By Dennis Mueller
Since the recession of 2008, fire departments across the country have had to cut their budgets and postpone replacing their aging and failing fleets.
My agency, the Lake Havasu City (AZ) Fire Department (LHCFD), is no different. Yet in May 2013, our city council approved the simultaneous purchase of four new Pierce Velocity 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pumpers and one new Pierce 105-foot aerial quint. The order cost $2.6 million, and the new apparatus were delivered in May 2014.
You might be wondering, "How was the LHCFD able to replace its aging and failing fleet when funds remain an issue for most communities?" or "How did the LHCFD convince community leaders it was time to purchase five new apparatus-half its fleet?" This article describes the plan we developed to obtain the necessary funding for the apparatus and to secure city leaders' commitment to a 10-year replacement cycle going forward. We began six months prior to the May 2013 budget talks. Below is a description of that plan, which easily can be adapted by other agencies for their use.
Step 1: Do Your Homework
Identify the apparatus that truly must be replaced. Create a list of the problems associated with each apparatus. Items such as the age of the apparatus, their mileage, and their maintenance records are good items to start with. Also include any incidents of unsafe or unreliable performance on this list.
Obtain preliminary bids from vendors for the number and type of apparatus you wish to purchase or lease.
Develop a list of stakeholders who will support your cause. This should include the mechanics who work on your apparatus, the vehicle maintenance foreman, the Public Works director, the finance manager of your community or department, your city manager, and possibly a key board member.
Step 2: Engage Your Mechanics
Meet with the mechanics who maintain your apparatus and obtain their support. They know the problems your fleet has, so they are credible sources of information. They should be able to identify which apparatus should be replaced-i.e. those that are unreliable and those that are about to fail.
Ask for the vehicle maintenance records and cost sheets for each apparatus over its lifetime. This information will tell you how much money has been spent to keep your fleet in service. An uptick in costs indicates it's time to start thinking about replacement.
Ask for a copy of your community's vehicle replacement program. This plan should identify when apparatus should be replaced and why. It will help identify apparatus slated to be replaced already. Study it and develop your presentation around the existing plan. If there is no replacement plan, help develop one.
Step 3: Meet with the Vehicle Maintenance Manager
The shop manager wants to run an efficient and effective shop, and you can help. Emphasize this common goal. Share the reports from the mechanics and point out the frequency that your apparatus are in and out of the shop. Show that in addition to reducing costs and increasing the shop's efficiencies, the new apparatus will free up the mechanics' time to work on other equipment in the city's fleet.
Review the estimated costs associated with future repairs and ask how you can help minimize them. This conversation will lead into a discussion of costs vs. benefits, which will open the door for bringing in your financial administrator.
Even if you don't have a shop or fleet manager in your community, you can review the same items with the manager of the garage or shop that maintains your apparatus. Be prepared for resistance. Private garage or shop owners may not like your plan to replace your apparatus because they are reaping the benefits of your aging and failing fleet. This will be especially true if you are their number one customer.