By Bill Adams

1 This walk-in rescue features roll-up doors, three compartments ahead of a single rear axle, and a rear recessed entry door into the body. Body windows can be fixed or slide to open. Windows reduce the area available for interior storage. (Photos courtesy of Rescue 1.)

The cost of individual components is one element of fire apparatus purchasing that can cause undue angst, confusion, and animosity between fire apparatus purchasing committee (APC) members.

2 This large tandem-axled walk-around rescue has a recessed lift-up stairwell accessing coffin compartments on top. Note the grab handles mounted at the side of each exterior equipment compartment. Under-body storage, if not properly sealed, can be a magnet for moisture and road debris. Under-body compartments also affect the angles of approach and departure between the axles - an item often overlooked until the crunch is heard.

Well-to-do committees seldom question each line item price. Those subject to strict fiscal oversight are more cost conscious. Financially strapped fire companies relying on ham-and-bean dinners and donations to buy a fire truck are justified in substantiating every dime spent. It is necessary for APCs to “price out” apparatus components to establish a purchasing budget. However, it is difficult for manufacturers to provide an exact price for each item that is applicable nationwide. At national trade shows when vendors are asked how much a particular feature costs, the price is usually given as being in the neighborhood of or an approximate cost. Vendors are not being dishonest or elusive. There are too many variables; some are alluded to below.

3 A walk-in rescue body with a flush-mounted side entry door on a two-door commercial chassis.

This first “Dollars and Sense” article features a few options commonly found on rescue trucks. Mike Marquis, vice president, rescue sales with Rescue 1, provided photographs and approximate prices. While many manufacturers fabricate rescues as part of diversified product lines, Marquis said rescues are the only vehicles Rescue 1 manufactures, building about 18 rigs per year of all sizes. It is a separate division of PL Custom Body, which has been around since 1946. Marquis says, “We specialize in heavy res

By Roger Lackore

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) apparatus committee has published NFPA 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles (2017 ed.), which took effect in January.

Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) member companies worked on the apparatus committee both as association members and as individual company representatives. While we all work hard to design great apparatus, like any machine, your fire apparatus is only as good as the care it receives. NFPA 1911 is an essential tool in providing the care that will keep your fleet safe and operational.

Title Change Expands Scope

The 2017 edition changed its name from “Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus” to “Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles.” This name change was accompanied by changes that make the standard applicable to emergency vehicles in general. The standard is now applicable to ambulances as well as fire apparatus. It can also apply to chief vehicles and other light vehicles if the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) so desires. The idea was to allow fire departments to cover the critical inspection and maintenance aspects of all their automotive vehicles with a single document.

Coordination with NFPA 1901 and 1906

Over the past decade, the apparatus committee has put a major push on better coordinating the documents under its control. This was done first by rewriting the municipal and wildland standards so the chapters match each other and by bringing them into the same revision cycles. This makes it easier to track changes between standards and ensures that these changes appear in both documents at the same time. While NFPA 1911 has yet to be brought into the same revision cycle, the committee has attempted to keep the revisions right on the heels of changes to NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, and NFPA 1906, Standard for Wildland Fire Apparatus. For 2017, this includes removing outdated or inaccurate tabular information and adding stipulations that wildland fire pumps and ultra-high-pressure pumps be tested at least annually, just as the bigger pumps are.

Inspection and Maintenance of Trailers

Chapter 6 has been expanded to include out-of-service criteria for emergency service trailers to coordinate with the trailer chapter that was added to NFPA 1901 in 2016. A new chapter 16 has also been added to cover maintenance criteria for these trailers. Inspection criteria include all the typical trailer systems such as suspensions, axles, wheels, safety chains, hitch, and hitch mounting. An extensive section points out important brake-system-related inspection points, and the standard also provides a tire replacement schedule.

Inspection and Maintenance

A new Chapter 17 provides inspection criteria for patient compartments of ambulances or fire apparatus equipped for patient transport. The committee coordinated the chapter with NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances. Inspections cover the complete range of patient compartment features from heating and cooling to medical equipment and lighting.

The committee was unanimous in agreeing on the importance of diligent scheduled inspections and maintenance. They captured this sentiment in the annex, where it states, “The importance of the daily/weekly checks cannot be stressed

By Roger Lackore

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) apparatus committee has published NFPA 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles (2017 ed.), which took effect in January.

Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) member companies worked on the apparatus committee both as association members and as individual company representatives. While we all work hard to design great apparatus, like any machine, your fire apparatus is only as good as the care it receives. NFPA 1911 is an essential tool in providing the care that will keep your fleet safe and operational.

Title Change Expands Scope

The 2017 edition changed its name from “Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus” to “Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles.” This name change was accompanied by changes that make the standard applicable to emergency vehicles in general. The standard is now applicable to ambulances as well as fire apparatus. It can also apply to chief vehicles and other light vehicles if the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) so desires. The idea was to allow fire departments to cover the critical inspection and maintenance aspects of all their automotive vehicles with a single document.

Coordination with NFPA 1901 and 1906

Over the past decade, the apparatus committee has put a major push on better coordinating the documents under its control. This was done first by rewriting the municipal and wildland standards so the chapters match each other and by bringing them into the same revision cycles. This makes it easier to track changes between standards and ensures that these changes appear in both documents at the same time. While NFPA 1911 has yet to be brought into the same revision cycle, the committee has attempted to keep the revisions right on the heels of changes to NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, and NFPA 1906, Standard for Wildland Fire Apparatus. For 2017, this includes removing outdated or inaccurate tabular information and adding stipulations that wildland fire pumps and ultra-high-pressure pumps be tested at least annually, just as the bigger pumps are.

