By Ricky Riley

In Part 1 (February 2016), I covered the untimely demise of a rescue-engine that was operated by the Kentland (MD) Volunteer Fire Department in Prince George’s County.

I went through the first steps in the rig’s replacement, starting with the insurance claim through a funding crisis caused by the need to replace an underinsured rig with a replacement unit that met current operational standards. The department went through a diligent process to secure funding, applied for grants, and was fortunate to secure the required amount needed to start building the new rescue-engine. Next, the department went through a series of submitted bids from various manufacturers. After careful review, Pierce Manufacturing, in Appleton, Wisconsin, was selected to construct the new rig. With the builder selected and a contract signed, you would think the heavy lifting would be over. But, the hard work was just beginning.

Getting Into the System

Once the contract was signed by fire department President Donald Aker, Randy Swartz, salesman from Atlantic Emergency Solutions, submitted the order to Pierce, and the order review process began. First, the administrative staff reviewed the packet and entered the truck into the construction schedule. This is when the order is issued a job number that will be referenced throughout production. The job number lives with the rig for its life and is referenced for anything from engineering designs to ordering parts after delivery. Pierce keeps an electronic file for the apparatus related to all construction, parts, and warranty work under each job number. The order review process varies in length and can take one to three weeks from when the order is received to when the job number is released to the salesperson and the customer. Once the manufacturer issues the job number, the builder sets a tentative delivery date.

With the order entered, the next step is for the order to be translated from the specifications to a comprehensive component list and engineering drawings for the contract administrator, the salesperson, and the customer. This process normally takes 60 to 90 days to complete. In this case, the process was a little shorter because of a request we put into the specifications to include a set of basic engineering prints at bid opening. With these included, the department could see the conception of the apparatus derived from our specifications.

1 The Kentland (MD) Volunteer Fire Department visited Pierce to sit down with the salesperson to start the engineering conference. Chief Tony Kelleher thought it was important to have younger members of the department make the trip so they could gain valuable experience understanding the process and building their knowledge in this area of the fire service. (Photos by author.)

The engineering prints had all the compartment sizes, vehicle dimensions, lighting placement, and a host of other options and components. This really helped to visualize the rig, and the department could quickly start the process of marking up the prints and working on any changes, corrections, or additions necessary.

The department then scheduled time to go to Pierce and sit down with the sales

In this series, Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

Deputy Chief (Ret.)

1st Platoon Regional Tour Commander

North Hudson (NJ) Regional Fire & Rescue

Fireground Strategies: from the Textbook to the Street

Monday, April 18, 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

My motivation is to cover a plethora of case studies of fires to which I have responded throughout my career, focusing on mistakes made and lessons learned. I have commanded nearly 100 multiple-alarm fires in my career in North Hudson. I highlight some of the more challenging fires and the reasons they went well or failed. Each lesson learned is reinforced with ways to better handle a situation. Fires in multiple-occupancy dwellings, high-rises, warehouses, townhouses, and closely spaced buildings are among the examples.

Over the years, I have had an abundance of feedback. Some firefighters related that what they learned in my classes helped them succeed in their promotional exams; officers also used some of the fireground and leadership philosophies with success. Some students reported that they were able to help move their department or company forward by embracing one of the safety-related programs covered in the class as well as what they learned in fireground organization, command and control, and accountability—the backbones of the programs I taught.

Most of all, I am particularly gratified by stories I hear about how properly wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) kept a member from injury; unfortunately, I have also heard stories about how failure to properly wear the PPE had contributed to an injury.

By Christian P. Koop

Last month an automotive repair trade magazine had “COMMITMENT TO TRAINING” printed on its cover.

I am sure most already know how important training is for technicians in general, but I think it is even more important for emergency response vehicle technicians (EVTs) who maintain and repair modern fire and rescue apparatus. This is mainly because of the many complex systems from different manufacturers that are integrated into one piece of equipment. Unlike dealership technicians working on cars and light trucks from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who only need specialized training from one manufacturer, EVTs need training from multiple manufacturers. Because of this huge difference and the fact that EVTs work on life-saving equipment, adequate in-depth technician training is a must. Well-trained technicians can also make a big difference in repair quality and reduced equipment downtime. This equates to fewer comebacks or rework and better overall shop productivity. I know there have always been fears from shop managers about losing good technicians after investing time and money in training only for the techs to leave for other jobs. But with a good incentive program in place, retaining good techs should not be a problem.

