Apparatus Preventive Maintenance Program

37 Pages·2010·0.23 MB·English

by  Don Christopher Griffin

Benefits of Apparatus PM 1

Apparatus Preventive Maintenance Program:
What are the Benefits for the Monroe Fire Department?

Don Christopher Griffin
Monroe Fire Department, Monroe, North Carolina

Applied Research Project
Executive Leadership
November 15, 2009
Appendices Not Included. Please visit the Learning Resource Center on the Web at
http://www.lrc.dhs.gov/ to learn how to obtain this report in its entirety through
Interlibrary Loan.
Benefits of Apparatus PM 2

Certification Statement

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of
others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where
I have used the language, ideas, expressions, or writings of another.

Signed:_______________________________________________
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Abstract

The benefits of a comprehensive preventive maintenance (PM) program managed
by a certified technician within the Monroe Fire Department were unknown. The purpose
of this research was to review the current apparatus maintenance program and determine
what benefits could come from implementing an apparatus PM program with certified
technicians.
To address the problem, the following questions were used to guide the research
and determine feasible solutions. How effective and efficient is the current apparatus
maintenance program? What are the training requirements, purpose, and regulatory
standards of a fleet PM program? What effect would a PM program with certified
technicians have on the department’s fleet and the efforts to obtain accreditation?
Using descriptive research methodology, these questions were investigated.
Interviews with fleet managers were conducted, a survey was sent out to a variety of fire
departments throughout the country, and literature from a wide array of sources was
reviewed to determine the best solutions for the problem.
The research resulted in determining that the department using national standards
and recognized practices could improve its PM inspection program, records storage, and
PM Standard Operational Guidelines (SOGs). It was also determined that the service
technicians should be trained to a recognized standard and maintain the needed training
for that standard.
Therefore the recommendation was that operational personnel be better trained in
apparatus PM inspections, improve their record keeping, and create SOG’s to govern the
program. Service technicians should be tested to a minimum of Automotive Service
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Excellence (ASE) standards and strive for Emergency Vehicle Technician (EVT). As for
accreditation, with these steps taken, the PM program can be reviewed in order to
determine if the fire department’s program is creditable.
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Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..6
Background and Significance……………………………………………………………..8
Literature Review…………………………………………………...................................11
Procedures………………………………………………………………………………..17
Results……………………………………………………………………………….…...20
Discussion………………………………………………………………………………..29
Recommendations………………………………………………………………………..33
References………………………………………………………………………………..35
Appendix A (DPI Preventive Maintenance Order)……………………………………....37
Appendix B (PM Task List)…………………………………………………………...…38
Appendix C (Fire Department Surveys)…….………………………………………...…39
Appendix D (Carolina Tractor PM Work order)………………………………………...46
Appendix E (MFD PM Program SOG)………………………………………………….47
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Apparatus Preventive Maintenance Program:
What are the Benefits for the Monroe Fire Department?
Introduction
The City of Monroe was served by a traditional fire and police department until
1980 when it was decided to combine the police and fire service into a public safety
organization. This remained in place until 1999 when the process of separating the two
services was started. This decision was made based upon growth of the community,
training restraints for both operations, demands for better services from the community,
and the inability to find employees willing to perform both police and fire duties.
Equipment needs were then reviewed once the separation was completed; the fire
department had its own operational budget and the freedom to start planning its growth.
At the time of reorganization, there were three engines and one 50’ quint in service. Most
of these apparatus were fifteen years old and in need of replacement. The newly formed
Monroe Fire Department (MFD) started planning a way to replace its aged apparatus
fleet.
Apparatus designs were quickly created to fit the needs of the organization. They
were primarily based upon current designs that most other FD organizations were using
and the most up-to-date National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 1901: Standard for
automotive fire apparatus. Multiple apparatus were purchased using these first designs
with minor updates as new apparatus were acquired. As the apparatus design committee
began to better understand the needs of the organization and with newly designed
apparatus operating in the fleet, they began to evaluate certain components for their
safety, efficiency, cost, and how to maintain the fleet. All the while the MFD was
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growing in size adding two additional stations along with two quints, a heavy rescue,
