After a long trip up to Wisconsin, Members from the Tower-9 Committee finally arrived at the Pierce Refurb Facility in Weyauwega, WI. This particular facility as I have stated before does legitimate fabrication work for refurbished apparatus, damaged apparatus or extensive modifications. We have seen vehicles that required a whole body to be removed like one of Air Force's Crash Trucks, to Trailers being made for the Government, or a refurbishment from an accident or engine compartment fire - to our own which is reusing vital components of an old apparatus and putting it under a new apparatus. We made a inspection of Tower-9, noted any issues with our specific requests and requirements as every department has their own. We toured the facilities and even saw a few nice apparatus, including Hollywood VFD's New SQ-7. And by the following day when we came in we were amazed that the boom had been placed on the truck when it wasn't expected for a week. These guys don't mess around, as I am told ahead of schedule and are really putting the coal to the fire. Most of these fabricators after speaking with them have a general interest in fabrication or the modification jobs they hold; many of them over 20 years and the two I spoke with had 30 years of experience, so needless to say I was impressed. We wrapped up our trip with the "Hit List" and tied up any other loose ends in preparation for the Final Inspection coming soon. Stay Tuned...