Inspection of Emergency Vehicles means different things to different people. Why is it that two people can arrive at a very different conclusion from the exact same scenario? In many cases the reason is a difference in depth of knowledge about the subject. Both the Driver and the Emergency Vehicle Technician are responsible for vehicle inspection. There is one level of inspection for a Driver and a different level for EVT. Our industry standard that addresses the subject is NFPA 1911 and is being updated in 2017 to include clearer definition about Driver inspection responsibilities.
The WFC Fire Mechanics Section will present details of the standard at the Washington Fire Symposium on Feb. 28th in Yakima. We will have an example presentation and vehicles to demonstrate the operational checks. Three Master EVT Board Members will answer questions and take class participants through practical skills. In addition we will give an update on technology in our vehicles. What should a driver expect from the Roll Stability Control computers? How do you use the Automatic Traction Control function to your advantage?
Back to the different perspective different answers issue. Let’s take a look at the tires check box on the vehicle inspection forms. If you handed the rig check form to the “Probie” on day one they would probably check the box yes if there were the correct number of tires mounted on the vehicle. A compliant driver inspection would include: pressure, tread depth, visible damage, wheel damage and tightness. For the EVT add to the driver’s list: tread wear analysis, damage analysis and lug nut re-torque. For the EVT we also need to insure the tire meets the load specification and requirements of the chassis and that it matches the wheel load specification.
Your WFC Fire Mechanics Section is here to help support you in moving your vehicle inspections program from “Probie” to compliant. We look forward to seeing you at the conference.