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    Ed Ballam Head Shot
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    Ballam: Pumper Committee Keeps Trucking On

    Aug. 19, 2015
    Ed Ballam explains how his department's apparatus committee is moving through the process of specing a new pumper.
    Firehouse.com Photo by Ed Ballam
    The best way to pick the options and specify a custom cab is to get in, close the door, look around and experience it.
    Apparatus

    Ballam: Spending Quality Time in Fire Apparatus Cabs

    June 25, 2014
    The best way to get a feel of the different options and features of custom fire apparatus cabs is to get inside and check them out.
    Photo Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
    What was hot 50 years ago isn't so hot these days and apparatus committees should at least consider today's technological offerings.
    Apparatus

    Ballam: Search For The Perfect Rig Progresses

    May 13, 2014
    The quest continues for the perfect pumper for a small rural fire department with the second meeting of an apparatus committee.
    Photo by Ed Ballam/Firehouse.com
    Apparatus are lined up in the final stages of assembly at Pierce's Appleton, Wis., factory. Members of the media were invited to tour the factory and view a brand new cab and chassis.
    Apparatus

    Ballam: Pierce Gives Sneak Peek of New Cab at Factory

    March 5, 2014
    In April, Pierce will unveil a new cab and chassis and Firehouse staff were invited to take a sneak peek during a factory tour.
    Courtesy of American LaFrance
    Philadelphia Ladder10
    Apparatus

    Ballam: The Death of a Fire Truck Maker -- Again

    Jan. 21, 2014
    While American LaFrance may have had a storied past, its future looks pretty bleak.
    Courtesy Photo
    The fire apparatus committee meets to compare needs versus wants on future apparatus purchases.
    Apparatus

    Ballam: A Fire Truck Committee Is Born

    Jan. 13, 2014
    A truck committee has been formed and the firefighters who will serve on it will sift through all the wants and needs and balance it with budgetary limits.