While there has been increased emphasis and training covering fireground operations, establishing rapid intervention teams, improved incident command system (ICS) training and many others, we still are injuring and killing ourselves while responding to and returning from emergency calls. This is unacceptable and must be changed! These changes begin with every one of us, right now.
Photo By Tom Shand This Mack CF pumper was rebuilt using non-slip step surfaces at all four entrances to the enclosed cab. This upgrade can be accomplished on existing units to improve crew safety.
For those of us who have had anything to do with purchasing fire apparatus, it is generally acknowledged that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901 Standard on Automotive Fire Apparatus is the bible with respect to basic apparatus design requirements. With the emphasis on “minimum requirements,” most fire departments outline in their specifications that a new piece of equipment meet all of the criteria as outlined in the current version of the NFPA standard.
The current version of the NFPA 1901 standard was published in 2003 and contained several new safety requirements for all types of apparatus. Historically, the 1991 version of the 1901 standard contained some of the most sweeping changes for the fire apparatus industry. Included in that revision was the requirement for four-door fully enclosed cabs, auxiliary braking devices and electrical system load managers, to name just a few. Most significantly, aerial ladder units were required to be designed with a minimum tip load of 250 pounds with the device in any position of operation.
The fire service generally took to these advancements as building a more reliable and safer piece of apparatus for use by any size department. Some fire departments immediately set out to reduce or eliminate any open cab or canopy-cab apparatus that were operating in their fleets. Others, because of budget constraints or size of the fleet had to make due with the existing open jump seat units and developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) or standard operating guidelines (SOGs) to insure that all members are seated and belted before the apparatus can move.
So here we are, 13 years after the NFPA 1901 standard took effect, and we have to inquire, “How are we doing?” Unfortunately, not well. A review of recent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) firefighter fatality reports shows that we are still killing personnel by riding in open jump seats, riding on the tail board, and not being seated and belted within an enclosed cab.
Part of our problem is mental: we don’t like to be told what to do or how to do it. How many officers are going to refuse to have the driver release the parking brake and start the response because personnel are not seated and belted? How many of us move our favorite hand tool from a compartment to inside of the cab so we don’t have to run and retrieve it when we arrive on the scene? And when was the last time your really had all of your gear on before you got on the rig? We are the ones who control and modify our behavior. We must start looking out for our own health and welfare, as well as all of our brother and sister firefighters. Who is responsible for your safety? YOU ARE!
The other component of this problem is our apparatus and how we choose to use it. Safety gates, “mansaver” bars and seatbelts do not enhance our safety if we choose to stand in the jump seat when going to alarms. Riding the rear tailboard should have gone the way of pin lug hose couplings, yet we still read about firefighters who were injured or killed while standing on the back step.
Photo By Tom Shand This 1986 pumper from Bay District, MD, is a well-designed unit that incorporates most of the current NFPA 1901 safety standards. This unit was originally built with a four-door cab and later rebuilt with warning light and other safety enhancements. Annex D in the 2003 edition of the NFPA 1901 Standard lists suggestions for upgrading existing apparatus.
The front-line pumper in your station is, hopefully, a four-door, fully enclosed rig. But what about the second-line or reserve engine? If the apparatus was built prior to 1991, chances are it may have a canopy cab, without many of the safety-related components that were required for newer apparatus built after that point. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), 54% of the fire apparatus used in the United States are more than 15 years old. Additionally, 13% of that number are more than 30 years of age. Clearly, the safety and reliability of these units needs to be called into question.
If your department operates any apparatus built prior to 1991 and lacking the necessary safety components, then you are taking a risk that could result in negative consequences. This is particularly true with aerial apparatus. If you purchased the best aerial apparatus 30 years ago, after the changes in the NFPA 1901 standard in 1991, we think it would be considered unsafe in today’s world.
The 2003 edition of the NFPA 1901 standard provides guidelines under Annex D, Guidelines for First Line and Reserve Apparatus. For the first time, the NFPA has published suggestions for upgrading apparatus, depending on the year of original manufacture. The annex material recommends that units built before the issuance of the 1991 standard either be upgraded in conformance with the NFPA 1912 Refurbishing Standard or removed from front-line service. Examples of the upgrades include: fully enclosed cabs; handrails and step surfaces; reflective striping, warning lights and audible devices; and electrical system improvements.
Many avenues are available to refurbish and rebuild apparatus to be in conformance with the NFPA standards. However, due to the age of certain apparatus, such as those built before 1979, consideration should be given to replacement as the potential cost of rebuilding the older apparatus would be more than 50% of the cost of a brand-new apparatus.
Three standard rules are used to determine whether an apparatus should be refurbished or replaced:
2. If the apparatus has been substantially refurbished before (How many Band-Aids can you put on a cut that needs stitches?), buy new.
3. If the cost of a full refurbishment is 50% or more of the cost of a new apparatus, buy new.
Photo By Tom Shand The Tappan, NY, Fire Department had this Mack CF pumper rebuilt, including new LED warning lights, siren and air horns that were relocated to the front bumper, an upgraded electrical system and reflective striping.
Refurbishment has a wide variety of meanings, from a full glider kit to a $99.95 paint job. Before you sign a refurbishment contract, make sure that you have a clear understanding with the vendor exactly what kind of refurbishment is going to take place and how much it is going to cost. However, with the mention of money you should plan to add an additional 10% to 15% of the original cost of the refurbishment for cost overruns and problems that were not visible at the time of the estimate and contract signing.
Concerning safety as a priority, older apparatus may contain some inherent defects that cannot be easily cured. For example, let’s consider a 1988-vintage pumper that was built with a canopy cab, diesel engine, automatic transmission and 1,000-gallon water tank. In an attempt to bring the apparatus up to at least the 1991 version of the standard, we would add a full four door cab enclosure, which would probably require us to upgrade to a heavier front axle. This would also entail upgrading the front tires, wheels and springs. The apparatus would probably have a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 36,000 pounds, so we would need to add an auxiliary braking device, such as an engine brake. During the upgrading of the warning lights to meet the standard, we would discover that the electrical system needs upgrading to a multiple-battery pack, new alternator, load manager and associated wiring. All of the treadplate and step surfaces would probably be worn or damaged from use, so we next need to build all new running boards, cab steps and access points on the pumper as well.
As you can see, any rig can be rebuilt, but it is more important that you consider the safety of your personnel and just how well the vehicle will perform after you complete any rebuilding or refurbishing of your apparatus. Before your department decides to proceed on a rebuilding project, you want to insure that you follow all of the required NFPA standards, note the guidelines in Annex D and obtain outside assistance to guide you through the project.
Only with a change in our mental attitude toward safety when we operate on the scene of any emergency and by using well-designed and well-equipped apparatus can we insure that “everybody goes home.”
Tom Shand is a firefighter with the Newton-Abbott Volunteer Fire Department in the Town of Hamburg, NY, and a senior instructor at the Onondaga County Community College Public Safety Training Center. He is employed by American LaFrance and is assigned to the Hamburg Facility in the apparatus sales department. Michael Wilbur, a Firehouse® contributing editor, is a lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department, assigned to Ladder Company 27 in the Bronx, and has served for the past five years on the FDNY Apparatus Purchasing Committee. He has consulted on a variety of apparatus related issues throughout the country. Further information may be obtained by accessing his website at www.emergencyvehicleresponse.com.
