Emergency One rocketed to the front rank of the U.S. fire apparatus industry in less than a decade. E-One's astonishing rise stunned its long-established competitors and changed the way fire apparatus was constructed in the United States.

The company's rapid success was attributed to unorthodox building methods. Using pre-built interchangeable modules on commercial truck chassis allowed a truck to be built in 30 to 60 days, instead of the 6 to 12 months required by its competitors.

Not yet a legend, but no longer an upstart, E-One has spanned a life fruitful enough to compile a brilliant photographic composition of the rigs that made it a true pioneer in the modern fire apparatus genre.