By Chad Newsome,
National Sales Manager, P.L.
Custom Body and Equipment Co., Inc.

In the July issue of Fire Apparatus and Emergency Equipment, Associate Editor Chris Mc Loone's article, "Building Apparatus that Won't Break the Budget," discussed various avenues to explore when designing a new piece of apparatus. One of the areas that he touched on was the inherent predicament of harmonizing needs vs. wants. Before looking for your next piece of apparatus, or any large capital expenditure for that matter, take the time to define what it is that you need, as well as what you can afford, before calling in the sales representative. Knowing how to navigate your way through competing goals will greatly ease your purchasing process.

Organizational Needs

Every new acquisition should start with defining the needs of the organization. To effectively achieve this, the department must first break down what is in fact a "need." For that, you need to first delineate who the purchasing group will be. A purchasing group is made up of all of the people involved in the process of acquiring a new piece of apparatus. In some departments, it is as small as only the chief or president of the department. At the other end of the spectrum, the purchasing group can be made up of multiple subgroups-the apparatus committee, the department's administrative personnel, fleet services, the purchasing department of the municipality making the purchase, and even the local political governing members.

For the small scenario, the needs will be simple. If the chief or president is happy, everyone is happy. For the larger group, however, the ability to identify and qualify needs and wants is paramount. With so many people involved, one person, acting as the facilitator, must be designated as the project lead for the acquisition. That person must meet with each subgroup to ascertain what the specific drivers are for each of them. The key here is not to discount any identified concern from any of the subgroups, despite how you feel personally about another's needs.

Each subgroup meeting should identify every possible need, regardless of any perceived value of that need. I personally like to use the practice of forced ranking, or "boarding," those needs and then going through a process of prioritization. Boarding is a method of compiling all identified needs into a list. Don't discuss them or qualify them, just get them out and on the list. Once that is achieved, go back and have everyone in the subgroup rank them in levels of importance. Give each member five votes toward the ranking process. Although they cannot apply all five votes to one need, they can put as many as three votes toward any one item. The items with the most votes will be your needs list, while the smaller vote getters will identify your wants list.

Include other Groups

This process can be used with all the subgroups. Although it may appear obvious that this process works well with operational and service personnel, you might wonder how to apply this with the purchasing and governing personnel. Don't exclude them from the process. Purchasing might want to spread out the costs over a long period of time; or, in the case of a nonprofit with too much revenue, it might want to actually spend some of that excess money. It sounds crazy these days, but it is a well-traveled road. The same can be said of the purchase's political implications. What are the local governance's biggest concerns? Will the purchase promote a commitment to the safety of the community? Will there be backlash against buying new vehicles when budget and personnel cuts are looming? Go through the same process. Identify all of their concerns and then separate out the "need-to-haves" from the "want-to-haves."

Project Outline

Once you establish a final collection

ISG Infrasys X380 personal thermal imaging camera delivers the image clarity and features of a larger camera with high-resolution imagery and a full-size LCD, all housed inside a lightweight and compact system. The TIC can be custom-made to suit the exact requirements or budget of a fire department. With features such as intelligent focus and direct temperature measurement (DTM) installed as standard, customers can opt for a simplified version with a single-button setup for power on/off or up to a five-button configuration providing functionality like the new Cold Spot Tracker that allows first responders to locate and pinpoint thread or valve gas leaks or the Hot Spot Tracker that allows the user to measure high temperatures in a dynamic way.
-www.isgfire.com, 877-733-3473

Hannay Reels ECR1600 cable reel offers a live connection of power cable for direct wiring to a collector ring assembly with an electric rewind and switch and solenoid. The reel is designed for use on rescue vehicles for power tools, electric cable, and other uses that require a safe, continuous current during cable payout and rewind. The reel itself has a small footprint and can be customized to fit on any truck. The ECR1600 features a standard spring tension brake and a 45-amp, three-conductor, 600-volt collector assembly with #8 gauge wiring from the collector ring to the junction box. Additional conductors or higher amperage can be accommodated as well. The standard collector assembly has double copper graphite brushes with copper alloy rings for each circuit. A removable direct crank rewind and adjustable cam-lock drag brake are featured on manual rewind models, while a comet brake is also available.
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Larson Electronics LM-18-4X150RT-RB 18-foot telescoping LED light mast is an extendable tower lighting system that allows users to quickly and effectively illuminate large sites more than two acres in size. Featuring a rugged tower assembly constructed of heavy gauge steel, four 150-watt LED lamp heads, and a rotating base assembly, this light tower lets operators put powerful illumination right where it's needed regardless of tower positioning. The LED lamp assemblies provide 48,000 lumens of light output. These LED lights are designed for use in demanding conditions and are waterproof and sealed against dust and dirt, making them well suited to abusive industrial and outdoor applications. This tower operates at 12 VDC and draws approximately five amps, making it easily powered by portable power sources such as rechargeable battery packs, heavy equipment, and vehicle electrical systems without producing excessive battery drain. The tower assembly is constructed from powder-coated steel and consists of a 10-foot-long lower section and a nine-foot upper section with one foot of overlap for strength and rigidity.
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FireSyte real-time monitoring services help ensure vehicles carrying first responders are prepared 24/7. FireSyte features automated instant alerts and reporting for public safety vehicles including tire pressure monitoring and GPS tracking to enhance safety as well as simplify maintenan

Chris Mc Loone

CM: How is the fire industry doing right now? Can we say that we've finally turned the corner?

