Ferrara Fire Apparatus has finished constructing two new testing facilities at its plant in Holden, La. The company added a tilt table, built in compliance with SAE and NFPA requirements. According to the company, it is the largest tilt table in the southeastern United States. It tilts to 40°. The company also added a second pump test area. A man-made lake was built on the property, as was a dry-hydrant system installed for drafting by up to three 8-inch hard suction lines simultaneously. The water is discharged back into the lake, making the facility useful for testing monitors and waterways.

In August, Paratech and the Frankfort (Ill.) Fire Department hosted an open house for U.S. Representative Deborah Halvorson (D-Ill.), Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland, regional fire chiefs and other distinguished guests. The event included a tour of Frankfort Fire Station No. 3/Training Academy and Paratech's facilities. The training academy, which includes a structural collapse simulator and tankers, was made possible in large part by federal funding. The Paratech tour included a demonstration of trench rescue followed by vehicle stabilization and extrication in the factory's adjacent training area.