A fire apparatus with the Summitville Volunteer Fire Department in Manchester, Tennessee, crashed into a utility pole Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, wsmv.com reported.

More than 200 customers were without electricity in Coffee County due to the crash, the report said.

The volunteer fire department said firefighters were returning from a call when their rig began hydroplaning and they lost control, according to the report.

The apparatus slid into a car and then crashed into a utility pole.

A utility company reported that the crash caused a power outage for 230 customers, the report said.

No injuries were reported.

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The first article in this series on performance management within the fleet division discussed the overall benefits of implementing performance management systems. These benefits include increased transparency and accountability, management of operations, allocation of resources, and financial planning.

• Measuring Performance in the Fleet Division, Part 1

It also discussed the various types of performance measures often used in the municipal or public setting including workload performance measures, efficiency performance measures, effectiveness measures, and productivity measures.

This second part of this series focuses on the process of developing performance measures by examining various criteria and characteristics to consider while creating metrics. Creating performance measures without criteria is akin to navigating without a compass. Sure, it’s possible, but it’s also without direction and prone to error. Criteria provide structure to performance measurements, ensuring they meet the needs of the fleet division and are aligned with organizational goals. They also enhance comparability and support continuous improvement, making them an integral component of the performance management development process. By using criteria, fleet divisions can transform performance measurements into powerful tools for accountability, decision making, and long-term success.

It’s important for fleet supervisors to develop performance measures using clear and well-defined criteria because criteria function as the foundation that ensures the measures are fair, accurate, and meaningful. Without criteria, performance measures risk being arbitrary, inconsistent, or irrelevant. This article explores commonly used criteria to develop performance measurements within the fleet division.

1 Photo by ShutterStockStudio/Shutterstock.com.

CRITERIA

Valid: First and foremost, performance measurements must accurately measure what they are purporting to measure. A valid performance measure must accurately capture the aspect of performance or outcome it was intended to evaluate rather than something tangential or unrelated. For example, a valid performance measurement within the fleet division might be the number of oil changes completed per month, assuming the goals is purely to measure output. Validity ensures that performance measures are not just convenient statistics but are actual measurements of whether the fleet division is achieving its intended purposes.

Relevance: Performance measures should matter and be meaningful to the intended audience. They should be clearly related to the activity being measured. While performance measures can indeed be valid and reliable and meet all other criteria identified in this article, if the measurement isn’t relevant to the audience, it is worthless. For example, a valid and reliable measurement of the average sick time use within the fleet division is not likely relevant to the general public, who are more interested in the status of apparatus rather than the inner workings of the fleet division. As such, a measurement of sick time is not relevant.

Reliable: The best performance measurements are accurate, with little variation because of subjectivity. They are consistent and reproduceable, provide stable indicators of performance over a period of time across different situations, and are free from bias. Reliable performance measurements are quantifiable or otherwise qualitatively assessed by using proper data collection methods. An example of

A Tuscumbia (MO) Fire Protection District pumper rolled over Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, while responding to a fire, the district said in a Facebook post.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said one 40-year old male from Eldon, Missouri, suffered serious injuries, koamnewsnow.com reported. A second 50-year old male from Eugene, Missouri, suffered minor injuries.

The state highway patrol said in its report that the pumper, eastbound on Highway A, exited the right side of the roadway. The driver overcorrected causing the vehicle to begin skidding/sliding, overturn, and cross the center of the roadway before exiting the left side of the road and coming to rest on its top.

Two firefighters were sent to the hospital but were released later with minor injuries.

The driver was able to get out of the vehicle on his own. The passenger had to be extricated by the HURST Jaws of Life that was on board the apparatus.

One firefighter was transported to the hospital by ambulance while the other was flown by helicopter.

“Due to the quick response of the firefighters, they were on the scene within minutes of the accident,” the district said in the post. “We appreciate the support of Iberia Rural Fire Protection District, St. Elizabeth Fire Protection, Eldon Fire Dept, Miller County Ambulance District and everyone that assisted during this unimaginable experience.”

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Denton County Emergency Services District No. 1 & 2 recently celebrated the arrival of new Quint 512 with a special Push-In Ceremony, the district said in a Facebook post. The quint is the first in the district’s history.

A quint is a multi-functional fire apparatus that serves five key purposes — it carries a pump, water tank, hose, aerial ladder, and ground ladders. In other words, it combines the capabilities of both an engine and a ladder truck into one piece of equipment.

Quint 512 will enhance the fire district’s ability to protect lives and property across the community. Its versatility allows crews to respond more efficiently to a wide range of emergencies—from structure fires to rescues—strengthening public safety for everyone in Denton County ESD 1’s service area.

“Thank you to our community for joining us as we honored tradition, celebrated progress, and officially welcomed Quint 512 into service,” the fire district said.

Specifications

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