PD: According to FAMA statistics, new orders for fire apparatus have seen an increase recently. The first quarter of 2013 showed that new orders were up about 25 percent when compared to the first quarters of 2011 and 2012. New orders were up five percent compared to the last quarter of 2012. If this trend were to continue, annualized sales would be up 40 percent over 2012. This is a big "IF," as I don't think the trend will continue. The numbers are skewed because of some large, nonmunicipal orders in the first quarter.

Although I can't say the market has finally turned the corner, this is some positive news. In 2012, the United States municipal market was still down more than 40 percent when compared to its height in 2008 when the market peaked at more than 5,000 trucks. The market was flat compared to 2011. Historically, there have been more large municipal orders, and these have slowed over the past five years. Based on this, we are starting to see some pent-up demand, particularly with larger cities. This is tempered by a reduction in AFG grant funding and a lower percentage of awards being made for fire apparatus.

Look, no one wants to see a rebound in apparatus and equipment sales more than the manufacturers, but it's too early to tell if the market is back. Statistics from the League of Cities Annual Report show that municipalities are far from being out of the financial crisis. Fire departments' budgets are no longer sacred cows when it comes to municipal spending cuts. Once the dust settles in a few years, I predict we'll probably see the market settle into a "new normal" market of 4,250 to 4,500 new fire apparatus per year.

CM: What is the biggest issue in the fire service, and how is Darley helping to address it?

PD: I don't know of a person in the industry who wouldn't quickly point to the budgets crisis as the biggest issue for career departments. This is at a time when most departments are being asked to do more with less. Fire departments really need to rethink their approach and reinvent themselves.

Darley is keenly focused on this industry need. On the pump side, we have been working closely with fire apparatus manufacturers during the past few years to help them introduce unique and competitively priced multipurpose vehicles by offering them "Pump System Solutions" that address the true needs of today's fire service. These pump systems allow the manufacturer to offer one vehicle that can serve a variety of department needs, rather than just having to devote a specialized vehicle for rescue, pumping, or hazmat.

We are focusing on lower-cost equipment such as competitively priced, high-quality Darley branded bunker gear, nozzles, adapters, and so on. We also have a variety of financing options available.

For volunteer departments, recruitment and training are pressing long-term issues. We are designing our products to be easy to operate while being high-tech, which appeals to today's new volunteer recruits.

CM: To you, what is the most important product Darley produces?

PD: Under our diversification strategy, we've cast a wide net and launched a lot of innovative new products over the past few years-everything from pumps to equipment, polyurethane bodies, compressed air foam systems (CAFS), water purification, and drones. At our core, we're still a pump manufacturer. I would say that they're all important, but I grew up on the pump side of our business and continue to migrate mostly to this area where I know the industry players well and understand market needs. It comes very natural to me personally.

We've recently introduced a new 3,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pump that has been highly successful. It is the highest flow pump

In the News

• OSHKOSH AIRPORT PRODUCTS GROUP, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, recently delivered its 1,000th Oshkosh® Striker® aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicle. Striker number 1,000 was placed into service at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new Striker 6x6 features a 680-hp engine, a TAK-4® independent suspension, and a seven-speed automatic transmission. Its firefighting systems include a 3,000-gallon water tank; a 420-gallon foam tank; and a roof turret and a low attack front bumper turret, each rated at 625/1,250 gallons per minute. The vehicle also features 460 pounds of Halotron delivered through a 150-foot hose reel as well as a second hose reel in a lower compartment for water and foam discharge.

• SMEAL FIRE APPARATUS CO. recently announced that Delwin Smeal, company president, retired effective September 1, 2013. Delwin worked for the company for 47 years including the past 20 as president of the organization. "Del has given his whole adult life to our company and our customers," says Rod Cerny, board chair. "He has earned the opportunity to enjoy retirement with Vicki. We all wish them the best." Cerny also announced the hiring of a new company president and two promotions. Mark Denniston Huber will join the company as president. Jeff Hunke, a 26-year veteran of the company, has been named chief operating officer. Jeff Wegner has been promoted to vice president of sales.

• SCOTT SAFETY and MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS have signed a product development agreement designed to enhance firefighter safety and accountability. Central to this agreement is the capability to transmit Scott Air-Pak SCBA data, such as air levels and PASS alarm data, over Motorola APX™ Project 25 portable radios. The Motorola APX radio pairs to Scott's Air-Pak X3 SCBA via mission critical wireless. The air tank telemetry is sent over the ASTRO 25 network whenever the firefighter presses the push-to-talk (PTT) button. This data is displayed on either the Motorola Solutions APX accountability solution or Scott's accountability solution.

• RICHARD A. MARINUCCI, CFO, Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment "Chief Concerns" columnist, has received the Ronny Jack Coleman Leadership Legacy Award. Marinucci has been at the forefront of the United States fire service for his entire career. The Ronny Jack Coleman Leadership Legacy Award recognizes an individual from an accredited agency or the chief officer designation echelon for superior leadership and actions that have elevated the International Fire and Emergency Service (IFES) profession through mentoring, teaching, and sharing outstanding contributions; and who has exhibited the consistent dedication of renewal qualities and commitment to fire service professionalism by demonstrating a devotion to help raise the IFES to greater heights.

• E-ONE has received its first ProTech™ order. The Bryn Mawr (PA) Fire Department is the first department to order apparatus with the new safety technology package developed by E-ONE. It ordered two trucks with the system. ProTech is an occupant protection system that integrates prevention and protection technology to offer an all-encompassing safety technology package. It features OnGuard® for audible collision warning and accident mitigation, G4™ electronic stability control for added stability, CrewGuard™ for occupant detection, and a 360-degree camera system for perimeter protection.

E-ONE also announced that it and Fire Service, Inc., its dealer for Indiana, northern Illinois, and western Ohio, were recently awarded a five-yea