Hey, chief — Are your apparatus and equipment being properly maintained? Are your mechanics qualified to do their jobs? Would your maintenance records stand up in court?

If you haven't thought about these questions, you should. A good apparatus and equipment maintenance program can help make sure your department is always ready to provide emergency services to the people you serve. It also can help avoid injuries and deaths resulting from poor maintenance and reduce your department's potential liability in court.

Here's a 10-question quiz to see how much you know about your department's apparatus and equipment maintenance program. It will only take a few minutes, and the consequences of your answers might surprise you.

1. We have current maintenance manuals for

   a) every apparatus in the department and every component and piece of equipment on those apparatus.

   b) some of the newer apparatus and some of their major components — I think.

   c) nothing — we lost the maintenance manuals years ago.

   This is one of the most important questions to ask about your maintenance program, because everything depends on having current manuals: the specific maintenance procedures, the frequency of the required maintenance and even the qualifications of the mechanics.

   Obviously, a) is the ideal answer. Most manufacturers now publish maintenance information for their products. Some of this information is printed while some is available on the Internet. You need to have it all.

   If you answered b), you aren't alone. The person in charge of your maintenance program should be able to tell you what manuals they have, and you should encourage that person to obtain any missing manuals, troubleshooting guides or other service literature.

   If you answered c), you need to take action. Without current manuals, the validity of your entire maintenance program is in question, and your department may be in a position of serious liability.

2. The mechanics who work on our apparatus and equipment are qualified to do their jobs because

   a) they have appropriate certifications, factory training, vocational school degrees or apparatus experience.

   b) they have worked on trucks before.

   c) they work for the dealer; we aren't responsible for specifying their qualifications.

   In the event that any of your apparatus is involved in an accident, you will be asked about the qualifications of the mechanics who performed the maintenance. Specific jobs require specific qualifications.

   If you answered a), you're in an excellent position to defend the qualifications of the mechanics. Certifications, training, degrees and applicable experience are all tangible measures of qualifications.

   If you answered b), you may be able to defend the mechanics' qualifications for general vehicle work, but not for more specific work on some of the unique components and systems found on apparatus.

   And if you answered c), you may be surprised to learn that it isn't a defensible answer. Departments are still responsible for specifying the required qualifications for each job, even if someone from outside the department does the work.

3. We perform preventive maintenance checks

   a) daily or weekly for some items and as specified in the maintenance manuals for others.

   b) once a year.

   c) when we have time.

   A good preventive maintenance program can be one of the best ways to keep your apparatus and equipment working properly and avoid costly and unexpected repairs.

   If you answered a), your department is on top of the maintenance situation. Not only are you following the manufacturers' recommendations, but you also understand that some items, such as tire pressures, oil levels and the operation of warning lights and sirens, need to be checked more frequently than others.

   If you answered b), you probably aren't checking items often enough to meet the manufacturers' recommendations and certainly not often enough to prevent costly repairs. Lots of things can go wrong in a year's time.

   If you answered c), at least you're being honest. Your challenge now is to find time to perform some basic preventive maintenance checks at least weekly. Then build from there to include the periodic maintenance recommended by the manufacturer.

4. If we find a serious problem during our preventive maintenance checks, we

   a) take the apparatus or equipment out of service immediately and have the problem corrected.

   b) continue to operate the apparatus or equipment until we can schedule time to fix the problem.

   c) note it for correction during the annual maintenance.

   Each department is responsible for specifying out-of-service criteria as part of their preventive maintenance program. By definition, out-of-service criteria are those conditions that are so serious that the apparatus or equipment must be taken out of service immediately until the problems are corrected.

   If you answered a), your department clearly understands how serious these problems can be and how important it is to deal with them immediately.

   If you answered b), you're reducing the effectiveness of your apparatus and equipment and are potentially placing people in danger, even if you continue to use the apparatus or equipment for only a few days.

   An answer of c) simply ignores the seriousness of the problem and sends a message throughout your department that safety and performance aren't important.

5. Our maintenance records are

   a) written and include dates, complete descriptions of the work performed, mechanics' names and other details.

   b) written and include short descriptions of the work.

   c) kept in the mechanic's head — he knows what work was performed.

   Good maintenance records can improve the effectiveness of your maintenance program. They can be used to identify upcoming maintenance checks, spot recurring problems and keep track of maintenance costs. More importantly, they can provide a legally defensible record of what maintenance was performed, when it was performed and who performed it.

   Answer a) should be the goal for every department, big or small. Records should note the date, apparatus mileage and/or operating hours, a detailed description of the work, and the part numbers of any replacement parts. The person doing each task should be identified individually, rather than having the shop supervisor sign off on the whole job.

   Answer b) is better than nothing, but you aren't recording enough information to give you the most value. Try to provide more details about the work.

   If you answered c), you're probably missing important details and are in a much less defensible position than if the records were written down. If you ever sell the apparatus or equipment, the lack of written maintenance records is likely to hurt you on the price.

6. We conduct NFPA pump tests

   a) once a year.

   b) at least once every three years.

   c) whenever we have the money, which isn't very often.

   Pumps, aerials, hose and ground ladders all require periodic testing to ensure they still perform to their rated capacity. NFPA requires it, and the Insurance Services Office assigns points for pump, aerial and hose testing as part of the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule used to determine a department's Public Protection Classification.

   If you answered a), you are meeting the NFPA standard for annual pump tests and also will qualify for the maximum amount of ISO points in this category. To avoid a 20% deduction from ISO, be sure you keep detailed records of your all pump testing.

   Answer b) does not meet the NFPA requirements and will gain you a maximum of only 50% of the potential ISO points for this category. If you test your pumps only every five years, ISO will give you no credit.

