“Nothing happens if the trucks won’t start.” That’s what my brother, a bureau chief in charge of apparatus, always said. Emergency vehicle technicians are the people working behind the scenes that make those vehicles roll.

In the past 15 years, the “mechanics” have come a very long way. More than ever, they’re recognized as professionals who play an integral role in fire department operations. No more “wrench-turners,” they are highly-skilled technicians who face incredible liabilities.

For 10 years, FIRE CHIEF has published In Service as a quarterly resource for those involved with the specification, management and maintenance emergency vehicles. This month, we’re taking that service electronic with the introduction of In Service Online—a monthly newsletter that will deliver information by e-mail to those who keep emergency apparatus running safely for our nation’s firefighters. To sign up for it, please go to www.firechief.com/inservice , or go to www.firechief.com and click on the link for In Service under “Subscribe.”

Information delivery via e-mail is a step forward, but more work needs to be done to train, support, network and unify our technicians. Recently, at FireTech Reno, a couple dozen people involved with emergency vehicles met to discuss whether a new national resource organization for emergency vehicle technicians and state EVT organizations should be formed. The group included six state association representatives, a representative of the Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification Commission and one from the International Association of Fire Chief’s Apparatus Maintenance Section, plus a couple manufacturers.

Ralph Craven of Hale Products, one of the founding members of the National Association of Emergency Vehicle Technicians, was there. He explained that NAEVT was originally created in the '90s to be that national resource for EVTs, while the IAFC’s Apparatus Maintenance Section targeted the management and supervisors of emergency fleet management.

Through the hard work of a number of volunteers, NAEVT went through a tremendous period of growth during the ‘90s, reaching a quoted membership of between 3,000 and 4,000. But, as with many organizations, it had ups and downs. Recently, questions about financial and management decisions, as well as a lack of communication to its members, have resulted in silence and lots of finger pointing. The organization hasn’t produced newsletters, held annual meetings and or elected officers for a couple years.

There’s clearly a need for a national organization to represent the emergency vehicle technicians and support state associations. As it stands, the technicians are not represented on critical NFPA committees developing standards for apparatus, such as NFPA 1901 and NFPA 1916; and NFPA 1071, the Professional Standard for EVTs, needs dissemination.

The consensus at the Reno meeting was that a new organization needs to be formed and that it should be affiliated with an existing, stable association to bring it credibility, administrative help and financial accountability. The group suggests it hold two annual meetings, one to coincide with the Fire Department Safety Officers’ Association’s Apparatus Specification & Maintenance Symposium — a conference with 16 years of success — in Orlando, Fla.; and one attached to FireTech Reno, held the end of the year in Reno, Nev. These east and west locations could geographically serve the nation’s emergency vehicle technicians.

The next meeting to discuss the new organization will be held Jan. 25 at the FDSOA Apparatus Symposium in Orlando. All emergency vehicle technicians and state associations are invited to attend this meeting to make proposals and help set the direction of a national organization to serve their needs.

As Craven explained to the meeting participants in Reno, “We need an organization to help the state EVT associations. NAEVT was originally formed for that purpose and it’s a good goal. Let the state associations work on training and educating their state’s EVTs. Let the EVTCC administer the tests for certification, but let’s get back to the basics of helping the state associations. If we align with an existing, stable organization for administrative support and financial accounting, we can then focus on helping build the state and local training programs.”

What would you call this new organization for EVTs? The Apparatus Technicians Association? (ATA)? Emergency Apparatus Technicians (EAT)?. The core group is taking suggestions via e-mail at aerialwreck@msn.com. Technicians, let them hear from you. The person that suggests the winning name will receive a one-year membership to the new organization.

And, chiefs, please make sure your department’s technicians get their subscription to In Service Online. In Service’s Senior Editor Chris Cavette also needs to hear from anyone who has information concerning state EVT associations, EVT training opportunities, and standards, new technology or products related to emergency service vehicles. Direct your e-mail to him at cavettes@ix.netcom.com.

Let’s support our technicians. Please forward this e-mail to anyone who might benefit from this new organization and In Service Online.

Janet Wilmoth, Editor