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Welcome

The Finest Supporting the Bravest!

The purpose of the Fire Mechanics Section is to promote standardization of fire apparatus and equipment preventative maintenance, improve safety standards and practices, promote workshops, conferences, and seminars related to the purposes of this Section, and to promote cost savings through standardization of building and equipment purchasing and maintenance.

RECENT FIRE MECHANIC NEWS

Refurbish job proposed for ladder truck | Wilton Bulletin

Posted: Apr 3, 2018

Refurbish job proposed for ladder truck | Wilton Bulletin

www.wiltonbulletin.com

Cost cutting is on many Connecticut minds these days, and the Wilton Fire Department is no exception. Chief Ronald Kanterman proposed to the Board of Selectmen at its last meeting in February that the department should refurbish its aging ladder/rescue truck, built in 2004, rather than replace it with a new one.

AF Fire Emergency Services test fire trucks in extreme cold

US Air Force

Air Force fire service professionals at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, recently spent a week in the coldest weather the country has experienced this year to test the discharge systems of firefighting agents on Air Force fire trucks.,

Chippewa Falls Fire Department demonstrates new hydraulic cot system

Leadertelegram

CHIPPEWA FALLS - Chippewa Falls firefighter/paramedic David Patten moved a new hydraulic cot Monday by pushing a few buttons on the side of the machine. The new system glides in and out of the back of an ambulance, much like a drawer, with no lifting by workers required.

Fire Apparatus Warranties

By Bill Adams

After scrimping and saving for 20 years, a small volunteer fire company in northern Aroostook County, Maine, purchased a new rig from the low bidder—Flibynite Fire Truck Company—located outside of Bellingham, Washington.

Ten months after delivery, several welds cracked, and the paint started peeling off the apparatus body in sheets. Flibynite’s warranty department said, “No problem. Bring it back, and we’ll fix it at no charge.” The fine print in the new rig’s warranty stated it was Flibynite’s option to have the rig repaired locally or have it returned to its facility. Flibynite chose to have it returned. It was a 3,300-mile trip each way.

Although the preceding scenario is fictitious, it does reflect what could be a confusing, complicated, and possibly contentious world of fire apparatus warranties. Purchasers seldom question the particulars of a warranty until a problem occurs that is not being resolved amicably. Purchasers should realize the consequences of not specifying detailed warranty requirements in their specifications. Some apparatus purchasing specifications devote literally hundreds of words describing a light bar, yet warranty requirements receive no more attention than a sentence or two. Three examples of warranty verbiage from purchasers’ published specifications found online follow.

Specification 1: “Warranties to be provided for the completed apparatus—one (1) year parts and labor; ten (10) year structural on body; and ten (10) year paint, finish, and corrosion.”

Specification 2: “One year material and workmanship—Each new piece of apparatus shall be provided with a minimum one (1) year basic apparatus material and workmanship limited warranty. The warranty shall cover such portions of the apparatus built by the manufacturer as being free from defects in material and workmanship that would arise under normal use and service.”

Specification 3: “The apparatus shall be warranted to be free from mechanical defects in workmanship for a period of one (1) year. The apparatus shall be covered for parts and labor costs associated with repairs for a period of one (1) year. Seven (7) year warranty on paint. Ten (10) year body structural warranty.”

1Â Fabricators and manufacturers of fire truck component parts have their own warranties. Using “paint” as an example, some purchaser’s specifications may only require a “10-year paint, finish, and corrosion warranty.” Rescue 1, which built this rig, has a paint warranty that is more than one thousand words long. Because paint can be a major warranty claim, the photos that follow depict some problem areas. (Photo courtesy of Rescue 1.)

1 Fabricators and manufacturers of fire truck component parts have their own warranties. Using “paint” as an example, some purchaser’s specifications may only require a “10-year paint, finish, and corrosion warranty.” Rescue 1, which built this rig, has a paint warranty that is more than one thousand words long. Because paint can be a major warranty claim, the photos that follow depict some problem areas. (Photo courtesy of Rescue 1.)