BY BILL ADAMS
Thousands of new fire apparatus are delivered in the United States each year. Except for an occasional minor discrepancy, most deliveries are completed without major headaches and subsequent ill feelings between purchaser and apparatus manufacturer. However, there are deliveries that do not go well at all, when everything seems to go downhill from the moment the new rig pulls onto the fire station’s ramp. Unfortunately, a new fire truck is not like a model toy; you can’t box it up and send it back for a full refund. Major problems such as a rig’s being too long to fit in the station or too high to fit beneath the overpass at the end of town or having the wrong motor are not addressed here. The intent of this article is to make the purchaser aware of those smaller potential pitfalls that can make a chief’s life downright miserable.
WRITING YOUR OWN SPECS
Fire departments operating large apparatus fleets or purchasing apparatus on a regular basis usually have a dedicated staff to write specifications and oversee the purchasing process. Smaller departments may not have trained purchasing agents and standing apparatus committees. Despite their lack of familiarity with the process, because they do not buy apparatus frequently, many of these departments write their own specifications instead of engaging the services of a professional specification writing service, an industry consultant, a vendor, professional peers, or a neighboring fire department. However, writing specifications or even a Request for Proposal is an undertaking that is fraught with intrinsic dangers and pitfalls.
First, the spec writer must be aware of the most current versions of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, codes, highway standards, and motor vehicle rules and regulations, which are frequently revised. Second, the suppliers are forever changing, as are the component parts and pieces they supply to the apparatus manufacturers. These changes are caused by factors outside of their control as well as the companies’ own product improvements. If the fire department purchaser does not have all of this knowledge, it may need some technical expertise in writing the purchasing document. This article deals only with a purchaser’s writing of the document and not the specifics of the type of apparatus being purchased or the reasons certain components are specified.
Every article published, every book written, and every seminar given on apparatus purchasing touts NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, and rightfully so. Hence, the contents of that document will not be addressed in detail here; however, no specification writer should underestimate its importance. To prevent a misinterpretation of what is required by this standard vs. what is recommended, you must be intimately familiar with the document. The manufacturers are. There have been instances when purchasers, by merely specifying that an apparatus shall be NFPA-compliant, assumed certain features or equipment would automatically be provided when, in fact, they were not required by the standard. Having a working knowledge of NFPA 1901 can help eliminate those cases of misinterpretation.
If there is no outside technical assistance, the safest approach for writing the specification is to use NFPA 1901 as the basis and guideline. You can also use specifications from a previous apparatus purchase as a base document, or you can “cannibalize” a manufacturer’s published specifications. If you do this, you should have a fundamental understanding of how manufacturers write their specifications. If you take the specifications of a dozen fire apparatus manufacturers and lay them side by side, almost all will follow a similar format or layout. Manufacturers use similaror even the samecomputer software programs to prepare their specifications. These programs have built-in safeguards for the manufacturer.
Every fire department, career or volunteer, has its share of expertsplumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, nurses, computer geeksyou name it. A firehouse computer “expert” might scan a manufacturer’s set of specifications into a computer and then attempt to write the department’s purchasing specification. Although some people may be able to do the job in this manner, in many cases this could cause serious problems. Every time text is copied, inserted, cut, pasted, moved, or deleted, the intent and technical portions of the specification may inadvertently be compromised and costs may be increased. If you change the wording in a manufacturer’s specification, it is at your own risk. You may unintentionally leave out important features, or you might add an item twicefor example, you may get the portable deluge set specified on page 16 along with the truck-mounted portable monitor you inadvertently called for on page 35. Equally as dangerous is taking what you consider the best parts from several manufacturers’ specifications and attempting to combine them into one document.
Many purchasers, even if using a manufacturer’s preprinted specification, usually insert at the front of the bid document their own “boilerplate” with local legalese, financial requirements, and delivery requirements.
Another approach is to take a two-year-old specification of the last rig you bought, change the lettering from Engine No. 1 to Engine No. 2, and put it out for bid. Doing this does not guarantee that you will get the same apparatus as in the original specs. Some items that you must consider when using this method are the following: Were there any changes in the latest revision of NFPA 1901 that will affect the proposed apparatus? Are all the component parts still availablealternator, fire pump, engine, transmission, wheels, warning lights, tires, for example? Are there changes to federal or local mandated emission or highway standards that we should address? Does the manufacturer of the previous rig still offer the same apparatusand in the same configuration?
I do not recommend writing your own technical specifications. Work with qualified and capable people, whether they are your fire service peers or industry experts. Professional specification writers and fire service consultants are specialists. They prepare apparatus specifications on a daily basis; for the most part, they are qualified, knowledgeable, and hopefully will not show preferential treatment toward one manufacturer. Sometimes, purchasers will call on a single preferred apparatus manufacturer for help with the purchasing process. This may raise some questions about political correctness and the competitiveness of the bids received, but the process usually is quick and efficient and seldom poses a major problem with other manufacturers. As previously noted, consult with your authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) before undertaking this approach.
