Did you know that technicians who work on emergency vehicles without having the necessary qualifications can be held personally liable if the vehicles are involved in accidents?

Good intentions only go so far. Technicians who perform work for which they aren't qualified can be held liable for injuries and deaths if the work contributes to an accident.

NFPA 1071 defines several ways for technicians to establish qualifications, including trade school education, factory-certified training, EVTCC and ASE certifications, prior experience, and others. Documentation of these qualifications is important.

It's also important that qualifications relate to the specific jobs being performed. For example, having an EVTCC certificate for fire apparatus pumps doesn't make a technician qualified to work on aerial ladders. Shop supervisors should assign work based on the specific qualifications of their technicians, and technicians should inform the supervisor if they aren't qualified to perform assigned tasks.

About this feature
Did You Know offers a variety of short tips and facts about apparatus maintenance and testing. Look for it every month. Submissions of 150 words or less are welcome from our readers, subject to editing. Send them to In Service Senior Editor Chris Cavette.