Inspection and Maintenance of Trailers

Chapter 6 has been expanded to include out-of-service criteria for emergency service trailers to coordinate with the trailer chapter that was added to NFPA 1901 in 2016. A new chapter 16 has also been added to cover maintenance criteria for these trailers. Inspection criteria include all the typical trailer systems such as suspensions, axles, wheels, safety chains, hitch, and hitch mounting. An extensive section points out important brake-system-related inspection points, and the standard also provides a tire replacement schedule.

Inspection and Maintenance

A new Chapter 17 provides inspection criteria for patient compartments of ambulances or fire apparatus equipped for patient transport. The committee coordinated the chapter with NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances. Inspections cover the complete range of patient compartment features from heating and cooling to medical equipment and lighting.

The committee was unanimous in agreeing on the importance of diligent scheduled inspections and maintenance. They captured this sentiment in the annex, where it states, “The importance of the daily/weekly checks cannot be stressed

By Roger Lackore

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) apparatus committee has published NFPA 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles (2017 ed.), which took effect in January.

Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) member companies worked on the apparatus committee both as association members and as individual company representatives. While we all work hard to design great apparatus, like any machine, your fire apparatus is only as good as the care it receives. NFPA 1911 is an essential tool in providing the care that will keep your fleet safe and operational.

Title Change Expands Scope

The 2017 edition changed its name from “Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus” to “Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles.” This name change was accompanied by changes that make the standard applicable to emergency vehicles in general. The standard is now applicable to ambulances as well as fire apparatus. It can also apply to chief vehicles and other light vehicles if the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) so desires. The idea was to allow fire departments to cover the critical inspection and maintenance aspects of all their automotive vehicles with a single document.

Coordination with NFPA 1901 and 1906

Over the past decade, the apparatus committee has put a major push on better coordinating the documents under its control. This was done first by rewriting the municipal and wildland standards so the chapters match each other and by bringing them into the same revision cycles. This makes it easier to track changes between standards and ensures that these changes appear in both documents at the same time. While NFPA 1911 has yet to be brought into the same revision cycle, the committee has attempted to keep the revisions right on the heels of changes to NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, and NFPA 1906, Standard for Wildland Fire Apparatus. For 2017, this includes removing outdated or inaccurate tabular information and adding stipulations that wildland fire pumps and ultra-high-pressure pumps be tested at least annually, just as the bigger pumps are.

Inspection and Maintenance of Trailers

Chapter 6 has been expanded to include out-of-service criteria for emergency service trailers to coordinate with the trailer chapter that was added to NFPA 1901 in 2016. A new chapter 16 has also been added to cover maintenance criteria for these trailers. Inspection criteria include all the typical trailer systems such as suspensions, axles, wheels, safety chains, hitch, and hitch mounting. An extensive section points out important brake-system-related inspection points, and the standard also provides a tire replacement schedule.

Inspection and Maintenance

A new Chapter 17 provides inspection criteria for patient compartments of ambulances or fire apparatus equipped for patient transport. The committee coordinated the chapter with NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances. Inspections cover the complete range of patient compartment features from heating and cooling to medical equipment and lighting.

The committee was unanimous in agreeing on the importance of diligent scheduled inspections and maintenance. They captured this sentiment in the annex, where it states, “The importance of the daily/weekly checks cannot be stressed

By Alan M. Petrillo

The ride to and from a fire scene in a pumper, rescue, or aerial can be exhilarating, tiring, or relaxing in getting from one place to another.

1 USSC Valor First Responder Seating makes the Magnus G2A driver seat in three versions, one of which can hold 650 pounds and has three lumbar settings, horizontal air slides, and electric controls. (Photos 1-2 courtesy of USSC Valor First Responder Seating.)

The seats that firefighters occupy in those apparatus have to be able to safely convey the firefighter to the job, provide access to the equipment needed along the way, and be durable to last the life of the apparatus. Seating manufacturers are focusing on attributes that allow for safety first while adding comfort and convenience for users.

USSC Valor

Steve Toren, vice president of USSC Valor First Responder Seating, says the company offers driver, officer, and crew seats in its first responder line as well as ambulance emergency medical technician (EMT) attendant seats and command-style seats that are stationary and mounted to the chassis. USSC Valor has three styles of driver seats: one air suspension and two air ride seats. The Valor Magnus G2A air suspension seat has front toggle controls for height adjustment and lower, middle, and upper lumbar adjustments.

2 The USSC Valor crew seating is available in 18- and 20-inch (shown) widths with a flip-up seat as well as either a fixed SCBA bracket or a dynamic adjustable bracket.

The Calor Magnus series heavy-duty model can lift and hold 650 pounds and has horizontal air slides, electric controls, and three lumbar settings, while the standard version will lift and hold 350 pounds and has electric controls, manual slides, and recline and lumbar settings. The models are available in all belts to seats (ABTS) and nonABTS models. All of Valor’s driver seat features are available for its officer seat as well as a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) back.

For crew seating, Toren points out the seats are generally fixed and have no sliding adjustments. “We make 18-inch- and 20-inch-wide crew seats,” Toren says, “in two styles: with a fixed SCBA bracket or a dynamic adjustable SCBA bracket that allows the user to push the air pack bottle back into the seat so it is out of the way, not impacting the firefighter’s back. That’s one of our unique designs.”

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