NFPA 1911, Inspection, Maintenance, Testing and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus, specifies the types and frequencies of work to be performed. Although many people believe the standard simply requires that this work be performed annually, some work must be done more frequently.
The standard requires that “a complete inspection and diagnostic check of the fire apparatus shall be conducted at least as frequently as recommended by the apparatus manufacturer or once a year, whichever comes first.” Some articles and presentations on this new standard have repeated that requirement and may have led people to believe that once a year is enough. It isn’t.
For example, the standard requires “an operational check and visual check of the fire apparatus shall be performed on a daily/weekly basis to ensure the operational readiness of the unit.” These checks should be an important part of every department’s preventive maintenance program and they often are assigned to the vehicle operator.
More importantly, individual components may have to be inspected, adjusted, maintained or replaced more often than once a year. For example, foam systems may require specific maintenance after every use, air dryers may have to be inspected every week and automatic slack adjusters may require inspection and lubrication every six months.
To determine the required frequency of inspections and other work, consult the maintenance manuals for every component on the apparatus. If you don’t have the manuals, obtain them.