Every emergency vehicle technician looks for ways to make apparatus last longer, but wear and tear, as well as environmental issues, work against this goal. Nevertheless, in the current economy, EVTs must stay vigilant in the fight to keep apparatus in service as long as possible. If your department has plenty of money and want to buy new rigs every two or three years, then just buy them, add fuel and run them until the new one comes in. But for most departments, this scenario looks nothing like the real world.

So, if you’re not in fantasy land, then from day one you had better perform preventive maintenance on your apparatus. Buy a new engine or truck and fail to do the proper maintenance and you will have a boat load of problems very quickly. Preventive maintenance of your fleet will save your department money and extend the life of the apparatus. The purpose of a PM program is to have a safe, ready-to-use apparatus in the station at all times. In this article we will examine some of the tactics that can be employed to extend apparatus life spans.

Let’s begin by looking at NFPA 1911, Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus. The standard requires — at a minimum — annual inspections, maintenance and testing of apparatus. It also requires that qualified emergency response vehicle technicians do the work. Often we hear that adherence to the NFPA standards is not required in every state; so, in the states that don’t require such adherence, they effectively are only recommendations. That might be true to a certain extent, but should you decide not to use NFPA 1911 as the basis for your apparatus maintenance-and-testing program, then what would you use in its place? You could write your own inspection, maintenance and testing SOPs, but would that really be easier than just using 1911?

Let’s say that you chose not to use NFPA 1911, one of your apparatus is involved in an accident and your department is sued as a result. You can be sure that the plaintiff’s attorney will find out about NFPA 1911 and then, sooner or later, ask you whether you used this document to ensure that your apparatus was safe and ready to use. If you did not, the next question will be, “Why not?” Your explanation for not using this standard might include one or more of the following:

• Your state does not adopt all NFPA standards into laws.
• Your department does not adhere to NFPA standards.
• Your department did not have the money to maintain and test its apparatus properly.

Whatever the excuse, the jury probably will wonder whether everything was done, within reason, to ensure that your apparatus was safe. That ends up being the burden of proof: would a prudent person have done the same thing that you did in the same situation? If the jury starts to ask why you did not do the right thing, the outcome will not be good.

Accident Avoidance

Recently the national spotlight has been cast on apparatus accidents, particularly on who was doing the preventive maintenance and what was being done. The kind of publicity that follows an apparatus accident can harm your department’s reputation and have a negative effect on personnel morale. Often, investigations and news articles paint a picture of excuses and apathy regarding the fleet’s safety. You can be sure that everyone in such a position thought that it never would happen to them.

But such scenarios can be avoided. For example, after a vehicle experienced multiple brake issues and accidents, it would have been prudent for someone to ask, “Why is this unit still in service?” Just one qualified technician or maintenance department supervisor asking that question could have prevented a line-of-duty death. The bottom line is that you must use NFPA 1911 as the basis for taking care of your apparatus. Not using the standard will cost you more money to operate your fleet, it will shorten the life span of your apparatus and it will expose your department to legal ramifications.

If you are a fleet manager, fire chief, technician or maintenance officer, you need to be familiar with NFPA 1911. This comprehensive standard covers all aspects of vehicle maintenance, including the following:

• Qualified technicians.
• Daily and weekly inspections and testing.
• Annual and semi-annual inspections and testing.
• Inspection and testing forms.
• Front-line and reserve apparatus maintenance.
• Out-of-service criteria.
• Apparatus retirement criteria.
• Annex material on how to set up a PM program.

According to the standard, any apparatus that is in service or could be put into service should be maintained the same way. So, whether it is reserve or front line, the apparatus must be treated the same way. Moreover, if the vehicle cannot pass the tests or inspections required by NFPA 1911, it must be removed from service and retired. Many apparatus accidents have occurred because reserve apparatus was pressed into front-line service with little or no prior maintenance or inspections. When NFPA 1911 is implemented, the common practice of not taking care of reserve apparatus disappears, and fewer accidents occur.

The standard also requires that qualified technicians perform the preventive maintenance, inspections and testing. The qualified technicians’ requirement also is stated in NFPA 1071, Emergency Vehicle Technician Professional Qualifications. This standard lists the job performance requirements for emergency response vehicle technicians. The annex contains a chart that lists the EVT and ASE certifications that could help a fleet manager determine the qualifications of his technicians.

