A firefighter for more than 30 years, Jim Belford has seen firefighting technology evolve, and for the most part it's been for the better.

But some changes haven't made it easier for firefighters to do their jobs.

"Apparatuses keep getting bigger and bigger and there's a lot of areas fire trucks can't fit into," he said. "You wind up dragging about a ton of hose."

Three years ago, an idea came to him. What if there was a vehicle with the same capabilities as a full-size fire engine that was a fraction of the size, weight and cost?

Enter Creative Fire Apparatus, the company he...