In 1956, a small group of local fire mechanics met at a local garage in Massachusetts to discuss some of the problems they were experiencing and how to solve them. From this group’s meetings, the New England Fire Apparatus Maintenance Association was formed — and 54 years later, it is the oldest association in the country.

NEFAMA covers six New England state regions and has over 400 members. It isgoverned by a five member executive board with several working committees, with monthly meetings beginning in September and ending in June annually. At these meetings, manufacturer’s representatives provide product training and updates. Roundtable discussions of current problems are always held at the meetings and are always interesting and informative.

The association has conducted many training trips and tours to various manufacturers across the United States in the fire service industry over the years. Over the years, these trips have proven to be a valuable asset for networking for both the members and manufacturers.

NEFAMA’s annual equipment show and banquet, held in Foxboro, Mass., includes 40 vendors with product displays and demonstrations and a luncheon.

In 1995, with the advent of the Emergency Vehicle Technician certification, the NEFAMA held its first three-day training seminar in conjunction with its annual show.

NEFAMA has helped many with these changes. It is with this association and other associations across the country like it that the educational training, safety and design changes of apparatus and equipment will continue to improve. A new era of cooperation and professionalism between the New England Fire Chiefs Association, the New England Division of the IAFC, the New England Exhibitors and Expo Association and the New England Fire Apparatus Maintenance Association has been established and will continue to flourish the “continuing education through the exchange of ideas” in the future.

Most successful seminar: The F-4 (Electrical) and the F-6 (Allison) classes. NEFAMA has developed great relationships with many of the manufacturing training representatives have always sought knowledgeable manufacturing representatives for the training seminars. These training seminars are always well attended as NEFAMA holds a special test site for EVT testing following the seminar.

Biggest challenge facing organization: Ever changing technological and safety changes in the fire apparatus and equipment today, NEFAMA is trying to keep our membership abreast of all these changes in a timely fashion with the concern of municipalities’ budget constraints affecting the fire departments maintenance budgets. These budgets are continuing to be reduced which ultimately affects the safety of the apparatus and equipment. Repairs and maintenance to NFPA standards on apparatus and equipment are no longer small financial cost. While technological advances by the manufactures have made apparatus and equipment safer for the fire personnel that use them, they have become more maintenance intensive due to their complexity.

Municipalities must provide the funding for the maintenance budgets necessary to keep the fire departments’ apparatus and equipment safe, efficient and reliable maintained to NFPA standards. Doing less could result in the possible unsafe use of the apparatus and equipment that could jeopardize the safety of the fire departments’ personnel using the apparatus and equipment as well as the citizens of the community in need of the fire department services in their moment of need. Someone could pay the ultimate price if the safety for the fire personnel is compromised thru a lack of funding.

Major training school or workshop: NEFAMA will be holding an F-6 Allison training workshop. The training school will be held Thursday, June 24 and Friday, June 25, at the West Springfield Fire Department’s Station 4 on the Eastern States Exhibition fairgrounds in Springfield, MA. For more information contact: Lt. Paul Lamoureux Jr., President NEFAMA, 508-326-3179 or Master Mechanic David Motta, Secretary/Program Director NEFAMA, 508-695-5252.