Building Rigs to Do Work

By Ricky Riley

Unless you haven’t been paying attention to the apparatus world, you know it is absolutely crazy out there dealing with purchases and then delivery times. We have never seen the industry in this much of a state of craziness.

A rig purchased pre-COVID would take 12 to 14 months to build or even less. Now that rig can take 48 months to be delivered. Then we add on the unprecedented costs of building any apparatus. It is now more important than ever for your fire department to understand the purchasing process, specify what your department needs, work with your department’s chosen manufacturer salesperson and the OEM to get you the rig that works for your department’s response area, and manage the cost and delivery of the unit so it can actually serve your community.

As you work to make this purchase, you need to see what programs and incentives the manufacturer will offer your department. As it relates to less customization and less specialization to help you lower that cost and hopefully reduce your delivery time, having this discussion in an open and frank manner with all members on the specification/purchasing committee can help your department determine how much customization and special items it actually needs on the rig. Are you willing to sacrifice items to achieve the lower cost and enhanced delivery time? This topic must be addressed as we all struggle through these difficult times in the industry.

All this work ahead of the purchase needs to be completed by the committee that has been put in charge of the purchasing specification for the apparatus. This group of people will determine what, how, and where every option must be placed on your new truck. While these groups can sometimes be difficult, it is important to know how to achieve success through committees. This is an important decision-making group, and you have to establish the makeup, the operational needs, the mechanical needs, and how to work together to achieve a rig that will serve the community for decades into the future.

One of the most important requirements to be on this committee is the desire to work together to achieve this rig. It cannot all be one direction and one person’s way. Being open-minded and able to see other views is an important trait to be on a committee. With this new world of fire truck buying and deliveries, we now also have to understand that the adage “The Customer Is Always Right” is not going to work in today’s fire truck world. We need to see the manufacturer’s side of this process more than ever before. And, while we can be open to its woes and challenges building rigs today, we do as a committee have to stand tall for the rig we want and what will best serve our citizens. So, some compromise will need to be considered from both sides of the table.

The person I think we forget about a lot is the salesperson; your relationship as a buyer needs to be fostered with your salesperson. The trust you have with your salesperson working as the middle person between you and the manufacturer is important. As much as you expect catering from your salesperson, you have to work for the trust as a buyer with that person. The salesperson will need to understand your situation as it relates to your finances, operational needs/wants, and your clear expectations on what you want in the end. The salesperson cannot be afraid to deliver bad news, and you cannot overreact to bad news.

One of the best things about designing rigs is all the options you get to choose from to make that apparatus right. There are so many ideas and designs out there that can make your truck stand out and be an operational success. This is where research, conversations, and needs come into play when you specify a new rig. You have a number of options that will enhance not only your apparatus operationally but also mechanically. As much as you want the rig to look nice, the heart of the performance is in the mechanical side of the design. You need to choose the right options, pieces, and parts to make that apparatus perform and be reliable on each run.

One of my favorite topics is engine and truck company design. There are a number of options and designs for rigs that have proven themselves successful regardless of their location. While some of them seem very simple—and it even surprised me how much a little tweak or option can enhance the everyday operation of the apparatus—some of them are not commonly used or included in a build.

Finally, you have to consider safety components and designs and options to help with apparatus and personnel safety. We have to do our best to protect those who make these rigs function and flawlessly deliver service to our citizens.

RICKY RILEY is the president of Traditions Training, LLC. He previously served as the operations chief for Clearwater (FL) Fire & Rescue and as a firefighter for Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue. He also is a firefighter with the Kentland (MD) Volunteer Fire Department and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board.