When a fire department writes a specification for a new piece of apparatus, they usually have only a limited amount of information to use as a basis for their decisions. They can either use their own general experience with a particular design, or they can rely on information provided by the apparatus manufacturer or another neighboring department. Although those are all good sources of information, they don't really tell the prospective buyer how safe an apparatus will be to operate or how well it will perform.

To answer those questions, a department needs to develop comprehensive driver training and vehicle testing programs. If used properly, these programs will provide valuable data that can potentially save money, reduce injuries and possibly even save lives.

In 1998, the Sacramento (Calif.) Fire Department became a member of the Sacramento Regional Driver Training Facility, which occupies a 64-acre portion of a former military air base. The facility is jointly operated by the fire department, the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department. All new drivers employed by the city and county are trained there, and all new vehicles are given a baseline test and evaluation there.

Driver training

The driver training area includes three classrooms. One of the classrooms contains four computer-controlled vehicle simulators that can interact with each other and with the instructor. The simulators help the staff evaluate and modify drivers' decision-making processes to reinforce defensive driving and to ensure the drivers are using sound judgments about their speed, road position and reactions to changing traffic situations.

When students are ready to move outside of the classroom they're given a series of behind-the-wheel lessons to develop key driving skills. This training is tailored to the specific type and size of vehicle the driver will operate.

A skid pad area teaches them how to control vehicles under wet roadway conditions. Two vehicle dynamics pads, one for emergency vehicles and a larger one for commercial vehicles, are used to teach drivers how to avoid accidents by quickly changing lanes without losing control of the vehicle. These pads also are also used to teach drivers how to modulate brake pressure when braking suddenly.

Another area is set up to simulate a street intersection, where students learn the fundamentals of roadway positioning, steering and straight-line braking to safely execute turns.

A separate off-road training facility is located a few miles from the main facility. Students start with a four-hour introductory course to learn the basics of off-road driving and develop their skills under a variety of driving conditions. An eight-hour advanced course teaches students how to deal with more difficult terrain as well as how to operate winches for rescue and recovery operations.

The training facility operates seven days a week. Night classes often are held until 1 a.m. to simulate prolonged driving under nighttime conditions. In addition to training emergency vehicle operators, the facility is used to train drivers of public works vehicles, refuse trucks, and other city and county vehicles. It's also used to train emergency vehicle operators from other departments throughout the state under fee-based contracts.

Vehicle testing

An added benefit of having such an extensive regional driver training facility is that it also can be used for vehicle testing. The Sacramento facility tests all new vehicles purchased by the participating agencies. This test provides valuable information to the end users about the vehicles' handling, braking, acceleration and drivability characteristics. It also provides information about the individual vehicle components, such as engines, transmissions, retarders, frames, axles, suspensions, brakes, electrical systems and others. This information is entered into a data bank and used as a reference the next time a vehicle is specified.

Vehicle testing activities at the Sacramento facility use many of the areas used for driver training. A straightaway allows acceleration and deceleration tests. Other areas are used to test stopping distances with and without retarders, front wheel cramp angles and vehicle turning radius, and the coefficient of friction for tires. The skid pad allows evaluation of a vehicle's turning capabilities on wet roads. Other tests include weight transfer characteristics during braking and turning, angles of approach and departure, electrical system performance and mirror visibility.

Vehicles are taken out on the highways in the surrounding area to determine the minimum vehicle speed on a 7% upgrade. Engine, transmission and retarder temperatures are measured on a 10% downgrade. Other more subjective tests include ride and handling evaluations under various road conditions. The entire series of tests can take up to two weeks to complete. Testers rate vehicle performance using the NFPA 1901 standards as a minimum requirement, but they add their own criteria in many areas.

Fire apparatus improvements

As a result of this vehicle testing program, the Sacramento Fire Department has been able to identify several areas for improvement in their fire apparatus specifications.

One area was engine horsepower. Their older pumpers had been specified with 250 to 350hp engines — most under 300hp. Although that range was acceptable for pumping operations, it produced only marginal vehicle acceleration. The department found that increasing the engine rating to 430hp and using a rear axle ratio of 4.30 gave them a combination that produced good 0-30mph acceleration in the city without allowing excessive top speed on the highway. They made a similar horsepower upgrade for their aerials.

Another area of improvement was ride quality and weight transfer during braking. Testing showed that an independent front suspension gave better ride quality and transferred weight to the front axle more quickly for improved braking performance. The most noticeable benefit, however, was that the suspension produced an oversteer under wet or slippery road conditions, rather than an understeer. This kept the front tires in contact with the road and allowed a properly trained driver to retain steering control.

Finally, the evaluation showed several items that could be improved in the electrical system. The alternator rating was increased to give sufficient current for electromechanical sirens when the engine compartment is hot. To reduce the overall electrical load, light-emitting diode emergency lights were specified. The LEDS are expected to require very low maintenance as well.

The department also determined it was more cost effective to use six or seven smaller batteries, rather than much larger and heavier 4D or 8D batteries. They specified one battery to be isolated from the rest and used exclusively to supply power to the engine and transmission electronic control units. This change eliminated ECU problems and shutdowns caused by voltage spikes in the rest of the electrical system.

The new specifications were incorporated into the Sacramento Fire Department's most recent order for 11 engines and three aerials. These units are now in service, and their excellent performance has proven the value of our testing program.

---

Lloyd Ogan is a 19-year veteran of the Sacramento Fire Department. He has been a captain for nine years. For the last four years, he has been the supervisor assigned to the Sacramento Regional Driver Training Facility.