November 30, 2007

Ferrara Receives UL Certifications of the Strong Arm Fire-Rescue Apparatus
Certifications Attained As Company Delivers 10 More Strong Arms to Istanbul, Turkey

Holden, LA – Underwriters’ Laboratories has certified the water flow and lifting capacity and tip load of the Ferrara Strong Arm fire-rescue apparatus.  The testing was completed at Ferrara’s manufacturing facility prior to the recent delivery of Strong Arms to Istanbul, Turkey.  Ferrara is a leading manufacturer of custom vehicles designed specifically for the fire-rescue and emergency responder markets.

The Strong Arm, manufactured by Gradall and exclusive to Ferrara Fire Apparatus, is an articulating and telescoping aerial boom, capable of lifting extremely heavy weights and also flowing up to 1500 GPM through the patented 5th Man Nozzle.  The new Istanbul Strong Arms’ 5th Man Nozzle is equipped with a screw-in smooth bore nozzle adapter for differing water patterns. 

The Strong Arm now boasts a UL certification of its 1500 GPM flow rating, as well as safety and stability factors plus lifting and tip load capacities.  While flowing 1500 GPM at any extension, rotation or elevation, the Strong Arm is capable of lifting in excess of 1800 pounds.

The Istanbul Fire Brigade recently accepted the first of ten Ferrara Strong Arm fire-rescue vehicles.  Four of the trucks were delivered in November and the remaining six will be delivered this month.  These are not Istanbul Fire Brigade’s first Strong Arms.  Their first three were delivered in 2005 and have been seen in news photos, performing rescue operations of recent building collapses in the city.

Head of Fire Brigade Ali Karahan, who has been at the brigade’s helm for 15 years, said, “We’re very happy with the performance of the first three trucks in service. So happy in fact we decided to purchase ten more units.” 

Istanbul’s trucks are built on Ferrara’s rugged Inferno custom fire chassis and are powered by a Cummins ISL-400 engine with Allison 3000EVS transmission.  The independent front suspension is also a drive axle, helping the truck to traverse rough the rough terrain that is sometimes encountered in northwestern Turkey.  Commenting on this, Mr. Karahan added, “Since the City of Istanbul sits on an active fault line, these new Strong Arms were ordered with Ferrara’s new All-Wheel Drive Independent Front Suspension. It’s extremely important for our fire crews to be able to respond in all conditions, including earthquakes.” 

In addition to the Strong Arm, Ferrara Fire Apparatus manufacturers a full line of fire and emergency vehicles, including their premium Inferno XD and Igniter custom chassis, pumpers and tankers, rear and mid-mount aerial ladders and platforms, rescue vehicles, incident command trailers, brush trucks, and airport vehicles.  Ferrara is a leading innovator in the industry, offering firefighter safety features, including ECE-29 Chassis Cab Crash Testing, Independent Front Suspension, Roll Stability Control, Complete Airbag Protection, and SmartWheel steering systems. 

For more information on the company please contact Paul Christiansen, Marketing Director, at 800.443.9006, via e-mail at paul.christiansen@ferrarafire.com or by regular mail at Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc., PO Box 249, Holden, LA  70744.