Ever since the horse-drawn, steam-engine fire pump was invented, fire apparatus have been on a fast track to greater efficiency and effectiveness. But prices are evolving, too.

In 1973, the average price of a custom fire engine was about $70,000. Twenty years later, the average price for a pumper was $180,000, up about 250%. Now you can expect to pay around $250,000. That's somewhere around $5,500 to $7,000 in increases per year for a pumper with similar firefighting capabilities.

What's driving this evolution?

Personnel, federal regulations and the demands on today's fire departments, for the most part. Once a whole neighborhood turned out to man a bucket brigade to douse a burning structure; now in most cities the engine crew is a reduced to three or four firefighters who are expected to respond to much more than fires, from emergency medical calls to rescues and beyond.

In addition to adding elements for fire departments to meet an expanded mission, such as the integration of new technology, fire truck manufacturers have to meet constantly evolving federal, state and local regulations, along with NFPA 1901, Automotive Fire Apparatus, which provides the basic footprint for a complete and safe piece of firefighting equipment.

For example, the Clean Air Act, first enforced by the EPA in 1990, forced manufacturers to make major changes to diesel engine performance as it mandated major reductions in smog-forming volatile organic compounds and nitrogen-oxide emissions. And it was only the beginning. The 2004 standard for nitrogen-oxide emissions is roughly 58% less than the 1990 standard, and the 2007 standard will almost eliminate such emissions. Additionally, starting in 1994, diesel engine — driven trucks were required to reduce the concentration of dust and soot particles emitted into the atmosphere by 90%.

After regulations, the NFPA standard must be considered. The current version of NFPA 1901 is the 1999 edition, which will be replaced by the 2003 revision, effective on all apparatus ordered after Dec. 31.

NFPA 1901 is updated every three to five years, and those revisions are usually to improve firefighter safety. The 1991 revision changed the crew seating area to a fully enclosed cab, substantially increasing the cost of apparatus and changing fire truck design forever. In the process of integrating this change to protect firefighters, many manufacturers extended the wheelbase of a vehicle to provide clear access to the rear seats.

Although your department is paying more for fire apparatus today, it now has a cleaner running engine, better stopping capabilities, a safer cab configuration and a computer-driven electrical system that requires a half a dozen software engineers to figure out why a light bulb doesn't work. Who could ask for anything more?

Your firefighters, of course!

They want enhanced truck bodies with the equipment storage capabilities to carry extrication equipment, medical supplies and rappelling equipment, and they want a compartment in the cab to carry the WMD antidote kit.

They need Class A foam for their wildland responses and Class B foam for petroleum fires, and they need foam-injection systems to deliver the foam effectively. In certain parts of the country, compressed-air foam systems may be required, which have been proved to be an extremely effective foam delivery system — at a price.

Then, as the sun goes down, they want to engage the PTO hydraulic generator to produce up to 15,000 watts of electricity for telescoping light masts to light up a football field — sized area so they can hook up the winch to the car in the ditch. Finally, they want an on-board video recording system to tape all of this — with all of the LED flashers flashing and directional lights forwarding traffic around the incident — just before they use the on-board breathing-air system.

Budget versus acceptance

Now that we have almost doubled the 2003 fire engine cost estimate with a few little enhancements, it's up to the chief to balance wants against needs and to meet the budget. Although it may seem overwhelming, there's light at the end of the tunnel.

The 2003 edition of NFPA 1901 will include Annex B, a complete section for specifying and procuring fire apparatus. For those new to the game, this section includes several recommendations to help guide you through the process and a detailed apparatus purchasing specification form that can be filled out and submitted to fire apparatus manufacturers for proposals. For those more seasoned or for those with already-established apparatus specifications, the form is a fantastic checklist to ensure that the proper detail has been included in your request for proposals.

Next, develop an apparatus committee. Most manufacturers will tell you that the most organized contracts, from date of order to delivery, have almost always come from three- or four-person committees.

These committees are generally composed of the chief or fire commissioner, who deals with the administrative portions of the specifications; an engineer, who deals with the pumping system, operational controls and communications systems; a maintenance officer or mechanic, who deals with drive line and maintenance access; and a fourth member for dealing with equipment storage and creature comforts.

Committee members should:

• Meet with other staff members for input in their respective fields of expertise.
• Attend trade shows to shop several fire truck manufacturers and component vendors, compare the configurations and options available, and attend classes.
• Attend the Fire Department Safety Officers Association's specification writing symposium, an interactive session that features manufacturer and fire department speakers.
• Research current or new fire truck technology on the Internet.

Next stage of evolution

Changes in the 2003 edition of NFPA 1901 include a more in-depth listing of data required by the contractor at time of delivery, additional testing and documentation requirements for apparatus sub-systems, additional requirements for crew restraint, and equipment allowance provisions for different vehicle types.

A new section in the 2003 standard, Annex D: Guidelines for First Line and Reserve Apparatus, is included for informational purposes only. The annex explains how to update in-service apparatus to 1991 or more-current NFPA standards, and it states that apparatus built before 1979 should be considered for upgrade or replacement.

And if you're not upgrading but buying new? Many advancements in the electronics industry have stimulated change in the fire apparatus manufacturing industry, and new technology is introduced at every trade show.

For example, LED lighting can provide the NFPA-required optical warning lighting with half of the amperage draw of halogen or strobe lighting packages. It has similar benefits to its halogen predecessors when used for compartment and area lighting.

The most interesting issue with the increasing popularity of LED lighting is that the pricing has come down to the point where it is equivalent to the cost for strobe lighting, with longer-term warranties due to the longer lifespan of LED bulbs. Scene lighting also has evolved into easier to package, 110-volt systems with smaller light heads and more efficient optics to direct light output where it's needed.

In terms of power, PTO hydraulic generators have increased in popularity and are available from several manufacturers. Most hydraulic pump — driven generators are capable of up to 15,000 watts of output with the chassis engine running through the entire rpm range of the engine, allowing the generator to run at capacity during pumping operations.

That pump is no stranger to technology, either. Microprocessor control heads for pump-pressure governors are now available that will maintain operational pressures of a fire pump by simply pressing a preset button on the control head after pump engagement. The pressure governor heads interface directly with the chassis engine computer, providing immediate response to pressure fluctuations for positive-pressure control.

Microprocessor control heads also have updated foam-injection systems to offer programmed presets for foam metering, simplifying foam applications. Compressed-air foam systems are becoming more popular, too. Although costing somewhere around $45,000 on a custom pumper, there are departments using CAFS that say it's invaluable.

Bring it all together

You already knew the next fire truck you purchase will most likely cost more than the previous one, even if it's a similar configuration, but how much more expensive your new unit is depends entirely on the specific needs of your department.

Unfortunately, no single fire apparatus manufacturer has come up with the one apparatus design that meets the demands of all of the different requirements of all of the fire-rescue departments in the country. If that were possible, one of the large automotive manufacturers could do a production run of about 5,000 or so units a year and take care of all departments, reducing costs substantially.

Until then, apparatus manufacturers will continue to custom-build trucks to meet an individual department's specific requirements, and the process will continue to evolve as standards change and technology takes us to the next level of evolution.

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Mark A. Kopunek is product manager of the pumper group for KME Fire Apparatus in Nesquehoning, Pa.