brush truck, airport apparatus, haz-mat truck, and numerous staff vehicles. Therefore as
the fleet grew so did the issue of providing quality maintenance to this fleet.
The City has a fleet service center which is performing all of the preventive
maintenance (PM) for all of the city assets including fire apparatus. However, none of the
shop personnel are certified to any standard, such as the National Institute of Automotive
Service Excellence (ASE) or the Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification
Commissions Certification (EVT). With apparatus representing the single most costly
investment the fire service incurs today, proper specification of the apparatus, PM and the
training of the fleet service technician is critical to the life of the apparatus and the cost to
maintain it.
The problem is that the benefits of a comprehensive preventive maintenance
program being managed by a certified ASE or EVT technician within the MFD were
unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to review the current apparatus
maintenance program of the MFD and determine what benefits could come from
implementing an apparatus PM program with certified technicians.
In order to address the problem, the following questions were used to guide the
research and determine some solutions:
1. How effective and efficient is the MFD’s apparatus maintenance program?
2. What are the training requirements, purpose, and regulatory standards of a
fleet maintenance program?
3. What effects would a PM program and certified technicians have on the
MFD’s daily operations of its fleet and its efforts to obtain accreditation?
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By using the descriptive research methodology, these questions were answered
using the following: Two interviews with fleet managers were conducted, a survey was
sent out to a wide variety of fire departments throughout the country, and an assortment
of literature was reviewed to determine the best solutions for the problem.
Background and Significance
The City of Monroe has a population base of 37,000 covering 28 square miles of
service area according to the latest census taken, with five fire stations staffed by 84
personnel, nine of which are administrative staff. The MFD responded to 4,808 calls for
service during 2008 utilizing three engines, two quints, one ladder, one heavy rescue, two
brush trucks, two airport trucks, one haz-mat truck, one decontamination truck, two
reserve engines, and eight utility/staff vehicles. This fleet represents an investment of
approximately $6.5 million that the City has in its fire protection capabilities. With this
level of investment and call volume, the type or level of training that the service
technician has is vital to the life of the apparatus and crew safety.
Monroe City presently has only one repair shop that oversees all PM and repairs
for all City owned assets, i.e. Electrical, Water & Sewer, Streets, Gas, Landscaping,
Parks, Police and Fire Departments. The shop has maintained a staff of four personnel
over the years although none hold any certification or credentials. The quality of service
has been acceptable. However, given today’s complex power trains, electrical systems,
multiplexed control systems, and computerization the technology employed in the
apparatus has taxed their ability. This has placed apparatus out of service for longer
periods of time while finding answers and parts to resolve maintenance issues. It has also
caused missed diagnosis of problems which has increased repair expense and down time.
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These issues of long down, missed diagnosis, failed attempts at repairs, and things missed
during normal PM, especially those that caused failures which then required repairs at a
much higher cost than would have been necessary had the issue been found during PM,
has caused strife between shop personnel and the MFD administration.
Although there is currently a PM program in place, it falls short of the
recommended programs that are recognized by standardized fleet PM programs and
NFPA. The apparatus are serviced on a mileage based program that has only taken into
consideration fluids, filters, and lubrication. Brakes are checked using inspection slots on
the backside of the wheel housing unless the wheel assemble is removed for tire
replacement or the crew complains about hard stopping, pulling, or smoking brakes. The
remaining drive line components and electrical systems are only checked as needed or
when repairs are warranted.
The MFD has also determined that it wants to strive to become accredited through
the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). The CFAI list one of the
core competences as that of methods that are in place to implement the apparatus
maintenance program and that there are an adequate number of trained and certified
maintenance personnel available to meet the objectives of the established program.
(CPSE, 2006). This step towards accreditation leads to the National Fire Protection
Agency (NFPA) standard, which defines its scope as a standard that identifies the
systems and items to be inspected, frequency of servicing and maintenance and
requirements for testing (NFPA, 1915). The Emergency Vehicle Technician Professional
Qualification, defines its scope as a standard that shall identify and define the minimum
job performance requirements (JPRs) for a person to be considered qualified as an