At last week's joint meeting in New Orleans of the Fire & Emergency Manufacturers & Services Association and the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association, two apparatus manufacturers observed that committees are making decisions on buying fire trucks. While I agree that committees now specify fire trucks, the chiefs -- particularly in the large volunteer segment -- still are the final decisionmakers on many large purchases, particularly fire trucks.

Are all the members of a specifying committee "equal" members? When a firefighter says he or she is influential in buying a fire truck, how much input does he or she have? If you were a manufacturer, would you treat such firefighters any differently if they weren't involved?

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Pocatello, Idaho, for the annual Idaho Command School. More than 75 chiefs, officers, firefighters and EMTs participated in the two-day school. Among the speakers was Division Chief Gary Wells, Tualatin Valley (Ore.) Fire Rescue Department, who led the four-hour session "Mastering the Specification Process" for apparatus purchase.

Wells' presentation included a segment about the role of apparatus specification committees. The committee is to help with the specification of the vehicle and its components in an advisory capacity, according to Wells. He suggested that an apparatus specification committee should include company officers, engineers, maintenance personnel, training officers, safety officers and financial personnel.

Getting the financial people on board is important, he said. "Not only will they understand the process and why equipment was requested," said Wells, "but he or she can be helpful to get the financing you'll need."

The following week, I met with an advertising agency that was new to the fire service. The account director said to better understand his new customer, a fire truck builder, he surveyed a dozen fire departments in his state. The majority of those surveyed confirmed they had committees for input, but most said that the fire chief made the final decision.

Buying a fire truck is not unlike buying a house (including the price range!). You ask for input from key family members: the housekeeper will focus on the traffic patterns, kitchen or laundry area; the handyman may focus on the garage; and the kids focus on the play areas. All these areas will be considered in the final selection made by the person signing the contract.

In an effort to help with the complexities of the investment in an emergency vehicle, Fire Chief magazine worked with the Fire Emergency Training Network to create "NFPA 1901: Annex D -- Refurbish or Replace." Our goal was to lay out the options for departments that are trying to decide what to do with an aging fire truck.

The 50-minute multimedia program, available on CD-ROM and DVD, is narrated by several fire service apparatus experts and one lawyer (who explains the liability segment). No manufacturers were involved. It was designed to be an objective tool on the interpretation of Annex D.

To order a copy of "Refurbish or Replace," download the order form in Adobe Acrobat format from firechief.com/ar/FireChief_orderform.pdf.

Committees are a far better option than the old way of the chief buying a fire truck and the department members having to live with his decision. However, life is more complicated today, and chiefs needs to make an educated decision before they sign on the dotted line.

Janet Wilmoth, Editor