LANSING, MI – Mechanics and emergency vehicle technicians continue to learn tricks of the trade at Spartan Motors’ 24th annual Fire Truck Training Conference. Participants also took a tour of the manufacturing plant in nearby Charlotte.
Experts in a variety of fields from air brakes to roll-up doors to engine emissions and transmissions taught more than 300 individuals from across the country and Canada the do’s and don’ts of apparatus maintenance. Technicians learned what might cause vibrations in drive lines, issues with tire pressure and tire failures, steering concerns and all components in between.
There was even a two-day class to teach firefighters and operators how to drive and keep their rigs safely on the road.
“Safety is huge,” said Bill Foster, co-founder of Spartan Motors and chief organizer of the conference. “We are killing firefighters and that has to stop. …Maintenance is real important to the safety of the apparatus.”
Foster said students at the conference learn the importance of inspecting tires and keeping the pressure maintained, as well as the importance of properly operating seat belt systems and equipment mounting.
“Without this kind of training we’re are at risk of not being able to provide top-notch service for fire apparatus,” Foster said, adding that the Spartan conference was one of the few places people can get the vocational knowledge on fire truck maintenance.
One of the biggest draws of the conference is two opportunities for mechanics and technicians to become certified as an Emergency Vehicle Technician. Foster said more than 50 technicians tested on Sunday and more than 160 will take the test on Friday.
“Today, working on fire trucks is more than just turning wrenches,” Foster said. “There are a lot of electronics on fire trucks today so you’ve got to be able to hook up computers to get at the root causes of the issues.”
On Tuesday night, the participants were given a tour of the cab and chassis manufacturing plant in Charlotte, a 30-minute bus ride from the conference in Lansing. There, the technicians learned first-hand what goes into the trucks they work on back home.
Spartan staff explained the process from raw components and materials to finished cabs and chassis that are shipped to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and truck builders nationwide, as well as to the company’s own fire apparatus body building plants in South Dakota and Nebraska.
The 25th annual Fire Truck Training Conference will be held at the end of September through early October in 2019.
Foster said he will continue to add classes to the event, including some focusing on firefighter safety, such as driving and operation as well as keeping firefighters safe from exposure to carcinogens.
Ed Ballam
Ed Ballam served as associate editor for Firehouse. He is the assistant chief of the Haverhill Corner, N.H. Fire Department, and a National Registered EMT. He is also a Deputy Forest Fire Warden for the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands. Professionally, he's been a journalist for over 35 years working for a variety of publications, including employment as managing editor of a national fire service trade journal for more than a decade.
