Robert Corsi, chief mechanic for the Cranston, RI, Fire Department, was named 2016 Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT) of the Year in December. With almost 30 years of service with the department, Corsi continues to be committed to learning and sharing what he learns with others.
In nominating Corsi, Cranston Fire Chief William McKenna wrote, “Bob has been a wizard at keeping an aging fleet of equipment functioning and up to the proper NFPA standards.” McKenna added, “Bob has used his expertise locating older parts and his talents in adapting new parts for those no longer available.”
Corsi holds 20 Emergency Vehicle Technician certifications and 23 Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications.
“Chief McKenna encourages the EVT's to stay up-to-date with training and certifications,” Corsi said.
Corsi is an active member of the New England Fire Apparatus Maintenance Association (NEFAMA)—the oldest mechanics’ association in the U.S. and dedicated to training mechanics/EVTs in the northeast. Corsi is also a member of the Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification Commission’s Steering Committee and currently Chairman of the Board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs Emergency Vehicle Maintenance Section (EVMS).
Corsi describes himself as always being mechanically-minded. Before he married, Corsi wanted a job that would have a good future. He tested with the city for a job with the police, fire and highway mechanic. “Because I had a mechanical background, I decided to be a mechanic for the city,” he said. After two years on the job, Al Moretti approached him to work in the fire department. A year later he became chief mechanic. “I really enjoy it,” said Corsi. “It’s a family here.”
Corsi is responsible for a crew of two to maintain 43 emergency vehicles, two fire boats and numerous pieces of small equipment. His crew includes a master mechanic and a recently hired beginner who is in the process of learning on the job. Corsi said, “It takes more than one person and everybody is as just as important as the other and that makes it right.” Then added, “I don’t just give them the answers quick, I make them work hard. If you make them work for it, they remember their whole life.”
Looking back over the past 30 years Corsi believes the invention of the LED lights really revolutionized fire department apparatus. “LED lights use a lot less amperage and reduce the load on the electrical system, which in turn has a lot less problems,” said Corsi. “There’s still lot of changes going on now. A lot of manufacturers are going back to the old days when everything that was hardwired. They went to multiplexing, but now they are going back to hardwires because there is not the heavy amperage load.”
Corsi enjoys a good rapport with a lot of the manufacturers.
“Everybody has a lot of problems with a lot of different things including electrical problems, but corrosion problems most of all right now.”
Last year, Corsi had an engine that the back rotted out from the chassis. He disassembled and re-plated the whole chassis, rebuilt it, and saved the truck. “The whole world is having problems with budgets. Staying within a budget and keeping on top of NFPA standards and the DOT is quite a challenge,” Corsi said.
“We have been working on a Driver Operator Test and working with the EVT Certification Commission and they are supporting it in its final stages and will be beneficial for firefighters,” he said. “We’re all in this together to make this work. With instructions for them, firefighters will be better trained and it makes our job easier.”
When asked about advice to other EVTs, Corsi commented, “Common sense—that’s the best tool. I think when people get into this field they think, ‘I need all this special equipment.’” He added, “Keep your mouth shut and your ears open and when you find someone who knows what they’re doing, you can learn a lot from a co-worker. The EVT certifications are very important and sticking with it. I’ve been doing it for a long time and I have a passion for it. It isn’t just a test it’s a teaching tool--taking a certification is a teaching tool. I have been going to the EVT Certification Commission conferences for eight years and it’s where we go over test questions and write test questions.”
“The problem today is it’s very hard to find mechanics. It seems to be a dying breed,” Corsi said.
The 2016 EVT of the Year award will be presented to Corsi at the Fire Department Safety Officers Association's 29th annual Apparatus Specification & Vehicle Maintenance Symposium on Jan. 16, 2017, in Orlando, FL. The EVT of the Year is co-presented by Firehouse and the FDSOA and the award is sponsored by Smeal Fire Apparatus Co.
