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Photos: How Smeal Builds Fire Apparatus, A Factory Tour

Nov. 21, 2014

Smeal Fire Apparatus has been building firefighting vehicles for 50-years and, recently, visitors from around the country and Canada got to see first hand how they are made in its Snyder, Nebraska plant.

Ed Ballam

Each apparatus winding its way through Smeal's Snyder, Neb. plant sits in a 'cell' for about a day and a half where components are installed and sections are assembled before moving along to the next cell on the way to completion. — Each apparatus winding its way through Smeal's Snyder, Neb. plant sits in a "cell" for about a day and a half where components are installed and sections are assembled before moving along to the next cell on the way to completion.

Smeal Fire Apparatus recently opened its doors to more than 130 visitors and provided tours of its massive Snyder, Nebraska, manufacturing plant.

Apparatus come in as raw stock, components and bits and pieces and leave as fully finished firefighting equipment deployed to all corners of the United States and Canada as well as around the world.

The tour provided some insight into how Smeal builds fire apparatus, the skills of those who construct them and the techniques used.

Through this series of photos, readers will learn a bit more about the 50-year-old company and what it takes to make Smeal apparatus.

About the Author

Ed Ballam

Ed Ballam served as associate editor for Firehouse. He is the assistant chief of the Haverhill Corner, N.H. Fire Department, and a National Registered EMT. He is also a Deputy Forest Fire Warden for the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands. Professionally, he's been a journalist for over 35 years working for a variety of publications, including employment as managing editor of a national fire service trade journal for more than a decade.