The following outline is intended to inform the purchasing customer of the expected standard process of all aspects from just after awarding of the contract to Smeal through the final inspection of the truck at the Smeal factory. The purpose of this document is to give the department personnel a clear understanding of the procedures and the approximate timeline expected for each step in the manufacturing process of building the apparatus. Please contact us for further information. We look forward to building you the best fire apparatus in the industry!

Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. and the selling dealership are officially notified of the award of the contract. It is important that both Smeal and the dealership be officially notified.

The selling dealership prepares a Clean Order Package (COP) and sends the COP to Smeal. Smeal will accept the order and insert it into our order intake process. The entire order entry process takes approximately 30-45 days. There are  numerous steps to this process, including the following major steps that are important to the customer:     

• Appoint a shop order number for the order.     
• Add the truck to our computer tracking system.     
• Slot the truck in our production schedule.     
• Issue a Purchase Order for the chassis and reserve an estimated arrival date at the Smeal factory.     
• Official signing of the contract by corporate officer.     
• Issue bond documents when necessary.     
• Begin engineering process for construction of the apparatus - preliminary approval print, revised amp draw, initial production drawings, etc.     
• Create a preconstruction package and send it to the dealership.

The preconstruction package will be sent to the dealership within 30-45 days after receiving the COP. The preconstruction meeting will be scheduled to occur within 10 days after the dealership receives the preconstruction package. It is important that department personnel plan accordingly in order to keep the process on schedule.  If the preconstruction meeting is delayed, the result will be a delay in initial construction, final inspection and, consequently, delivery of the apparatus.

It is imperative for all parties involved in the preconstruction meeting to thoroughly read each document and review all aspects of the proposed apparatus. Nothing is to be taken for granted. The purpose of this meeting is for all parties to have a clear picture of what the finished apparatus will be. Now is the time for all questions and concerns to be addressed with clear and concise answers. A correctly conducted preconstruction meeting will eliminate the need for further communication by Smeal in order to gain additional information to build the truck as expected.

Smeal utilizes our bid specification as the starting point for building the apparatus. It is imperative that the department issued specification and our bid specification be cross referenced thoroughly to eliminate possible problems during construction. The preconstruction package is to be returned to Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. immediately upon completion of the preconstruction meeting.

Change orders are often included in the process of building an apparatus. A change order document is an official extension of the contract or purchase order. Change orders, if necessary, should occur during the period between order intake and the conclusion of the preconstruction meeting. Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. uses our official bid specification as the basis for building the apparatus, therefore our bid specification is considered the starting point immediately upon award of bid. Any changes or clarifications, regardless how large or small, must be stated on an official Smeal change order form. A change order is not considered "official" until properly filled out, properly priced out, signed by an official of the department, the dealer representative and then by official employees of Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. Once a change order has been through the entire process and officially signed by SFA, a copy is sent to the dealership who then sends a copy to the customer.  

• Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. reserves the right to reject a change order or any item of a change order. Be aware that certain items of a change order may cause a delay in the delivery of the apparatus. There is a line item location on the official change order form that indicates the number of days an apparatus may be delayed when certain changes are requested.   
• All change orders discussed and created during the preconstruction meeting will be officially accepted or rejected by Smeal within one week of completion of the preconstruction meeting. If there is a delay in receiving a change order, a delay of completion of the apparatus can be expected. It is the responsibility of the dealer and customer to have a change order sent to Smeal within this time frame.   
• Change orders that occur after the completion of the preconstruction meeting are extremely difficult to incorporate into the building process. The cost of changes, once the truck is considered "work in process", can be very expensive and cause severe delays in production. We strongly encourage the dealership and customer to avoid late changes whenever possible. Should a requested change be deemed "disruptive" to the production schedule, it may be denied by Smeal.

Smeal orders the chassis within a few days of receiving the COP,  for both custom and commercial chassis. We do so in order to reserve a production slot with the supplier and also to allow the supplier to order major components such as engine, transmission, cab, axles, water pump, etc.  Changes to any of these components, even at the preconstruction meeting, are difficult to implement and there is no guarantee a change of this type can be accepted.

After the preconstruction package is received by Smeal, a shop order document will be created. Engineering will create job drawings as well as a final approval print. The bid specification and all change orders accepted prior to this stage will be implemented into the shop order document. Purchasing will order components for the apparatus and the build process will begin. A copy of the shop order document will be sent to the dealership along with final approval drawings. The dealership will pass this information onto the customer. Department officials should thoroughly review and read the information to ensure accuracy. If any mistakes or questionable information is found, Smeal must be notified immediately and all discrepancies must be cleared up at that time.

 

 

 

A pre-paint inspection, if applicable, will be the next step. Smeal will notify the dealership of the pre-paint window two weeks in advance with a one week window for the actual pre-paint inspection date. This allows the dealership and department personnel to plan accordingly. The pre-paint window shall consist of a five day period. The exact condition of the truck during the pre-paint inspection may vary depending on how early or late the department arrives during the pre-paint window. Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. can not delay the pre-paint window dates. It is the responsibility of the dealership and customer to schedule accordingly and arrange travel plans to arrive at Smeal within the allotted time frame.

The final inspection takes place at Smeal Fire Apparatus Co.  Smeal will notify the dealership two weeks in advance of the final inspection date. The completed apparatus will be located in the showroom. This showroom is designed to allow a quiet atmosphere for department personnel to inspect the truck with minimal interference from the everyday production process. Normally, a full day is required for the final inspection. If discrepancies are found during the inspection, they will be addressed after the final inspection has been completed. A Final Inspection Report will be prpared by the dealership and signed by the fire department, the dealership and the Smeal Regional Sales Director. Once discrepancies have been addressed, the truck is ready for drive away.

If the apparatus contains an aerial, department training will be provided at the fire department specified location. A training technician will be in contact with department personnel approximately the same time as final inspection notification. The technician, dealership and department personnel shall negotiate an agreed upon training schedule that normally consists of a consecutive three day period. Pumper apparatus training varies and is to be scheduled with the dealership exclusively.

Smeal Fire Apparatus issues Pro-Forma invoices for final payment of the apparatus at the time of the two week completion notice. We do this to notify the municipality accounting departments that payment is coming due.

Chassis Prepayment: The chassis prepayment discount, if applicable, is based on the premise that time is money. Payment is to be issued and sent to Smeal immediately upon receipt of invoice. Chassis invoices are NET DUE upon receipt. A copy of the original MSO will be sent, if requested, after chassis payment is received, however, the original MSO will not be sent until payment has been received in full for the complete apparatus. Late receipt of chassis payment will result in a penalty that will be added to the final invoice. The calculation formula of the penalty amount will be based on the number of days between invoice date and the actual date of receipt of payment. 

Final Payment: The final payment terms were accepted by department personnel as described in the Smeal proposal form included with the Smeal bid package or per the sales contract. Payment for the balance is due immediately upon receipt of the actual invoice. Late payment fees will otherwise apply and be calculated from date of invoice to the actual date of receipt of payment.  Once full payment is received, the original MSO will immediately be sent to the department.

The employees of Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. take great pride in manufacturing each and every fire apparatus. We sincerely hope the experience of purchasing our truck is a smooth and positive process. We look forward to working with your department personnel.

We sincerely thank you for purchasing a Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. truck.