Fire departments approach apparatus purchasing and specification writing in different ways. Some departments have specs written specifically for their response areas and it is up to manufacturers to meet them and bid on them. Other departments may write specs that are less specific or leave the spec writing to another entity entirely. This month, we asked Bill Adams and Ricky Riley, “Has a department drafting its own apparatus spec become a lost art?”
Do Departments Write Their Specs? Not By Themselves
My answer is not intended to disparage or discredit any members who attempt to write their fire department’s apparatus purchasing specifications. It’s not an easy job. Deference is due to all who try. Admiration is given to those seeking professional help when doing so.
Most of the approximately 6,000 apparatus ordered last year were probably sold based on a set of purchasing specifications promulgated by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ)—the entity that signs the check. The AHJ is not necessarily the entity for whom the rig is intended. Example: A city purchases an apparatus for the fire department. And, whoever writes the specifications is not required to be a fire department member.
Most fire departments lack personnel with the experience and qualifications to write a comprehensive set of detailed and technical purchasing specifications without outside help. Why? There are too many parts, pieces, laws, regulations, and component part suppliers for a fire department to monitor. It is similar to politicians seeking assistance from outside sources (lobbyists) in crafting legislation. In the fire truck world, the legislation is the specification, and the lobbyists are the apparatus manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers.
Fire departments may not write the actual purchasing documents. But, many do an excellent job in drafting preliminary specifications. Some are extremely detailed. However, final specification verbiage likely comes from an OEM or a professional specification writer (consultant) who coordinates with the manufacturers.
PARTS ‘N PIECES
Years ago, many apparatus manufacturers built the majority of an apparatus in-house, including the chassis, motor, pump, body, compartment doors, booster tank, and cab. Today, most apparatus components are outsourced. It’s possible for an OEM to purchase a prebuilt, prewired, and prepainted body from one supplier; a prebuilt pump module with installed pump and piping from another; and perhaps a custom cab and chassis that might have an outsourced cab from yet another. I have no qualms with that.
One vendor estimated there were more than four dozen outsourced component part suppliers for a recent custom pumper delivery. I think that’s a low figure. One fire department’s purchasing specification had 115 instances where outsourced suppliers’ names were specified. Some included a part number.
OEMs’ specification software programs have a gargantuan number of component part manufacturers, suppliers, and part numbers to monitor. Large OEMs have dedicated personnel monitoring and upgrading supplier changes and specifications. Fire departments don’t have that luxury. They ought to interact with professionals who do.
LANGUAGE AND LAWS
There are no rules for the style and format apparatus manufacturers must follow when writing suggested purchasing specifications for their product. Component part suppliers have their own specifications. Apparatus OEMs may incorporate suppliers’ specifications as is into their own document. Others may opt to rewrite a supplier’s specification so it looks like their own language—often without identifying the supplier. There’s no law saying they can’t.
Product specifications vary from being direct and to-the-point to being full of flamboyant, ambiguous, unnecessary, and self-promoting verbiage. Fire department specification writers may be influenced by or try to emulate a preferred manufacturer’s verbiage. They shouldn’t.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus (2016 ed.), Annex B is titled “Specifying and Procuring Fire Apparatus.” Figure B.2.12 is a 22-page work sheet titled “Procurement Issues” that purchasers can use to start laying out a new purchase. Some apparatus OEMs can expand those 22 pages sixfold for a basic pumper specification.
Fire departments attempting to write their own purchasing specifications should be aware of the labyrinth of federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations as well as voluntary consensus standards such as those of the NFPA, all of which can be modified at any time. I hope you are on their need-to-know mailing list.
REALITY
Who in the fire department knows what size tires to specify, how to estimate the gross vehicle weight rating, how to calculate front-to-rear and side-to-side weight ratios, how to determine the size alternator required, which transmission is compatible with the desired motor, or what capacity heater and air conditioner is recommended for the crew cab? You might need some outside help.
Again, this is not intended to degrade fire department specification writers. Some know where to find answers. Some can analyze accumulated data, make sound decisions, and then put pen to paper to write a document. But, who checks it for accuracy?
POINTS TO PONDER
Apparatus OEMs’ suggested purchasing specifications can favor themselves and subtly eliminate other manufacturers. That’s business—live with it.
Fire departments with large apparatus fleets that regularly write their own specifications have to interact in some manner with apparatus OEMs and component part suppliers.
Writing purchasing specifications in-house can be dangerous. Avoid specifying a component part that was discontinued last year or one that never existed.
You might not appreciate being challenged in a public forum. “You did a great job in writing the technical specifications for the booster tank. Is there a particular capacity you require?” Or, “Your body preparation and painting instructions are very explicit. Too bad you forgot to specify a color.”
Don’t embarrass the fire department by specifying a fire truck that is noncompliant with regulatory standards; is illegal to operate over the road; or, worse yet, physically can’t be built.
