This year’s supplement covers two important phases of apparatus purchasing that are near and dear to my heart: the general requirements of the specifications and thorough factory inspection trips. Although these subjects aren’t as exciting as specifying all of the bells and whistles or tips on driving during an emergency response, both are equally as important as the basic construction specifications when it comes to receiving a solid apparatus delivery.
By referring to the general requirements as the “boilerplate,” we tend to think that these unimportant, little blurbs of legalese are just put there like the information plate on the front of a rusty old boiler. Nothing could be further from the truth. The requirements contained in the boilerplate can actually make or break your apparatus purchase.
I have been writing specifications for and purchasing apparatus for nearly 20 years and have probably experienced most situations of which an apparatus purchaser must be aware. The inherent protection contained in the general requirements can be your best friend. Furthermore, no reputable apparatus builder need fear anything in these requirements; we are simply laying out the rules of the game.
The second segment of the supplement deals with how to go about factory inspection trips. It covers the procedures and duties that need to be performed at a preconstruction conference; how to prepare in advance; tips on performing a good, thorough final inspection; and what tests and documentation you should be aware of at the delivery. After more than 200 of these factory visits, I can attest that the manufacturer wants to totally understand exactly what you want when you leave the preconstruction conference and wants to know about any problems you discover before the finished apparatus leaves the factory. It is much more cost-effective making corrections at the factory than under warranty in your firehouse. We will also cover the all-important NFPA safety requirements. As I said in previous Fire Engineering articles, “There are no NFPA police” and “The manufacturer’s quality control program ends when the apparatus leaves the factory. Your quality control program needs to last the life of the apparatus.”
Finally, we’re going to highlight some of the new and important apparatus options and features unveiled at FDIC 2006 in Indianapolis this past April.
I hope you enjoy this information and put it to good use!
Fraternally,
Bill Peters
WILLIAM C. PETERS retired after 28 years with the Jersey City (NJ) Fire Department, having served his last 17 years as battalion chief/supervisor of apparatus, with the responsibility of purchasing and maintaining the apparatus fleet. He served as a voting member of the NFPA 1901 apparatus committee for several years, representing apparatus users. He is the author of Fire Apparatus Purchasing Handbook (Fire Engineering 1994); two chapters on apparatus in The Fire Chief’s Handbook, Fifth and Sixth Editions (Fire Engineering, 1995); the instructional video Factory Inspections of New Fire Apparatus (Fire Engineering, 1998); and numerous apparatus-related articles. He is an advisory board member of Fire Engineering and the FDIC and lectures extensively on apparatus purchase and safety issues. Peters can be contacted through his Web site FireApparatusConsulting.com.
