Apparatus Maintenance: Do You Use Truly Qualifed Mechanics

[Engfire 0]

This topic was started from a discussion that started out about escape ladders on aerialscopes people got off subject and started in about maintance issues, so I wanted to see how many depts in your area have a local guy just fixing stuff, or they actually have an EVT that works for the dept and does all the regular and routine maintance.

In my dept the city has 2 fulltime mechanics that service the whole city fleet and they are both desiel quailified, and are pretty good with small engine stuff like a saw, but when it comes to any pump issues or major aerial problems we use outside quallified professionals that come to us or we go to them, such as the case of yearly pump testing.

[ENG47INE 17]

In Dobbs Ferry, we will use our Village DPW Mechanic for the small stuff, but send 3 of our rigs to Excelsior in Mamaroneck and for the other one, we have Pierce come and look at it and do repairs right in our firehouse.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Engfire:

Your department-although located in Ohio, is typical of many smaller but active departments in Lower Hudson Valley. With 3 engines and a truck, It is not cost effective to have a full time fire mechanic mechanic on salary. That being said, you mention that your city garage performs the non-fire specific work on your trucks. So the big question is what are best practices to be sure that your aerial and pump specific systems are maintained properly.

Option #1: Send your city garage mechanic(s) to pump and aerial school and follow that up with EVT certification testing.

This is fine, but keeping skills sharp is somewhat challenging due to the small amount of fire related work that this mechanic(s) would perform. Also keep in mind that if you roll into the city yard with a fire truck breakdown immediately preceding, during, or following a major weather event such as snow or heavy rain, don't expect your specialist to drop what he is doing to fix your problem until that weather event has passed. At the height of leaf removal season, the situation can be similiar.

Option #2: Use an outside company to maintain and repair your fire trucks who have mechanics with the training, experience and certifications recommended in NFPA 1071 - Standard for Emergency Vehcile Technician Professional Qualifications. Also see NFPA 1911- Standard for the inspection, maintenance, testing, and retirement of in-service automotive fire apparatus 2007 edition for the procedures recommended. There are several of these companies here in the Lower Hudson Valley.

My company- Rapid Fire Services, L.L.C., is one of such companies and we perform the work at the location of the Fire Department, minimizing out of service time for that piece of equipment.

To address the issue of annual testing, any qualified person (including Fire Fighters) in your department can perform annual pump testing, but an aerial testing company is recommended for ladder test. Try to schedule testing to immediately follow your annual pump and aerial SERVICING, to minimize problems. Also, try to make sure that your mechanic is available when the testing is done so that any deficiencies discovered can be corrected before the testing is completed. There is nothing more frustrating than discovering a problem during testing that can easily be fixed by your mechanic, only to have him on vacation, away at school, etc.

Thanks to the bumper crop of attorneys we have in the brain trust harvest curently, documenting maintenance, repairs and testing is essential especially after a vehicle is involved in a traffic accident or mechanical failure.

If anyone has questions about standards, repairs, or procedures relating to heavy duty fire apparatus, I can be reached at: info@rapidfireservices.com

Stay safe

Well put kevin. The only other issue is sometimes it makes more sense to send the rig out to non fire services (even if you have inhouse mechanics.

We do this for tires, suspension other "truck" components. We find it faster and cost effective to go to the local truck shop for tires, etc. Great to pull in watch them throw it on a lift, have 5 guys start replacing tires and be done before you can finish your coffee.

Anyone who needs assitance should contact RFS. Kevin does a 1st rate job.

Kevin make the check payable to bnechis promtional services inc..................LOL

[Engfire 0]

To correct you we have 2 engines, 2 quints, 3 ambulances, and 3 staff cars. However the place we use to do pump testing also fixes any pump related problems when they preform anual testing, or will come to us if the truck is non-driveable. We have a great preventative matiance program and have never had any problems related to the mechanics not working on our equipment due to priority of other city equipment, we frequently have such well maintained equipment that other local depts borrow our equipment when something happens to theirs.

Edited March 23, 2008 by Engfire

[Danger 160]

We have three full time mechanics. I don't think there are too many better in the business than our master mechanic.

[jcoppola 52]

Our Master Mechanic is known state wide as a phenominal mechanic and fabricator, there's none better. We are lucky to have him. His staff is excellent too, 1 full time asst. and a part timer. Their work was featured in a past edition of Fire Apparatus Journal. Besides the normal stuff they do day to day, they basically build us whatever we need FROM SCRATCH. Check out my site for some of their work:

http://www.local830.org/?zone=/unionactive...20Shop%20Photos

JVC

[x635 4,066]

I agree with Joe, Norwalk has one of the BEST FD apparatus shops in the Country, IMO. The two others I think are best are LA City and LA County shops.

When I used to work in Hartsdale, they used to give a select firefighter a large stipend, plus let him order all the tools and equipment he wanted, and gave him the title of "Mechanic". I don't know what the qualifications were for the selection, or what the actual required duties are. I know he's been to a manufacturer training class at Pierce, but I'm unaware of any ASE or EVT certifications. I know that Pierce (Tylers) will come in and fix things in house. The Tower Ladder goes multiple places, primarily though to Campbell Supply in New Jersey (the origanl dealer). PM on the Suburbans goes to Frank Chevrolet in Tarrytown.

Personally, I feel that ALL apparatus should be serviced by ASE/EVT certified technicians, with a strong background. Rapid Fire Services is an excellent example, Kevin has years of experience servicing apparatus in a high volume, urban career department. His mobile workshop is like nothing I've seen before, he can probaly do 95% of the work needed in house, INCLUDING PM!! Kevin could do the work for any type of department. And, as for the department that has the "Mechanic/Firefighter" for four pieces of apparatus, the department will save money on having to buy thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment, not to mention the stipend paid, to get their apparatus repaired. He also stocks a TON of common and unique emergency vehicle parts.

Here's a photo of Rapid Fire Service's Mobile Repair shop, which also note is capable of on-scene refueling and apparatus repair.

Lives are depending on, and riding on, fire apparatus. Fire Apparatus repair is a specialty, and shouldn't be taken to a regular truck repair facilty or to some unqualified or incompetent mechanic.

Let's also not forget, that if you hire Rapid Fire Services, you're also supporting the EMTBravo sites, because they help to financially support us!

[Capejake72 8]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha...... no!

at least not in my district, we ( the rangers) do a majority of our own repair work, we have 2 mechanics assigned who do more of the major repairs( 1 is a good mechanic and an excellent fabricator) and a shop supervisor, who doesn't do much at all

[DOC22 1]

Routne maintenamnce on our apparatus is done at/by Gowans Knight. The Chief's cars and ne Mini Attack go either to GK or a local dealer/ repair shop.

[Remember585 815]

Village Mechanics for the quick fixes, Excelsior for everything else with the exception of the Pierce quint that is serviced by Tyler.

If you're in Mamaroneck this week, Tanker 10 is there, and I think either E118 or E119 will follow for it's routine maintenance.

[Guest]

I can fully agree with having specialised mechanics, we had 2 of our rigs serviced by a "local" mechanic, they ran like crap afterwards, and the pumps weren't serviced, mates rates to, which didn't help. So just be bloody careful where you go !