Christian P. Koop

The fluid many of us refer to as the life blood of the engine or motor continues to evolve rapidly to meet ever-changing engine manufacturer requirements.

Many of these changes have been necessary because of technological improvements; however, many of the formulation changes in oil were developed mainly because of the ever-tightening emission regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These were for cars and light trucks first and later medium and heavy trucks. I fondly remember that when I was a young mechanic apprentice (technician in today’s lingo) working in a garage that selecting the correct oil for the engine I was working on was very simple. Not so anymore, and if you don’t use the correct type for your emergency response vehicle (ERV) engine - whether gas or diesel - you could decrease fuel economy and, in worst-case scenarios, even cause serious damage. Failure to use the correct motor oil could not only lead to premature hard part damage but also compromise auxiliary systems like fuel, catalytic converters, and diesel particulate filters (DPFs). If damage occurs during the engine warranty period, the manufacturer could void the warranty.

Meeting Requirements

Although most engine manufacturers would like you to use the oil they market, you don’t have to as long as the oil you use meets the engine manufacturer’s specification requirements. This is where it can get complicated. Previously in the United States, we relied solely on the American Petroleum Institute (API) rating to determine the correct oil for an engine. There are other agencies that have come about because of increased demand for ensuring the correct oil is being used in modern engines. These are the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ISLAC) specification for domestic and Asian vehicles and the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association (ACEA) specification for European OEMs. Ironically, with the increasing number of rating agencies, the manufacturers still felt it necessary to develop their own motor oils.

Here is what typically happens: An engine manufacturer designd an engine to meet either an emissions or a performance standard. When it fails to meet that threshold with industry-standard lubricants, all bets are off, and if it takes a different oil to do so, so be it! A few may remember back in 2011 when General Motors (GM) came out with its own oil specification named dexos1 for gasoline engines and dexos2 for diesels. Dexos motor oil is a synthetic, and in the quest for improved fuel economy many manufacturers have been switching from conventional to synthetic because it has been proven to reduce friction and increase fuel economy. In the owner’s manuals, GM warned that failure to use oil that did not meet its specs would void the warranty if a failure was attributed to lubrication. More recently, Ford Motor Company rejected the latest diesel oil spec: CK-4 (API rating), which replaces the CJ-4 spec that had been in place since 2006. Ford has now formulated its own oil for use in its diesels, stating that the old spec was causing excessive abrasive wear.

More than Lubrication

Keep in mind that oil has a tough job to perform in a modern engine because it has to seal, cool, clean, and protect in addition to its basic lubrication requirements. Modern oil comprises many chemical additives to help it do its job in today’s engines. Some of the major areas for which motor oil provides protection follow:

• Abrasive Wear: This

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 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 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