Ferrara Fire Apparatus dates to 1979 when President and CEO Chris Ferrara founded Ferrara Firefighting Equipment. At the time he was a pipe fitter/fabricator for one of the nation’s largest petrochemical refineries in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Chris was also a volunteer firefighter at Central Volunteer Fire Department.While he was contributing to the community by volunteering his services as a member of the local fire department, Chris soon realised and understood the many constraints placed on fire departments. Central VFD served a rural area without hydrants to adequately service their community. This created a need for a water tanker to assist in firefighting operations. The cost of a new apparatus, coupled with a virtual lack of funding, required other avenues to be explored in order to procure the apparatus.
With his knowledge of firefighting and experience in fabrication, Chris and other members of the Department decided to build their own tanker. After many hours of hard work and dedication, this group of young firemen, led by Chris, delivered the new tanker fire truck to their department in Central. And perhaps most importantly, they accomplished this while saving the community thousands of dollars.
The tanker project was a success and it inspired a career change for Chris. He soon founded a firefighting equipment and supply distributorship, initially operating out of his home. Ferrara Firefighting Equipment represented many of the industry’s top manufacturers of firefighting equipment. Ferrara was also the largest sales and service center in the South for automobile extrication equipment, with Chris being a well known and sought after extrication instructor.
Ferrara Firefighting Equipment was incorporated in 1982. At that time, Chris established a full-scale service, warranty, and repair center for several major apparatus manufacturers. This service center offered preventative maintenance and repair on existing apparatus and warranty service repairs on new vehicles.
Early in 1988, Ferrara Firefighting Equipment expanded and began offering major refurbishment of apparatus and assembly of pre-built fire bodies and fire pumps on new and used chassis. Later that same year, with the desire to meet the individual needs of his customers, Chris started Ferrara Fire Apparatus, a separate company from his successful equipment business.
This new company manufactured heavy duty commercial pumpers, tankers, mini pumpers, and service/utility vehicles. This marked the beginning of an extensive line of fire, rescue, and specialty vehicles. While Ferrara’s focus changed from that of a distributor and service provider to a nationwide manufacturer of fire and emergency vehicles, the principles of serving the needs of individual fire departments did not change. By 1992, Ferrara Fire Apparatus was ranked as the tenth largest
U.S. manufacturer of fire apparatus, delivering over one hundred heavy duty, custom fire apparatus.
F
errara’s now famous heavy duty, extruded aluminum fire body was introduced in 1992. Constructed entirely of aluminum plate and extrusions, this innovative concept led the industry with its engineering and design. The introduction of the extruded aluminum body, used for pumpers, tankers, rescuesand, eventually aerials, greatly expanded the product line. Now Ferrara was the only fire apparatus manufacturer in the industry to offer its customers such a wide variety of custom fire body styles and materials, from galvanneal steel, aluminum, and stainless steel modular and unitised all-welded bodies, to Ferrara’s innovative new extruded aluminum design.‘Understanding that no two fires are identical and no two fire departments are exactly alike, Ferrara was determind to offer market driven concepts to the fire service.’
Understanding that no two fires are identical and no two fire departments are exactly alike, Ferrara was determined to offer market driven concepts to the fire service. Ferrara once again expanded its offering of fire apparatus to include a full line of aerial devices. Ferrara’s custom designed fire apparatus now included pumpers, tankers, hazmat units, large and small rescue vehicles, as well as aerial ladders and platforms.
In 1994, Ferrara designed and built a new facility located in Holden, Louisiana, a 110,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The facility, designed around actual stages of production, remains one of the most modern in the industry and incorporates the latest in technology and equipment. In 1998 Ferrara Fire Apparatus introduced its premium custom fire chassis, the Inferno. The Inferno was recognised for its innovation and automotive quality design, offering a roomier and more comfortable cab. The chassis was easier to handle under the most demanding situations. Inferno innovations included heavy duty roll cage cab framework, all 3/16” thick marine grade aluminum cab skin, oversized windshield and side windows for improved driver visibility, certified and optimised steering for improved handling, oversized air conditioning systems for better climate control, and attention to detail safety and maintenance.Introduced shortly thereafter was the Igniter, a mid-range custom chassis designed with the same quality and safety features of the Inferno. Soon to follow was the Inferno Lo Cab for low profile aerials, a 2-door rescue cab and a 4×4 all wheel drive chassis, all built for use in extreme conditions. Other Ferrara innovations followed, including Independent Extreme Duty all aluminum interior, Independent Front Suspension, Smart Wheel steering wheel and CAP, the Complete Airbag Protection system that was the industry’s first system to provide airbag protection for all outboard-seated passengers and seat belt draw-down protection for all occupants.