Justifying the Expense

I know some organizations look at technician training as an expense. In reality, it is an investment that will pay dividends in the long haul. There are systems today that require following exact service or repair procedures. Failure to do so could end up maiming or even killing someone. Gone are the days when savvy techs could use their past experiences and knowledge to get them through jobs that were difficult to diagnose and repair. Organizations that maintain and repair emergency response vehicles (ERVs) need to understand this and develop a commitment to training if they expect high-quality, timely repairs from their technicians. To do this, they need to understand just how important up-to-date technician training has become and that effective, efficient, root-cause failure analysis is directly linked to knowledgeable and highly trained technicians.

A good example of this is diagnosing and solving tough electrical problems that are more common than you would think with ERVs. A tech who has been properly trained may spend a fraction of the time solving the problem compared with a good tech who has not been trained on the system. The other important aspect for agencies that maintain and repair ERVs is that their technicians are required to be certified. This is an area that will expose the organization to liabilities if someone is injured or killed because of a faulty repair-particularly if the technician performing the repair was not qualified or certified to perform the repair.

NFPA and Other Organizations

I think it best that these two important areas-training and certification-go hand in hand. As many are aware, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1071, Standard for Emergency Vehicle Technician Professional Qualifications, defines the qualifications technicians must have to maintain and repair the equipment. NFPA 1071 divides technicians into three distinct levels or categories that indicate what maintenance or repairs they are authorized or qualified to perform based on a recognized certificate, professional standing, a skill they have developed, education, or training in the specific area and that he has the experience and has essentially demonstrated the abilities necessary to get the job done.

Far and wide the most common or accepted way to demonstrate this is by certification through nationally recognized programs offered by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) a

By Christian P. Koop

Last month an automotive repair trade magazine had “COMMITMENT TO TRAINING” printed on its cover.

I am sure most already know how important training is for technicians in general, but I think it is even more important for emergency response vehicle technicians (EVTs) who maintain and repair modern fire and rescue apparatus. This is mainly because of the many complex systems from different manufacturers that are integrated into one piece of equipment. Unlike dealership technicians working on cars and light trucks from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who only need specialized training from one manufacturer, EVTs need training from multiple manufacturers. Because of this huge difference and the fact that EVTs work on life-saving equipment, adequate in-depth technician training is a must. Well-trained technicians can also make a big difference in repair quality and reduced equipment downtime. This equates to fewer comebacks or rework and better overall shop productivity. I know there have always been fears from shop managers about losing good technicians after investing time and money in training only for the techs to leave for other jobs. But with a good incentive program in place, retaining good techs should not be a problem.

Justifying the Expense

I know some organizations look at technician training as an expense. In reality, it is an investment that will pay dividends in the long haul. There are systems today that require following exact service or repair procedures. Failure to do so could end up maiming or even killing someone. Gone are the days when savvy techs could use their past experiences and knowledge to get them through jobs that were difficult to diagnose and repair. Organizations that maintain and repair emergency response vehicles (ERVs) need to understand this and develop a commitment to training if they expect high-quality, timely repairs from their technicians. To do this, they need to understand just how important up-to-date technician training has become and that effective, efficient, root-cause failure analysis is directly linked to knowledgeable and highly trained technicians.

A good example of this is diagnosing and solving tough electrical problems that are more common than you would think with ERVs. A tech who has been properly trained may spend a fraction of the time solving the problem compared with a good tech who has not been trained on the system. The other important aspect for agencies that maintain and repair ERVs is that their technicians are required to be certified. This is an area that will expose the organization to liabilities if someone is injured or killed because of a faulty repair-particularly if the technician performing the repair was not qualified or certified to perform the repair.

NFPA and Other Organizations

I think it best that these two important areas-training and certification-go hand in hand. As many are aware, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1071, Standard for Emergency Vehicle Technician Professional Qualifications, defines the qualifications technicians must have to maintain and repair the equipment. NFPA 1071 divides technicians into three distinct levels or categories that indicate what maintenance or repairs they are authorized or qualified to perform based on a recognized certificate, professional standing, a skill they have developed, education, or training in the specific area and that he has the experience and has essentially demonstrated the abilities necessary to get the job done.

Far and wide the most common or accepted way to demonstrate this is by certification through nationally recognized programs offered by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) a