NFPA 1911’s out-of-service criteria represent the most comprehensive list of defects and deficiencies that could render an apparatus unusable or unsafe. Generally, this section requires that such problems be repaired before the apparatus is returned to service. However, the standard does allow, in some cases, a system on the apparatus to be removed while the vehicle remains in service. Let’s say that the hydraulic generator is not working and needs to be repaired, but the apparatus needs to remain in service. The standard allows for the hydraulic generator to be removed from service by disabling the system or component and labeling on the driver’s door that the generator is out-of-service. The apparatus then can continue to be used until the repair can be scheduled.

While the standard spells out the defects and problems that require an apparatus to be removed from service, sometimes further analysis is necessary, e.g., when an engine leak has occurred. In such cases, a qualified technician can be called in to determine the extent of the problem and whether it warrants removal of the apparatus from service. The technician then provides a written report to the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) stating his recommendations for repair of the apparatus and its in-service status.

Test and Test Again

The performance-testing chapters of NFPA 1911 cover test procedures for the following: pumps, aerials, low-voltage and line-voltage electrical systems, brakes, chassis, compressed-air foam systems, and auxiliary equipment. Most EVTs are familiar with aerial and pump testing, because most departments complete these tests at least every year. But sometimes issues occur concerning the pump test and whether it is executed properly. The standard spells out how and what should be tested, and the expected outcomes. Unfortunately, however, many departments do not follow the standard, because the pump-testing process has been passed down from one person to another over time. As a result, the test often has not been done correctly for years, so the condition of the pump and pump accessories are unknown.

For example, a department recently experienced some problems with a pressure governor. During the diagnoses of the problem, the technician found that the pressure governor transducer had been disconnected. The transducer is designed to maintain pump pressure by constantly sensing pump discharge pressure. After reviewing the pump test completed by the department during the prior month, it was found that the pressure controller test had not been done. The personnel doing the test just did what they had been shown to do, but several of the required steps were left out. That an inoperative pressure controller did not cause a serious accident at a fire scene is amazing. Performing the required annual testing will extend the life of the apparatus and make sure that safety systems are functioning properly.

There is no doubt that a good preventive maintenance program will keep your apparatus safe and ready to use, but it also will extend the life of your fleet. NFPA 1911 requires that any defect or deficiency be repaired before the unit is returned to service. By making repairs in a timely fashion, small issues are less likely to become big issues. As the apparatus becomes older and you start to review whether or when it should be replaced, you certainly will look at the costs that were incurred over the life of the vehicle. If the apparatus constantly is in the shop, those costs are going to be significantly higher than for an apparatus that is not broken down all the time. Because the preventive maintenance inspection will catch problems prior to breakdowns, which will enable you to repair them before they worsen, the lifetime costs that apparatus should be less. Plus, crews always have more confidence in units that don’t spend all their time at the repair shop.

Environmental issues also could shorten the life of your apparatus. Some of these issues concern location — for example, whether road salt is used. Regardless of whether your apparatus is constructed from stainless steel, some other form of steel or aluminum, the use of road salt will affect the metal on your apparatus, as well as the wiring and electrical components. Indeed, over the apparatus’ life span, you will spend more on electrical repairs than any other type. So, anything you can do to reduce the need for such repairs will extend the useful life of the apparatus.

Most fire apparatus manufacturers use quality harnesses and weather-tight connectors, which help to protect against corrosion. But in areas where salt is used on the roads, you will find that corrosion in connectors and fixtures will be accelerated, so regular maintenance must be done on the electrical system. The apparatus must be cleaned and washed to keep the salt from attacking electrical components and body metal. Don’t forget that the underneath of the apparatus also needs to be cleaned, because brake valves, frame rails, springs, brakes and other systems can be damaged or corroded by extended contact with salt solutions.

In conclusion, the most cost-effective way to extend the life of your apparatus is to continue to include preventive maintenance in the budget. Do not cut this valuable program just because it is the easiest item to cut, with the least amount of complaining. Effective preventive maintenance programs that follow NFPA 1911 not only will keep your apparatus in service longer and improve their efficiency, but also will reduce the cost of operating the vehicles. In today’s budget-constrained environment, preventive maintenance is a great investment.

Stephen Wilde is president of the EVT Certification Commission. He can be reached at cfs@ameritech.net.

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