The first motorized pumping fire apparatus were pretty simple: a truck chassis, a pump and hose. Later came storage compartments, water tanks, ladders, warning lights, radios and much more.
Today’s pumping apparatus are technological marvels that would have those early apparatus designers and engineers at Ahrens-Fox and Mack Trucks (two of the leading companies in motorized pumping fire apparatus in the early 1900s) shaking their heads in wonderment.
Even in those early days, keeping motorized fire apparatus in fighting form has been a challenge due to the unique characteristics of their mission. The apparatus sits idle in the fire station for long periods of time until the alarm strikes and the vehicle and all of its components have to be ready within minutes to operate at peak efficiency.
With that in mind, preventative apparatus maintenance has been a key departmental function for many years.
The modern pumping fire apparatus is a complex system of individual components whose combined performance is increasingly monitored and controlled by on-board computer technology. This technological advance has been accompanied by an increasing need for preventative maintenance and repairs by specialized and trained Emergency Vehicle Technicians.
By the book
NFPA 1911: Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus provides the necessary guidance that fire departments and their EVTs need to meet the preventative maintenance and repair challenges. Chapters 7 – 13 of NFPA 1911 apply specifically to pumping fire apparatus.
Appendix C of NFPA 1911 contains several useful and comprehensive checklists to assist both operational line personnel and EVTs in identifying issues that can adversely affect apparatus performance.
Those checklists include a daily/weekly walk-around check for mobile fire apparatus for operational personnel, and for EVTs a quarterly/annual mobile fire apparatus inspection report, a pump performance test and a CAFS compressor performance test.
I recently asked EVTs on their online forum EVT Tech Talk what were the top do’s and don’ts of maintaining a pumping fire apparatus?
“Never order any piping except stainless, it is never worth the little money you will save,” wrote Dan Flanagan of the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Company in Ellington, Conn. “Always order anodes in your pumps and the number recommended by the OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer].
“Pick a vendor for your pumps and valves and stick with them. This will simplify mechanic training and parts stocking. Exercise your pumps and valves regularly, especially relief valves.”
No shade-tree mechanics
Anthony D. Bulygo, a retired master fire mechanic from Bakersfield, Calif. wrote, “The pump is the single remaining sacrificial component in the pumping system. Stainless, bronze, or brass plumbing is essential to long life.
“I agree with Dan that you must use the number of anodes recommended by the pump manufacturer. To that I would add that the recommended number is the minimum number and you may install more as may be dictated by the water in your area.
“In addition to activating your pump regularly, you should be exchanging tank water for fresh on a regular basis, unless your fire ops utilize tank loads [of water] regularly.
“And, it goes without saying, proper maintenance of the chassis and all of its components is critical and [must be] performed on a PM (preventative maintenance) schedule that’s adhered to. Without the chassis, there is no way to get the essential firefighting/rescue/medical tools to the incident.”
And this piece of advice came in from an AES master mechanic from Charleston, S.C. who went only by the screen name ‘Oldwrench.’
“Stop pretending you’re saving money by having your firefighter with a YouTube app fixing your trucks. I’ve had to go behind such individuals and replace too many parts because YouTube [videos] does not teach technique or finesse.
“Realize that it is not just a pumper, but a Class 8 truck with a pump mounted on it. You just can’t maintain the fun stuff and not pay attention to the rest of the truck, for instance, 10-year-old trucks with the original air dryer assembly [still in use].
“If you’re going to have anyone in-house work on the fleet, train them. Most departments will spend hours upon hours spraying water on things and walking through smoky rooms, but when it comes to the fleet, if they are handy with a screwdriver they become the mechanic. I can put a nozzle on a garden hose and spray it on a fire, that does not make me a firefighter.”
That old firefighter, Benjamin Franklin, (writing as Poor Richard) said long ago, “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.” That advice rings true for the maintenance of your department’s pumping apparatus where both prevention and cure can be measured in dollars and cents and time.
