Follow these steps to keep your reserve fire apparatus more ready for duty and more appealing to the firefighters using them.
Read More »Fire Apparatus
Fire Apparatus Pumping: Static Water Sources
Drafting from static water supplies is a different animal than pulling water from a municipal source; here's how to get the most from your rig.
Read More »4 Keys to Buying a Mobile Command Vehicle
Once upon a time, having a dedicated Mobile Command Vehicle might have been viewed as want-to-have resource for many fire and EMS departments. Today, however, many of those same departments are now finding that an MCV is a need-to-have vehicle in their fleet because of events like natural and man-made disasters; large-scale structure fires; urban-interface and wildlands fires; and criminal acts resulting in multiple-casualty incidents.
Read More »Know This Before Buying Fire Truck Rearview Cameras
No amount of forward-driving experience can help a driver with backing a truck or other vehicles. All drivers need to practice in safe surroundings until they become familiar with the way the vehicle backs up compared to the direction the steering wheel is turned.
Read More »What Every Fire Officer Must Know About Driver Safety
Information overload has come to the fire apparatus cab. Mobile data computers and tablets are being used by the company officer to access driving directions, building pre-fire plans, hazardous materials information and much more.
Read More »7 Reasons Fire Trucks Catch Fire
Commercial truck fires present a serious fire risk, right? The American Trucking Association's Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) thought so when it established a task force to investigate the causes of commercial truck fires and prescribe possible solutions.
Read More »Fire Truck Air Filters 101
Preventative vehicle maintenance for emergency response apparatus has proven to be a very cost-effective fleet-management practice. A comprehensive preventative-maintenance program can extend apparatus service life by ensuring proper and protected air intake for the engine; ensuring that the engine and transmission are properly lubricated with clean oil and fluids; and catching small maintenance problems while they can be easily and inexpensively fixed.
Read More »Old Fire Trucks: Repair vs Replace
A fleet of fire apparatus is a huge capital investment for a fire department. The decision on whether to make additional investment to repair a vehicle or to purchase a replacement is a large component of that investment. It is a decision that should be based upon objective criteria supported by objective data.
Read More »Steps to Keep Air Brakes Working in Winter
A frozen brake line can take a rig out of service for hours, maybe days depending on a department's maintenance capabilities. Frozen lines and other problems are preventable, but first, we need to know how they work.
Read More »The Skinny: Specialized Firefighting Vehicles
Some emergency scenarios require specialized vehicles to move patients or attack fire; here's a look at what's on the market and how to make the best choice.
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