Christian P. Koop

For the benefit of those who are not familiar with or have not read the first two parts of this series, I will explain the main reason behind these articles.

History has a way of repeating itself, even when it comes to emergency response vehicle (ERV) maintenance and repair. I have seen many similar issues occur time and time again, and I feel sharing some of the problems I have encountered over the years may help some readers find solutions to issues they may currently or in the future encounter with their fleets.

Some of these fleet defects may have been created because of poor specifications that did not take into account real-world drive cycles, terrain, climate, vehicle weight, or a host of other factors that can affect ERV drivability, durability, and reliability-which in our business can mean the difference between life and death. Some of these issues are easily, or luckily as the case may be, discovered during the acceptance phase for a new fleet. Yet others are from manufacturing or component defects that appear after the units are placed in service. Some may not show up until the units have been in use for considerable time and may take many thousands of miles, hundreds of hours, and many months before they appear. Unfortunately, some of these issues can be very tough to deal with, and finding solutions for them can become paramount for all those involved in the process.

This example shows burned insulation from the harness of a transmission output speed sensor. (Photo courtesy of Gable Jean-Simon.)

Low-Voltage Systems

One area I feel is a major source of ERV downtime and problems that can be very time consuming for technicians to pinpoint is the low-voltage electrical system. Although there have been many improvements in technology over the years with the use of electronics to control engines, transmissions, multiplex systems, electronic pump governors, wireless system components, and a host of others, an incorrectly designed or built low-voltage wiring system can lead to problems in these modern and sophisticated systems that can be chronic and difficult to find and correct-even for experienced technicians.

Over the years, I have seen problems that include incorrectly sized wiring that could not handle a load, poorly crimped connectors that increased resistance and created voltage drops, failure to have a drip loop or a service loop, incorrectly designed or mounted components that would fill with water and fail, and wiring that did not conform to specifications. I will provide some background and examples of the issues caused by these shortcomings and failure to follow important build requirements and procedures in the low-voltage electrical system.

Wire Insulation

For a number of years, both National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, and the old ambulance standard, KKK-1846-G, which is being replaced by NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances, have required low-voltage wiring that is resistant to heat, abrasion, and chemicals. Basically what this means is that the material used to insulate the copper wiring or conductors must withstand a lot more heat and physical abrasion than the more common polyvinyl chloride (PVC) insulated wire you may find at your local auto parts or hardware store. The wiring must withstand the high under-hood temperatures found in modern automobiles and trucks and is also resistant to chemical degradation from gasoline, diesel, lubricants, coolants, and other fluids that would ordinarily damage lesser materials used for wire insulation.

This wire type is also commonly referred to as cross-

By Alan M. Petrillo

Sales of aerial ladders vs. aerial platforms change with the year-with one type of aerial jumping ahead of the other only to switch places a year later.

But there's one style of aerial that seems to continue to hold its own in popularity year after year: the quint, a combination vehicle that marries a pumper and aerial device into a single piece of apparatus.

Quints are being used by a wide assortment of fire departments, from career departments in major cities and suburban districts to many volunteer fire companies. Chapter 9 of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, sets forth the criteria that must be met for an apparatus to be considered a quint according to the standard. Some items include having a fire pump with a minimum capacity of 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm); an aerial ladder or elevating platform with a permanently installed waterway; a water tank with a minimum capacity of 300 gallons; a minimum of 30 cubic feet of storage area for 2½-inch or larger fire hose and two areas, each with a minimum of 3½ cubic feet, for 1½-inch or larger preconnected fire hose; and a minimum of 85 feet of ground ladders, including at least one extension ladder, one roof ladder, and one attic ladder.

The St. Paul (MN) Fire Department chose Pierce Manufacturing to build this 105-foot heavy-duty ladder quint on a Dash CF chassis tandem axle with a 1,500-gpm PUC pump and a 300-gallon water tank. (Photo courtesy of Pierce Manufacturing.)

By Response Area

Tim Smits, senior manager of national sales and product support for Pierce Manufacturing Inc., says that with shrinking budgets, fire departments large and small have been consolidating truck companies with engine companies. "There has been a big drive in metropolitan and urban-suburban departments to do more with less, and the quint gives them that ability," Smits says. "They also are popular in suburban departments where a 75-foot quint can carry adequate water and hose and meet the need for an aerial ladder, especially where there is commercial and light industrial construction."

However, Smits hasn't seen much quint use in rural fire departments. "I think it probably has more to do with staffing and weight considerations, where roads and bridges may not be able to handle the additional weight of a pump and water on a quint," he says. "Besides the aerial ladder, you add about 5,000 pounds for the water and tank and another 2,000 pounds for the fire pump besides any additional equipment you put on the quint."

Pierce makes quints in both platform and straight stick configurations in 75-, 85-, 100-, and 105-foot aerial lengths. "We're seeing many more quints now than traditional truck companies," Smits observes, "somewhere around 70 percent quints to 30 percent traditional trucks."

Rosenbauer built this 114-foot rear-mount platform quint on a Commander chassis with a tandem rear axle for the Valley-Kempton (Nova Scotia, Canada) Fire District Brigade. It has a Hale 2,000-gpm QMax pump and a 500-gallon water tank. (Photo courtesy of Rosenbauer.)