The Inferno and Igniter cab has successfully passed ECE-29 crash worthiness testing. The vertical load achieved was 65,979 pounds, or approximately 300% of the total required by the ECE.
The frontal impact was 3,726 pounds, or 1-1/4 times the ECE standard. Ferrara went a step beyond that required by the standard by also conducting vertical load testing with the same 66,000 pound weight, resting it atop their heavy duty extruded aluminum fire body. Ferrara is the only fire apparatus manufacturer who has tested their cab and body to these stringent standards.
To meet growing interest in the Inferno and Igniter custom chassis, Ferrara Fire Apparatus, expanded again in 2000 by adding a 40,000 chassis manufacturing facility and a 35,000 square foot used apparatus center. This increased Ferrara’s manufacturing and service facilities to 185,000 square feet. In 2005 an additional 10,000 square foot plant expansion was completed to make way for additional chassis production as well as an increasing service, repair and refurbishment business.
Some of the many Ferrara, benchmarks include the Spirit of Louisiana fire truck that was donated by the citizens of Louisiana, and manufactured by Ferrara Inc., to exact FDNY specifications, marked the first new fire apparatus to be built and donated to the City of New York after September 11. Ferrara introduced the Strong Arm, a revolutionary firefighting vehicle in 2004. This vehicle is a multi-purpose fire and rescue vehicle that boasts water flow of 1500 GPM and lifting capacity of 1,800 to 10,000 pounds.
That same year, Ferrara introduced the Inundator industrial fire apparatus. Designed for the high volume water flows required for use in industrial firefighting, the Inundator can achieve an industrial or municipal rating of 3000 GPM. Flows of 5000 GPM or greater are achieved by this impressive industrial pumper, when it is supplied by a pressurised water source.
‘The future looks very bright for Ferrara Fire Apparatus consistently ranks among the nation’s five largest fire truck manufacturers.’
In 2005, Ferrara expanded its manufacturing facility once again. It added capacity to the body manufacturing facility, tied the chassis and body plants into a single facility and started a dedicated repair and service facility. With nearly 300,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity, Ferrara is one of the largest fire apparatus manufacturers in America. The repair and refurb centre operates out of 14 bays in a separate facility. They skillfully perform everything from minor repairs to major collision repair and body/cab replacements.
Ferrara expanded again in 2009 with 2 new additions to its Holden manufacturing facility. Added was an on-site tilt table test centre, giving Ferrara the ability to meet new NFPA 1901 tilt table testing requirements. Also, to meet the growing demands of its industrial fire apparatus market, a new pump test area was constructed. This facility is in addition to Ferrara’s 45,000 gallon, two-truck UL pump test centre and accommodates the substantially larger water flows required of fire apparatus designed for petrochemical plants, refineries and other industrial fire apparatus facilities.
The corporation’s commitment to top quality, premium service and outstanding performance at an affordable price has been the trademark of Ferrara Fire Apparatus, directly contributing to the success and reputation the company is fortunate to enjoy in the fire service industry.
Ferrara Fire Apparatus considers the customer to be a very valuable asset. By listening to them they are able to devise many of the innovative ideas that soon become industry standards. Service after the sale, a mainstay of Ferrara, prompted the manufacturer to be the first in the nation to provide fire departments with a 24-hour emergency hotline for warranty and service.
All Ferrara products are designed to be easy to use, easy to service, and tough enough to be dependable for many years. Additionally, their knowledgeable and experienced sales and dealer network spans across the United States and the globe with professional sales and skilled service centers throughout. The future looks very bright for Ferrara Fire Apparatus and its fine craftsmen. The company’s philosophy, Leading the Way, leaves no reason for doubt that Ferrara will play a major role in the future of the fire apparatus industry. Today, Ferrara Fire Apparatus consistently ranks among the nation’s five largest fire truck manufacturers, delivering hundreds of custom and commercial fire trucks annually.
