Equipment checks

[doughesson]

dough--well see, now my problem is that you're jumping on my tailboard for something ..... I did not say it was right, just that I understand where it originates from.

Here's a belated sorry,man.That's the problem with the written word,especially on these forums.You can't tell inflection from looking at what's on the screen.Anyway,I didn't want to come across as jumping on you and am sorry for the perception.
I was trying to list the jobs that needed doing after a call,and why some folks have to bail out on rehabbing the rig.
I and the others knew that not everyone had copious amounts of time to spend at the station tending to the engines.We accepted it and though we griped,it was more teasing than actual rancor.

[bobsnyder]

Our Lieutenants are responsible maintenance on their assigned apparatus, both the rig itself and the equipment thereon. And there's an Asst. Chief assigned to supervise overall apparatus and equipment maintenance and repair (including the Lts.).

We do rotate equipment checks into the drill schedule as well, so that everyone has to do them periodically. To be honest, I'm not particularly enthusiastic about sacrificing an evening of training time just to do maintenance checks that are assigned to someone anyway, but there is some training value in it for the crew.

[jawsNsaws]

We check our equipment every week or after a run if needed. I dont want to wait until a extrication to find out the spreader is busted or waiting to go into a fire and my SCBA is empty. We take our equipment checks seriously. This is the equipment that you are relying on to save your *** inside and to protect and save people with. I wouldnt be happy with the fact that the last time some vital piece of equipment was checked was 7 months ago. Its just asking for problems. We've caught many equipment problems, usually minor, while performing our checks. We check all the SCBA's and bottles, all the equipment on the trucks as well as the vehicle itself (fluids, pump or tower operations, tire pressure, etc.)

Chris K
Lieutenant
New Milford Fire Department
New Milford, NJ

[doublej986]

Well, things are getting better. I assigned 2 Lts. to head up a truck check system and it seems to be working. They split up the firefighters into 2 teams and split up the trucks to check. Seems to be working so far.

[ChiefReason]

Don't leave your equipment checks to A person. Do it as a group.
That way; there won't be the temptation to "pencil whip" the checklist.
Having a record is great, but actually doing the inspections is even better.
CR

[shfd739]

We assign one person a week to each station to check the trucks.There is a written sheet to go by and mark your findings.They are to check fluids,lights,gauges,water levels,fuel and oil in the small tools(generators,fans,saws and run those,radios,scbas and run the trucks,if the truck is low on fuel go fill it,water level below full then top it off,If the truck hasnt made a call in 3-4 days take it for a drive so all systems get worked out.The person is supposed to do this 3 times a week.I f the truck hasnt moved since you last checked it then you can skip some things since they wont have changed.I cant think of a time we were let down on a call by something breaking but know of many times we have caught problems before they happened on a call.

After calls everyone goes back to get the trucks ready.Top of water tanks remove empty bottles,lay out hose to dry etc.If it is getting late/early and people to go home for work there is usually one or two off during the day that can back later and finish anything.

[oj3205]

We do truck checks (work detail) every week and every member of the station rotates through it. It works out that you do it maybe 3-4 times a year. It is great from the perspective that you know what is working and what needs to be repaired and as part of it, they have to check to see if any equipment is missing and they know where stuff is.

[DonSmithnotTMD]

Many years ago (even before I came in) Army mechanized units did operator maintenance by the numbers. The platoon sgt would open the TM and read check 1, then everybody would do it. When that was finished and everybody was back in front of their track, they would get check 2, etc.

Naturally, this only works if you have a written document to go from.

[jeremymader]

Dont have an accident, but someone said they checked out the medic and somehow I wound up driving it to the ER with an ALS patient and the belt fell off enroute. We had to call another unit to transport.

[mikeyboy]

One way to handle it.....

Have you tried to check-out the job descriptions for this position? If it states in the J.D. that vehicle or equipment checks are to be done then there is your in...... if not, then check your Departments S.O.G.s or S.O.P.s and use that as ammo.