Pete Hoherchak, aerial products manager for KME, says that while 70 to 75 percent of KME's aerial products have pumps and water tanks on them, they usually don't fit the standard for a true quint. "Departments putting a pump and water tan

John E. Sztykiel

My past two articles have been focused on the theme of "Wrestling the Gorilla," with the gorilla being the economy.

Spartan, and our industry as a whole, will wear down the gorilla through innovation in products, processes, and facilities. In other words, we will grow the industry while serving others in spite of the fact that we continue to operate in a very challenging economy.

As I talk with other providers of equipment and services in our industry, most, if not all, are seeing growth in business. When asked why, the common thread in all their answers is innovation. Innovation is not easy. Innovation is another word for change, and change can be difficult. The main reason being, people have to change for innovation to happen, and most people do not like change. I know I don't like to change, but over the years I have found it easier to alter my behavior and change rather than fight it.

So what is the greatest source of innovation in the industry? Most would agree that consumers drive a majority of the improvements we see because consumers know what their needs are and their areas of responsibility better than anyone else. As a result, great organizations have a laser focus on the consumer. One such company that I visited had business cards for the receptionist that read, "Director of First Impressions." What great clarity relative to that person's foremost responsibility. Disney is another great example. At these theme parks, everywhere you go you see "Where Dreams Come True," or "Imagine."

One trap that companies often fall into is focusing on only the departments that have clear, disciplined processes that revolve around the customer, such as sales, engineering, and marketing. This shortsighted focus leaves major opportunities for improvement in areas such as finance, purchasing, information technology, quality, production, legal, human resources, and more. In reality, every department has some sort of impact on or interaction with the consumer. Being aware of that interaction and improving on it can lead to positive innovation of products and services because everyone will be closer to delivering:

1. What consumers need-things they are asking for.
2. What the consumers desire-things they haven't asked for or don't know to ask for.

We are wrestling the gorilla, our economy, and gaining momentum. Although we are not at 2005 or 2006 shipment levels, as we continue to focus on the consumer in all areas of our operations, our momentum will grow and the gorilla will be pinned.

JOHN E. SZTYKIEL has been president and chief executive officer of Spartan Motors, Inc. since 2002. He has been with the company since 1985, serving in a number of operations, sales, and marketing positions during his tenure, including president and chief operating officer from 1992 until 2002. He has been a director since 1988. He is a past president of the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association (FAMA) board.

By Bill Adams

Despite the good intentions of fire apparatus purchasing committees (APCs), they can inadvertently place themselves in awkward and uncomfortable situations by promulgating ineffectual purchasing specifications.

In particular, APCs should avoid writing specifications (specs) that may generate questions the committee can't answer. The intent of this article is to help keep spec writers from unintentionally placing themselves in such a position. It is directed at fire departments that follow formal bidding procedures, whether by choice or by edict, with the presumption of receiving competitive proposals. It is immaterial whether the specification format is generic, performance, or proprietary. It matters not if it is a career or volunteer entity. Nor does it matter if the APC, a consultant, or a vendor writes the document. Likewise, it is irrelevant if the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) is a city council, town board, board of fire commissioners, or governing body of a volunteer fire company.

Readers must understand the basic premise of competitive bidding. Through the APC, the AHJ publishes, in quantifiable and comparable terms, a technical purchasing specification describing what it wants to purchase. Writing quantifiable and comparable verbiage is very important. It is the key to a successful bidding process. Bidders submit proposals based solely on the written verbiage in a specification. The APC and AHJ compare and evaluate what bidders propose to what was specified and then make a purchasing decision. It sounds simple enough. However, specification wording that is subject to multiple interpretations or has no definitive meaning can render the process difficult at the least and impossible at the most.

Leave No Doubt

A quantifiable item in a specification is one that is clearly defined. It has specific criteria that can be evaluated such as dimensions, sizes, capacities, and even manufacturer and model numbers of component parts and pieces. There should be no doubt as to what the verbiage means and what the fire department expects. Spec writers must establish a definitive baseline or benchmark to compare proposals.

The purchaser can set that benchmark as high or as low as it deems necessary by words alone. And, it can be done without necessarily writing a proprietary specification around a particular manufacturer. To illustrate, a specification may read, "There shall be one large compartment above each rear wheel." A "large" compartment cannot be measured, evaluated, or compared. It is a useless description because it is not quantifiable. It can have different meanings to different people. Any size compartment proposed will legally meet the specification. If the purchaser does not care how big the compartment is, the "large" description is adequate although not required. A similar spec may read, "There shall be one compartment with approximately 13 cubic feet above each rear wheel." The word approximately is another immeasurable description that cannot be evaluated. It's as useless as large-save the ink. Again, if any size compartment is acceptable, the word approximate will suffice but again is not required or necessary.

A measurable spec may read, "There shall be one compartment with no less than 13 cubic feet above each rear wheel." This establishes a benchmark that purchasers can use to evaluate and compare proposals. A bidder proposing a compartment with less than 13 cubic feet does not meet the specification; one proposing 13 cubic feet or more does.

A more precise specification is, "There shall be one compartment with 13 cubic feet above each rear wheel." Bids proposing more or less than 13 cubic feet will not meet the technical specification as written. Only those proposing exactly 13 cubic feet will. Hence, literal descriptions are imperative. Abstract desc