   Answer c) doesn't meet NFPA or ISO criteria and means you don't really know how well your pumps perform. As an engine gets older, failure to conduct regular pump tests also means that ISO may not give you any credit for the engine — even if it's fully staffed and equipped. No test, no proof, no credit.

7. We involve a variety of department personnel in maintaining our apparatus and equipment:

   a) Regularly.

   b) Sometimes.

   c) Never.

   Maintenance programs are much more effective if the apparatus operators, station captains and other personnel are involved, rather than when they're solely the mechanics' responsibility. Some departments even have the operators/drivers perform the daily preventive maintenance checks and give them responsibility for acting on out-of-service problems.

   If you answered a), that's a good move as long as you train the affected personnel and assign them authority along with responsibility. For example, if the driver declares an apparatus to be out of service because of a serious problem, the station captain (or even the chief) shouldn't be able to override that decision.

   Answer b) is also good because it gets a few more people involved with the very important task of maintenance. The more people you have checking, the better the chance of spotting little problems before they get big.

   If you answered c), you're missing an opportunity to make your maintenance program more effective. You also are reinforcing the us-versus-them feelings between firefighters and shop personnel. Take the opportunity to talk with both sides to emphasize that everyone is responsible for proper maintenance.

8. We involve the mechanics in specifying our apparatus and equipment:

   a) Regularly.

   b) Sometimes.

   c) Never.

   Maintenance and specifications go hand in hand. Some of the apparatus and equipment problems you experienced in the past may have been the results of bad specs rather than bad operation or maintenance. Including the mechanics in the specification process lets them point out what works and what doesn't.

   Answer a) gives you the experience of people who have actually worked on the apparatus and equipment. They don't have to necessarily be on the spec committee, but seeking their advice only helps make your specs better.

   Ditto for answer b). Don't fall in the same hole twice.

   If you answered c), why? If your specification process has become a privilege reserved for a chosen few, are you really getting the best apparatus and equipment for your money?

9. To avoid poor performance and costly breakdowns, we replace our frontline apparatus

   a) every 25 years or less.

   b) when we have the budget.

   c) only when we can't keep them running anymore.

   Regular replacement is an important key to minimizing maintenance costs and maximizing service. Fire departments are like any other service business. Regular replacement of out-of-date, poor-performing or unsafe equipment is important if you want to stay in business.

   Answer a) is the smart choice and may become part of future NFPA apparatus standards. Depending on usage, some departments replace their frontline apparatus as often as every 10, 12 or 15 years.

   Answer b) might seem more realistic, but it can be an excuse to defer important replacement decisions based on money rather than safety or performance. Establishing a maximum replacement age as a goal is a better business choice.

   If you answered c), you're kidding yourself and the people you serve. Limping along with worn-out, patched-up apparatus doesn't provide the services that you want to give or that the public wants to have. The taxpayers and elected officials in your area need to be made aware of the need for regular apparatus replacement — even if it's only every 25 years.

10. Our annual department budget includes items related to apparatus and equipment maintenance:

    a) Always.

    b) Sometimes.

    c) Never; we just handle maintenance problems when they happen.

    A lot of maintenance goals won't happen unless you budget for them. This includes regularly scheduled maintenance in outside shops; replacement of tires, fluids, filters and other expendable items; annual testing of pumps, aerials and hose; and even periodic certification and specialty training for your mechanics.

    If you answered a), congratulations. An ongoing maintenance program requires an ongoing budget. Your investment will give you better performance, safer operations, fewer breakdowns and longer apparatus and equipment life.

    If you answered b), you recognize the need for maintenance, and that's good. If you have to cut your maintenance budget now and then, choose your cuts carefully.

    And if you answered c), your apparatus and equipment will be in the shop as much as they're in the station. After a while, neighboring departments will probably get tired of covering for you and will pull out of mutual aid agreements. Wouldn't it be better to budget for some basic maintenance rather than handling one breakdown after another?

Review the results

How did you do? Were you able to answer all the questions? Were you surprised by any of the consequences associated with your answers?

Obviously, a simple 10-question quiz can't cover all the maintenance considerations that might apply to every department. The main message is that maintenance is important, and fire chiefs should be aware of their departments' maintenance programs to ensure that all their apparatus and equipment are operating efficiently and safely.

NFPA Standards

The National Fire Protection Association publishes standards that cover many areas of apparatus and equipment maintenance. Here are a few:

NFPA 1071, Emergency Vehicle Technician Professional Qualifications. Establishes the fire department's responsibility for ensuring that all personnel who work on apparatus are qualified to do so. Defines the kinds of work that personnel should be able to perform.

NFPA 1911, Service Tests of Fire Pump Systems on Fire Apparatus. Defines the procedures and frequency for testing fire apparatus pumps.

NFPA 1912, Fire Apparatus Refurbishing. Defines two levels of refurbishing work and sets standards for the components, inspection, testing and standards that apply for each level.

NFPA 1914, Testing Fire Department Aerial Devices. Defines the procedures and frequency for testing fire apparatus aerial devices.

NFPA 1915, Fire Apparatus Preventive Maintenance Program. Defines the responsibilities, types of work, out-of-service criteria and other factors that departments should incorporate into their preventive maintenance programs.

NFPA 1932, Use, Maintenance, and Service Testing of In-Service Fire Department Ground Ladders. Defines the procedures and frequency for testing fire department ground ladders.

NFPA 1962, Inspection, Care, and Use of Fire Hose, Couplings and Nozzles; and the Service Testing of Fire Hose. Defines the procedures and frequency for testing fire hose.

To obtain a copy of these standards, call NFPA at 800-344-3555 or log on to www.nfpacatalog.org.