Winter is a good time to bring your apparatus into the shop for maintenance. Wildland fire season hasn't started yet in most parts of the country, and shop personnel aren't taking time off for summer vacations.

While you have your older apparatus in the shop, consider making some upgrades to them. Upgrading is usually less expensive than buying new apparatus, and it can significantly improve the safety, performance and useful life of older apparatus. Here are some ideas on how you might make some big improvements for only a little money.

Start with safety

Upgrading the safety of older apparatus should be one of the first jobs for any department. Most apparatus built before 1991 lack many of the safety features that are standard on more modern rigs. Fire departments can often do the work themselves for very little money.

One good upgrade is adding reflective tape to the front, rear and sides of an apparatus to make it more visible to oncoming traffic. This feature is especially important for engines and rescues that operate along busy roads at the scene of motor-vehicle accidents. NFPA standards require one or more stripes that cover 25% of the width of the front, 50% of the width of the rear, and 50% of the length of each side.

Alternating red and yellow or red and white diagonal stripes on the rear of the apparatus are effective in catching the attention of oncoming drivers and can help direct traffic away from the scene. White and yellow stripes reflect the most light and are the most visible. The tape comes in rolls that are large enough to outfit several rigs.

Another way to make older apparatus more visible is to install additional warning lights. Many older rigs lack warning lights on the sides and at the lower corners. Installing some surface-mount warning lights at key points can help avoid collisions at intersections and while parked at the scene. Also consider installing a mini light bar or directional arrow lights at the rear of the apparatus to help control traffic.

Installing non-slip step surfaces is another good safety upgrade that won't cost a lot of money. Slip-fall accidents are a common cause of firefighter injuries and lost time. NFPA standards require all exterior stepping, standing and walking surfaces to have slip-resistant surfaces. Traditional diamond-plate doesn't meet the standards.

Departments can choose from several types of non-slip treatments for existing surfaces. One is to apply adhesive-backed non-slip strips, similar to those found on industrial stairs. Another is to coat the surfaces with a non-slip paint or coating. Both methods require periodic inspection and re-application. Step areas around the fuel tank filler neck should have an open-grate surface to allow fuel spills to drain away.

Mounting a few low-voltage white lights to illuminate the steps and ground around the sides and rear of an apparatus can improve the safety and efficiency of firefighters working in the area. Point the lights down to avoid blinding personnel, and wire all the lights to a single switch in the cab. Add some flush-mounted lights in the hosebed and compartments to help firefighters remove and replace hose and equipment. Install red lenses or place translucent red tape over the dome light and other lights inside the cab to help preserve the crew's night vision while still allowing them to read maps while driving to an incident.

Floating embers can be a big safety hazard for apparatus and firefighters alike. More than one fire apparatus has sucked an ember into the engine air inlet. It can happen at a structure fire as easily as a wildland fire, and the results are equally disastrous. First the paper air cleaner filter element bursts into flames and shuts down the engine. Then the vehicle stops, the pump quits and the crew has to scramble to get things under control before the whole truck burns up. Installing a fine-mesh metal screen in the air inlet opening the openings on most perforated metal inlets are too large is easy and inexpensive. Periodically inspect and clean the screen as part of your preventive maintenance program.

Finally, take all the loose equipment and SCBA out of the cab and mount them in compartments. Loose items in the cab can turn into dangerous missiles if the apparatus stops suddenly or rolls over. Clutter on the floor also can impede safe entry and exit. If you don't want to remove some equipment, at least secure it in place with positive-latching mounting devices. NFPA has stringent requirements for these mounts. Some products meet these requirements; others do not. Ask before you buy.

Boost performance

Another area where departments can upgrade their older apparatus is by taking some steps to boost performance. There have been a lot of improvements in firefighting technology and tactics over the years, and many of them can be incorporated for a minimal cash outlay.

