwide.
Over the years, Peerless Pump has harnessed both engineering expertise and digital technology to enhance fire pump reliability.
Some of that recent progress can be traced to the efforts of FireConnect Director, Travis Montembeault, who focuses on improving remote monitoring and helping clients stay aligned with increasingly complex safety standards.
In the following interview, we explore Travis’s career at Peerless Pump, the evolution of fire pump technologies and what the future may hold for fire safety.
I originally joined Peerless Pump as a Regional Sales Manager in the Northeast United States, where I immersed myself in the requirements of NFPA 20 and NFPA 25 – these are standards published by the NFPA that outline how fire pumps should be installed, maintained and tested).
During those seven years, I worked closely with clients to understand their fire pump needs and to see firsthand how changing hazards affect pump specifications.
Afterward, I took on the role of Business Development Manager – Fire.
That position expanded my responsibilities to include product portfolio reviews, market research and strategic planning.
When Peerless Pump decided to formalize our work in remote fire pump monitoring, I became the Director of our FireConnect® platform.
FireConnect is a cloud-based system that provides real-time data about fire pump performance, controller status and more.
I also serve on technical committees—most notably as a Principal on the NFPA 25 Technical Committee, where I help shape inspection, testing and maintenance requirements and as an alternate on the NFPA 20 Committee.
Over the years, I’ve spoken at various events, including NFPA Conferences, the Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) gatherings and international expos in Mexico City.
These experiences have broadened my understanding of the challenges in modern fire protection and fueled my passion for bringing new digital tools to the industry.
Peerless Pump has been in operation for more than 100 years.
We began in California and have grown into a global entity that provides UL and FM approved fire pumps.
UL and FM are organizations that test and certify equipment to ensure it meets safety and performance standards.
We offer a wide range of pump solutions, not just for fire protection but also for municipal water systems, flood control, industrial processes and heating and cooling in large commercial buildings.
Within fire protection, we’ve specialized in centrifugal pumps for about eight decades.
You’ll find Peerless fire pumps in high-rise buildings, warehouses, offshore oil platforms—basically in places where a reliable water supply is essential to put out a fire quickly.
Being part of this broad category of critical infrastructure lets us see firsthand the importance of technology in ensuring life safety.
Fire pumps boost water pressure in sprinkler or standpipe systems, ensuring sprinklers and hoses function effectively in an emergency.
They have to work the moment they’re called upon, so reliability is everything.
Peerless Pump leads by offering what I like to call “complete coverage.” We design pumps for nearly any application, including tricky sites where higher pressures are needed or extreme environments demand special materials.
We have an in-house engineering team that can tailor solutions if our standard offerings don’t fit a customer’s project.
We also stay current with evolving building codes and regulations by being active in groups like the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE).
That involvement helps us keep an eye on upcoming changes to industry standards.
Working in fire protection now goes well beyond selling the pump itself.
At Peerless, we’re the original equipment manufacturer, meaning we supply the hydraulic pump and the driver and the electronic controller that manages pump operation.
As a result, anyone in my role has to be part mechanic, part electrical engineer and part data enthusiast.
For me, that shift became more obvious when we introduced FireConnect.
Suddenly, we had to consider how to collect, analyze and transmit pump performance data in real time.
That means understanding IoT concepts, data security, cloud platforms and the implications of remote signals in a building’s fire alarm system.
This expanded knowledge base has been both challenging and incredibly valuable, leading us to provide more comprehensive support.
We have a well-established range of fire pumps, including our multistage horizontal models (TUF and TUTF).
The advantage is that a single unit in a basement can handle water distribution throughout a very tall building.
You avoid placing pumps on intermediate floors, which reduces complexity in design and maintenance.
Another major differentiator is FireConnect.
To my knowledge, it’s the first and only remote monitoring solution for fire pumps that carries FM Approval.
Our aim with FireConnect was to change how people think about fire protection—to move from a reactive approach to a proactive one.
Instead of finding out there’s a problem only during a test or, worse, an actual fire, facility managers can see issues in real time and address them quickly.
Buildings are getting larger and hazards are shifting.
For instance, electric vehicles need dedicated charging stations in parking facilities, which introduces new fire risks.
Additionally, many regions are more densely populated, so a fire can affect more people than ever before.
Plus, there’s a workforce shortage in skilled maintenance roles—meaning fewer professionals are available to perform regular inspections and upkeep.
Peerless Pump handles these challenges in a couple of ways.
First, we’re involved with key industry associations and standards committees, so we stay on top of any proposed code changes.
Second, we focus on designing pumps that meet the next generation of performance needs (like pumping more water at higher pressures).
Lastly, we’re advancing digital monitoring through FireConnect, where real-time data can offset the shortage of in-person inspections by alerting staff to issues as soon as they arise.
“Bespoke” is the word I often use.
A great example is when we developed custom vertical turbine fire pumps for a U.S.
shipyard.
These pumps had to draw seawater in a modular dry dock setup, so we needed specialized materials to resist corrosion, along with extra structural support.
It took about a year from concept to delivery and we had to balance high flow rates, intricate metallurgy and unique installation constraints.
It ended up being a massive success and really showcased how flexible we can be when a customer’s project goes beyond a standard pump catalog.
Instead of waiting for a problem to appear, FireConnect monitors conditions like water pressure, pump speed, driver status and fuel level (for diesel systems) in real time.
The system can send notifications if a jockey pump—a small pump that maintains system pressure—starts running more often than expected, which might indicate a leak.
It can also alert you if a controller (the device that starts or stops the pump) malfunctions.
By collecting and analyzing data, FireConnect helps customers solve issues faster.
For instance, if you see a drop in fuel across multiple sites, you can address that before it causes a failure.
We also tie into compliance rules for weekly or monthly churn tests, which are routine checks of a fire pump’s readiness.
With FireConnect, you get a digital record that shows exactly when a test occurred and whether the pump met all parameters.
It’s especially useful for facility managers overseeing buildings in different regions or even different countries.
I see two major directions: first, more advanced physical pump designs as hazards evolve.
For example, denser storage of goods in warehouses might call for higher pressures or specialized solutions like water mist systems, which use less water but at higher pressures.
Second, there’s going to be a stronger emphasis on digital monitoring.
We’ve had data-based management in industries like manufacturing for decades and fire protection is finally getting the same treatment.
At Peerless, we’ll keep refining our pump portfolio to handle new hazards and pushing our connected technologies so that building owners and facility managers have the information they need—instantly.
As more standards mention remote inspection or data tracking, we’re in a good spot to help those requirements become practical, day-to-day realities.
We’re aiming for a future where a fire pump room practically runs itself, providing proactive alerts and detailed maintenance records without needing a lot of staff on site.
Our mission at Peerless Pump has remained the same for over 100 years: make reliable pumps that protect lives and property.
Yet the methods are constantly changing—from new pump designs that handle extreme conditions to remote monitoring systems that keep us aware of every detail in real time.
Through standards work, industry conferences and direct conversations with clients, we stay connected to the bigger picture of fire safety.
I believe our dedication to precision engineering and modern digital tools gives us the best possible platform to serve evolving needs.
Fire protection will always be about safeguarding people.
At Peerless, we see technology and collaboration as the keys to making that protection more accessible, more transparent and more effective—no matter where in the world our pumps happen to be.