Another idea is to lead by example. When you come in, just do your checks and if the other equipment isn't being checked-out then check that out also. After all, it may be your can that will be saved by the equipment. Also, by doing this it shows that the team work aspect is in you, that you are willing to pull some of the slack that your colleagues are allowing to make. Trust me, Management will notice.

[the1141man]

dough--well see, now my problem is that you're jumping on my tailboard for something I don't even do. Point of fact, but we're a combination dept, and I almost always return to the station with the paid guys and help with turn-around, unless I have to get to work (my employer is not understanding of such things).

I simply said that I can understand why an all-volly dept would get the "hey, it's 4AM, we'll worry bout it in the evening" attitude. I did not say it was right, just that I understand where it originates from.

[pumper8032]

Where do you live?

My apologies, I am from Australia, South Australia to be exact, for some reason it doesn't show up in my profile. so feel free to ignore me

[doughesson]

dough--"station day" or "detail day" whatever you want to call it--good idea for getting weeklies done and whatnot, but what about "turning around" after calls?
The problem, and I totally understand it, is that hey, volunteer department, guys just got back in quarters at 3AM after an 8 hr structure fire, and most of them have to be at work at 8AM... and now it's time to spend another hour or two washing/racking/reloading hose, refilling/replacing BA bottles, cleaning tools, etc. I can honestly see how the laissez-faire mentality develops with regards to apparatus and equipment turn-around.

*shrugs* There isn't any one easy, fix-all solution to the problem...but part of it is instilling a sense of duty and responsibility from the very beginning--you use it (equipment, apparatus, etc), you put it back in as good as or better condition than you checked it out in.

And,the problem with staying to changing hose,refilling air bottles,cleaning used hoses and hanging in the drying tower,sweeping out the dirtcindersgrassdogcrapetc from the cab,examining and cleaning tools,making sure the double dagumm TIC seats in the charging base this time, and all the other sundry jobs required to feed and care for a pumper or ladder is?It's part of the job,no matter if it's part of the shift to get the job done,or something to do before going back to explain to the wife and kiddies or boss why you're late for the birthday/anniversary(bring jewelry)/inlaws/job.Most of us had bosses and families that were understanding about it.
My old vollie department has hard cases,not axeholes,that wanted the rigs ready to go even at Odarkthirty,and if some guys needed to leave to get up for work,we might gripe about being shorter handed but those that could stay on did and got the work done.
I'm not saying there aren't some vollie departments that would leave stuff for whenever someone gets "a round tuit",but we never did,nor did the other McCracken County departments we did mutual aid with.We'd each do our own rigs,and then if anything was left over,start helping the other rigs until someone called"Quittin' time".

[doublej986]

I have several instances of equipment failing in my department (when I say department, we have 430 stations)

But we range from farmers with 1 brush truck that might see daylight 2 times a year, to stations doing 500 calls a year. My own station has a weekly checklist done before going out to training, and yes we have those that sit around, but they tend to miss out on going out on the trucks at training, and stay behind to clean the toilets and doing paperwork etc. They soon get sick of that and start helping....or leave, which if they don't want to help out, then we really won't miss them.

There is a state level checklist when it comes to vehicle maintenance, but equipment wise, I can't say I have seen anything.

As for the fulltime side of it, they have no choice, its done every shift!!

Where do you live?

[pumper8032]

I have several instances of equipment failing in my department (when I say department, we have 430 stations)

But we range from farmers with 1 brush truck that might see daylight 2 times a year, to stations doing 500 calls a year. My own station has a weekly checklist done before going out to training, and yes we have those that sit around, but they tend to miss out on going out on the trucks at training, and stay behind to clean the toilets and doing paperwork etc. They soon get sick of that and start helping....or leave, which if they don't want to help out, then we really won't miss them.

There is a state level checklist when it comes to vehicle maintenance, but equipment wise, I can't say I have seen anything.

As for the fulltime side of it, they have no choice, its done every shift!!