Adding a foam system is a good upgrade that can help firefighters knock down fires in less time and with less water. A simple foam eductor with a preconnected handline can be installed for a few hundred dollars. Most departments can do the work in their shops. Run a pick-up tube from the eductor to a pail of foam concentrate and you have a system that can generate enough foam to handle structure, wildland and car fires. The use of foam is becoming more important in areas of the country where ethanol-gasoline mixtures are being sold. Depending on the size of the fire, the ethyl alcohol found in these mixtures may require the application of an alcohol-resistant aqueous film-forming foam, or AR-AFFF, to extinguish it properly.

Another upgrade that can really boost firefighting performance is the installation of preconnected attack lines. Structure pumpers can benefit from the installation of high-volume “blitz” lines to let firefighters knock down residential fires or protect exposures. This configuration consists of a lightweight ground monitor attached to a short length of 2½-inch or larger hose. It can be positioned with greater flexibility than a fixed deck gun and can be put into operation by a single person. Another option is adding 1½-inch handlines to wildland pumpers to let the crew attack structure fires as well as vegetation fires. In some cases, a single larger handline can increase the water delivery flowrate by as much as four times. Both of these configurations are easily installed.

Departments that use tanker shuttles to supply water at fires can improve the performance of almost any older tanker by installing larger fill and dump connections. Depending on the water flow available at the fill site, adding a second fill connection or replacing a small one with a larger connection can significantly increase the fill rate. Installing quick-disconnect couplings on the fill hose and tanker will help, too. At the dump site, replacing a small, round dump valve with a large, square one can increase the dump rate. Converting rear dumps so that they can discharge the water to either side will speed up dump site operations and avoid the dangerous practice of backing the apparatus to reach the drop tank. Much of this work can be done in the department or at a local welding shop.

Compartment space on older apparatus is usually limited. As departments add equipment, it is usually stored wherever there is room. Sometimes this results in an inefficient arrangement that makes it hard to find equipment and hard to retrieve it once it's found. One good way to improve the performance of older rigs is to organize the equipment in a more logical manner and mount it so that it's easier to remove. Some departments group equipment according to its use all the rescue gear in one compartment, all the nozzles and hose adapters in another. Others maximize compartment space by installing shelves, slide-out trays and tool boards. Several manufacturers make a variety of mounting clamps and hold-downs to secure equipment.

Simplify maintenance

One area that departments often overlook when they start upgrading their apparatus is maintenance. With a little thought and a little work, departments can make changes that will decrease the frequency and cost of apparatus maintenance, as well as extend the useful lives of their older rigs.

Apparatus equipped with air brake systems can benefit from the installation of air dryers and air-tank drain valves. These devices are standard on many modern rigs but absent on older ones. Without them, moisture can be drawn into the air system and mix with oil vapors from the air compressor. The combination cools and forms a sticky substance that can clog valves and hinder brake operation.

Air dryers remove the water and oil before they get into the system. Most dryers have automatic drain valves that only need minor inspection. Air-tank drain valves allow manual removal of accumulated moisture as part of regular preventive maintenance. Some can be specified with a pull cord to provide actuation on tanks that are difficult to reach. Both air dryers and drain valves are easy to install.

Fuel filter/water separators are another useful upgrade. Water vapor can get into the fuel through the tank vent and during fueling operations. Once inside, the water can reduce the lubrication properties of the fuel and cause the injector plungers to seize. Water also can suddenly explode into steam as it passes into the hot cylinders, destroying the injector tips. Getting rid of the water before it reaches the engine is the key. Regular pleated element fuel filters may not trap it, so specially designed fuel filter/water separators are required.

If burned-out incandescent light bulbs are a constant maintenance problem, replacing them with light-emitting diodes may be the answer. LEDS come in several colors and sizes and can be used for stop, turn and tail lights, as well as for marker lights, clearance lights and a variety of warning lights. Although LEDS are more expensive to purchase, they last many times longer. They also have the added advantage of drawing significantly less electrical current than other lights, which reduces the load on the electrical system.