TRUST BUT VERIFY
Fire department specification writers should interact with OEMs, suppliers, and vendors. They have for years. Whether there’s a preference for one manufacturer is immaterial for this narration. Equally irrelevant is it whether a specification is proprietary, generic, or performance-based.
In competitive bidding scenarios, send the fire department’s specification to various OEMs to evaluate. Then hold an open or even mandatory prebid conference. It’ll help ensure you didn’t miss something. Remember, whoever promulgates the purchasing specifications owns them. If something isn’t in writing, it does not exist. Good luck.
BILL ADAMS is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board, a former fire apparatus salesman, and a past chief of the East Rochester (NY) Fire Department. He has 50 years of experience in the volunteer fire service.
Spec Writing: An Art Form That Needs to Come Back
Fire departments do not have the luxury of waiting for the market and the industry to steady to make purchases for their communities. Runs are not slowing down for any department regardless of community size or geographic area. Our services are being called on more each day. Delivering service takes its toll on apparatus and vehicles, and in many departments, it is causing early wear and frequent mechanical issues. That is caused by the high volume of runs regardless of department type. So, we have to keep ordering rigs to keep up with replacement plans and order early to have the units delivered in a time frame that meets departments’ replacement criteria. And with all manufacturers quoting 30- to 40-month delivery times, it is becoming harder to keep up with aging apparatus.
So with all that being said, each purchase is becoming critical to every department. The costs are impacting budgets and the number of rigs departments can buy. Ensuring you are purchasing the right rig and making use of every dollar spent is crucial for any department. As departments look at these extended delivery times, many have been looking for cheaper and less expensive ways to get apparatus delivered. And, while this may seem like an option for some departments, many are focused on their ability to provide an operational rig for the future. If you are not a high-run department, most rigs can last 15 to 20 years, so ensuring you have the right rig for the future is important. Busy departments usually have a well-defined operational mission that can require the rig to be built in a specific manner to meet their needs and operational mindsets.
We get to both these ends through how we, as departments, prepare specifications for our new apparatus. While I have seen many companies just say, “Build me something like the XYZ fire company has, and that will be fine,” we need to ensure that rig will actually work in our city, community, or town. We do that by understanding past rigs in our fleet and what worked and did not work for the firefighters in the field—and what did and did not work from the eyes of the mechanics and components used to assemble the apparatus. All these opinions, facts, and history need to be considered when we go to purchase a new rig. We can communicate our needs to the manufacturers through our written specification. It tells the story of our operations, our mechanical history, and what works for our part of the fire service community. While we all have the same mission, we all have a different way of delivering that service. And, it is no better reflected than in the way each jurisdiction buys apparatus.
How we design rigs, their functions, and needs are all achieved through specifications. The art form of writing specs is well demonstrated by many departments and their attention to detail and needs. Many, such as the FDNY, LAFD, DCFD, and many other cities, have some of the most unique and detailed specifications out there. They understand the operational needs, how the apparatus need to perform mechanically, and what works and does not work for them. While it can be challenging for manufacturers sometimes to meet these demanding specs, it is a process that helps deliver ready and capable units for many of those cities because they only know what works for them through trial and error. Although many of these departments are much larger than most fire departments, it does not diminish the need for every department to write specifications so they get a dependable rig for their community.
Achieving these specifications is not an easy task. In the past couple of years, it has become easy for some departments to depend on manufacturer sales personnel to help develop specs rather than developing them themselves. While that might work sometimes, it is a benefit to your end product to ensure you get what you need through detailed specification writing. One of my close friends, Tom Shand, is one of the best in the business at writing specifications. But, that talent comes with a lot of time invested in the industry and constantly researching the products and components in apparatus building. The detailed specification product requires knowing part numbers, performance of each part, proper design, and component reliability. Although he has gained that over decades in the industry, how will the younger generation gain that knowledge and then apply it to their departments’ next builds and specifications?
The main way is by the Internet—a double-edged sword. There is no better time for specification writers to research and develop specs than now if they have the time and attention span to do so. The amount of information, engineering drawings, pictures, and specifications on the Internet is incredible. Much of that is obtainable from the manufacturers and their dealers through many social media platforms. And, while all this information is good, what specification writers need to be aware of is how each truck is built and the choices that might affect the design or options you may want on your rig. Just because it worked on a rig in California does not mean it will work on your new engine on the East Coast. Homework and a lot of questions come with writing specs, and you need to understand each manufacturer’s build process and engineering. Believe me when I tell you: they are not all the same.
The art form of writing detailed specifications needs to come back to ensure your department gets the rig that works for you, works for your community, and works for your geographic area and to ensure that you get what you paid for. The cost of rigs is not going down. If you are going to pay that amount, you had better get what you want and ensure it will work for years in the future.
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.
