Fresno based manufacturer, Tempest, recently completed a Mobile Ventilation Unit for the Kansas City Fire Department.
published on May 18, 2026 – 3:33 PM
Written by Frank Lopez
A local manufacturer has built a one-of-a-kind firefighting vehicle for the Kansas City Fire Department.
Tempest, a Fresno manufacturer of firefighter safety equipment, recently completed a custom Mobile Ventilation Unit (MVU) for the Kansas City Fire Department.
Set on a Freightliner chassis, the vehicle features what the company called the largest vehicle-mounted ventilation fan in the world — a 60-inch fan powered by a hydraulic scissor lift that extends 20 feet into the air and rotates 360 degrees.
Tempest designs and manufactures its products in Fresno, using local workers and materials, supporting a mission to protect first responders.
Their equipment is not only used by fire departments across the country and around the world, but also locally.
Tempest’s fans were used by the demolition of the producers Dairy grain silos in Downtown Fresno and the Fresno Fire Department recently used Tempest ventilation equipment to clear smoke from a fog machine incident at NorthPointe Church.
Sam Jessup, marketing communications manager at Tempest, said there are 28 employees at the company, not including sales representatives in other states including Nevada, South Carolina, and Florida.
The facility in Fresno covers nearly 30,000 square feet.
“Our primary mission is to protect the lives of first responders so we primarily work in the fire service. But we also migrated to working in the commercial space as well, with them purchasing our products dust control and environmental safety,” Jessup said.
The Fresno Fire Department has had one of the MVU units for 22 years, and it’s still in operation.
It’s a “tough and reliable product”, Jessup said.
The price range for a unit can range from $300,000 or more, depending on the size of a vehicle.
Recent tariffs have made prices go up for some equipment and materials, including for lithium batteries coming out of Asia, steel, and aluminum. but the company does try to shield their customers from higher prices, he said.
Jessup said the company manufacturers a few of the MVUs every year, with one of them going to the Detroit Airport for clearing air and tunnels.
“The truck is built in such a way that it could run for 24-hours a day for weeks on end with very little maintenance,” Jessup said. “As long as you keep it fueled it can keep running forever — they’re for emergencies and you never know how long you’ll have to have something like this.”