Another constant maintenance problem involves tire air pressures. Maintaining the proper tire pressures is essential for long tire life and safe vehicle operation. Low tire pressure can cause severe flexing of tire sidewalls and lead to premature and sudden tire failure. One of the problems in checking tire pressures is not being able to reach the valve stem on certain tires. This is especially true for the inner tires on rear duals. Installing valve stem extenders and extender supports can make this problem go away.

Improve ISO rating

Departments that would like to reduce property insurance premiums by improving their Insurance Services Office classification may want to consider upgrading or converting their older apparatus. ISO rates fire departments in many areas, and the points assigned for apparatus are part of the overall department rating.

Pumps are one area where departments can get ISO points. A big part of the rating for apparatus equipped with pumps is based on the successful completion of annual pump tests. These tests require very little equipment, and most departments can conduct them on their own.

To prepare for the tests, departments should perform maintenance checks and upgrades of the packing, seals, screens and other components of the pump system. The tests need to be done once per year to gain maximum points. ISO will give partial or no credit if the tests aren't conducted annually. The test requirement is especially important for older apparatus, which may not be given credit at all unless the department can prove the pumps still meet the rated flows and pressures. (For more information on pump tests, contact your local pump distributor or see “Peak Performance,” December 2005, available at www.firechief.com.)

Aerial ladders, platforms and water towers also need to be tested regularly to maintain ISO points. Just as with pumpers, ISO will give partial credit, or no credit, if the tests aren't conducted regularly. Any aerial device that fails a test should be taken out of service immediately. Following a failure, departments have the options of fixing the problems, de-activating or removing the aerial device, or replacing the entire apparatus. Running an apparatus with all the ground ladders and equipment except the aerial may earn partial ISO credit; this may be an interim solution for severely cash-strapped departments.

Departments that don't have an aerial can still boost their ISO apparatus rating points by responding with a service company. A service company carries equipment for forcible entry, ventilation, overhaul and salvage. Almost any vehicle can be used to transport this equipment, or it can be carried on a rescue, pumper or other apparatus that normally responds to first-alarm structure fires. A certain number of personnel also need to be assigned to the company to get maximum credit. In some cases, converting a used commercial truck or older apparatus would give a department a good service company transport vehicle. In other cases, this upgrade just requires a little paperwork to identify the equipment involved and where it's carried.

Another way departments can improve their ISO ratings is to convert one of their older pumpers into a supply pumper for tanker shuttle or hose relay operations. This usually only requires a minimum amount of work. Swapping lightweight, flexible suction hose for the heavy, rigid hard suctions that originally came with the rig allows rapid set-up with a limited crew. Adding area lights to illuminate the fill site at night is another good upgrade. If the unit also has to carry large-diameter supply hose, departments may want to remove the water tank or modify the hosebed to provide more room.

Most older apparatus still have many years of useful life. Firefighters are used to operating them, and mechanics are used to maintaining them. These workhorses have given good service, and with a few upgrades they can give even better service in the future.

NFPA Sets the Standards

NFPA 1912, Fire Apparatus Refurbishing, establishes requirements for several types and levels of refurbishing work on fire apparatus. It covers all but the most minor upgrades and is designed to help departments get the best results for their investment. The standard was revised in 2006.

Annex D of the current NFPA 1901, Automotive Fire Apparatus, and NFPA 1906, Wildland Fire Apparatus, also recommend, but do not require, that certain older apparatus either be placed in reserve or replaced. Specifically, they recommend that any pre-1991 apparatus that is less than 25 years old, has been properly maintained and is in serviceable condition should be placed in reserve and upgraded to incorporate as many features of the post-1991 standard as possible. They further recommend that any pre-1991 apparatus not manufactured to NFPA standards or more than 25 years old be replaced.

NFPA set these requirements and recommendations to emphasize the significant improvements that manufacturers have made to apparatus over the years and to help departments justify the cost of upgrading or replacing their older apparatus.