Here is an overview of Ferrara Fire Apparatus’ complete line of fire and emergency vehicles.
● Custom fire chassis. Ferrara’s Inferno XD extreme duty chassis is built with a roll cage, extruded aluminum cab and crash tested to nearly 3 times that specified by ECE-29 standards. Other features on the Inferno XD, and its cousin the Igniter XD, include extra-low cab step heights, all aluminum dash and instrument panel, armored front bumper, independent front suspension, roll stability control, complete airbag protection, and SmartWheel steering systems.
● Heavy duty custom pumpers and tankers. Pumpers are available in a traditional design, or as a multi-purpose heavy rescue pumper. Ferrara’s skilled sales reps and engineers will work with you to design the exact type of pumper or tanker you need to meet your needs. Whether it’s a heavy duty custom pumper or rescue pumper, or a commercial chassis pumper, Ferrara takes your requirements into consideration when building your new fire apparatus.
● Rear-mount aerial ladders. Ferrara offers 6 different types of rear mount aerials. A 57′ heavy duty, 2-section ladder; a 77′ heavy duty 3-section ladder; a 100′ super heavy duty, 1500 pound tip load, 3-section ladder; a 102′ low travel height, 4-section ladder; a 107′ heavy duty, 4-section ladder; and a 127′ heavy duty, 4-section ladder. All of the heavy duty aerials, whether rear or mid-mount, have waterways capable of flowing 1250 GPM with a 500 pound tip load, while maintaining a 2:1 safety factor.
‘Ferrara builds traditional walk-around and walk-in rescue trucks, custom built to the fire department’s specifications.’
● Mid-mount, heavy duty aerial ladder, featuring a 100′ vertical reach using a 5-section ladder.
● Rear-mount, heavy duty aerial platforms in heavy duty 85′ and 100′ lengths.
● Mid-mount heavy duty aerial platforms in 85′ and 100′ lengths. All of Ferrara’s aerial platforms have a 1000 pound tip load dry or 500 pound tip load flowing 1500 GPM. The 85′ mid-mount is a very exciting product. The heavy duty aerial platform has a 5-section design, making it capable of achieving an overall length under 44′ with a travel height under 10′ 5”.
● Strong Arm fire and rescue vehicle, an articulating and telescopic extreme duty aerial device capable of flowing 1500 GPM and lifting 1,800 to 10,000 pounds. The Fifth Man Nozzle is made from hardened stainless steel. With 50 individual jets,the Fifth Man Nozzle is perfectly suited for aspirating foam and creating a superior blanket of protection. Additionally, the hardened stainless steel nozzle is capable of breaking through concrete walls and roofs, corrugated steel containers, burglar bars and other obstructions routinely encountered by fire fighters. The extreme lifting capacity make the Strong Arm a great tool for collapse or high angle rescue operations.
● Heavy rescue, haz-mat and incident command trucks and trailers. Ferrara builds traditional walk-around and walk-in rescue trucks, custom built to the fire department’s
specifications. Additionally, Ferrara offers an increasingly popular line up of incident command trailers and heavy rescue trailers. The trailers are very popular with not only fire departments, but also police, emergency management, homeland security and other first responders.
specifications. Additionally, Ferrara offers an increasingly popular line up of incident command trailers and heavy rescue trailers. The trailers are very popular with not only fire departments, but also police, emergency management, homeland security and other first responders.
● Ferrara also offers the popular STAT series of program commercial pumpers and tankers, custom pumpers and 77′ aerial quints. All of these trucks give you Ferrara’s extreme duty construction at a price that suited for any department’s budget. Ferrara has offered 24-hour service and warranty support for years. Ferrara’s can-do attitude and ability to customise a chassis, cab and body to their customers’ exact needs has allowed them to move into many large, metropolitan fire departments. New York, Houston, Indianapolis, San Francisco, San Diego County, Columbus, Oklahoma City, San Jose, Baton Rouge, Hartford, Knoxville, Shreveport and Monroe represent just a few of the many large departments that rely on Ferrara for their emergency responses.
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