WRITING EFFECTIVE SPECS
Except for those instances when the manufacturer makes an outright mistake, you can and should prevent most minor discrepancies during the specification-writing process. An ambiguous or vague bid specification is usually the culprit. When purchaser and manufacturer can interpret bid specifications differently, there is a potential for misunderstandings and needless grief and aggravation at delivery time. (A manufacturer’s proposal that is unclear, incomplete, or misleading adds more fuel to the fire.) Careful analysis of the language written in the purchaser’s specifications and the proposals received is the key to a successful delivery. Bid specifications should leave no room for misinterpretation. There should be absolutely no doubt as to what the purchaser wants. Clearly describe exactly how you want an item, accessory, or appurtenance supplied and how you will use it on the fireground. Provide a sketch in the bid document showing the physical requirements you want (a picture is worth a thousand words).
Prebid conferences are excellent forums for preventing misunderstandings. A preconstruction meeting is another safeguard. Additionally, requiring blueprints of the proposed apparatus is a must; however, a blueprint may not be the cure-all either. It is virtually impossible to show every feature on a blueprint. Also, in some instances the legalese in a bidding document may state that the written specification is the legal document to which the apparatus will be constructed. Read the fine print. Some suggestions for writing clear specs follow.
1 Avoid local terminologies and firematic descriptionsthey may have different meanings from one part of the country to another. As an example, a tanker in Virginia has red lights and a siren, and a tanker in California has wings and landing gear. A call for a rescue in Rhode Island will bring an ambulance; in New York City, you’ll get the rolling warehouse on wheels. Accurate and well-defined descriptions are necessary, especially when an item is unique to a particular fire department or region.
It is not the fire apparatus manufacturer’s responsibility to interpret what a fire department has written in its bid specifications. The manufacturer looks at the written word and prices the vehicle accordingly. Bidders, especially those from out of town, usually do not have the time or resources to second-guess a purchaser’s intent or how the department operates its day-to-day business. This is especially true for potential bidders who have not had an opportunity to meet with a truck committee prior to a bid opening. If a purchasing committee has worked only with one vendor before writing the bid specifications, that bidder has the advantage of having a working knowledge of how the department operates, what the purchaser wants, and how an item is to be used. Other bidders must rely only on what the purchaser has written in the specifications to prepare a bid proposal.
2 Eliminate unnecessary and repetitive words. Look at any manufacturer’s specification and observe the number of times statements such as “shall be supplied,” “shall be provided,” or “shall be furnished” are written. Eliminate them; take them out of the specifications. You have to make that statement only once. At the beginning of the technical specifications, insert a statement similar to the following: “The following shall be supplied.” If you are not comfortable with that, at the most, put the statement at the beginning of each major heading such as “Pump and Plumbing,” “Body Work,” and “Electrical.” Then list what you want. Individual descriptions do not have to be in full, complete, grammatically correct sentences. When listing items, appurtenances, accoutrements, and the like, be very specific, concise, and to the point. There may be multiple locations for features you specify: If you specify a rear discharge outlet for a preconnected hoseline, do you want the outlet at the rear of the apparatus beneath the hosebed or up inside the hosebed on the front wall?
3 Other often repeated statements and phrases refer to whether an item or a process is NFPA compliant: “The following shall be supplied in accordance with NFPA 1901” or “The light bar shall be NFPA compliant.” Avoid repeating the statements. At one place in the specifications, insert a statement similar to the following: “The apparatus and all components thereof shall be compliant with the NFPA 1901 edition in effect at the date of the bid opening.” That’s all you need.
4 Include in your “boilerplate” a document to be incorporated as part of the technical specifications. List relevant items not normally found in a manufacturer’s specification, sort of a “preclarification” sheet. Some examples follow:
- All fire hose shall be packed “flat.”
- Rear preconnect beds shall be two (2) tiers of hose in width.
- All crosslays shall be a single hose tier in width.
- The body manufacturer shall finish paint both the cab and the body.
- The hydraulic rescue tool and cutter shall be mounted upright.
- All hydraulic and cord reels shall be mounted at the tops of compartments.
- Direct tank fill valves shall be no more than four (4) feet from ground level.
5 Be definitive and explicit when establishing the level of quality you desire. Specifying a particular make, manufacturer, or model number is appropriate when you must decribe an exact size, function, or feature to enable an apparatus to safely and efficiently meet desired operational requirements. Establishing a given set of criteria gives you a starting point or baseline for fairly comparing one product with another during the bid evaluation process. You can make a fair and systematic evaluation of proposals received only by comparing measurable responses to specific requirements. Specifying a make or model number to restrict competition is not addressed here.
Some phrases to avoid (define exactly what you want) include “rugged,” “ample,” “hand-polished appearance,” “proper” (gauge), and “optimal upward visibility.”
6 Purchasers operating equipment-specific multifunction apparatus or who carry large amounts of specialized or odd-sized equipment should pay particular attention when writing compartment specifications. When specifying a new apparatus, the time and effort you expend in accurately describing the desired compartmentation has a direct bearing on the fireground efficiency of the apparatus after delivery.
Every manufacturer publishes standard compartment specifications that describe proprietary methods of construction and carrying capacities and dimensions. Scrutinize advertised claims, particularly in the area of dimensions, to ensure that what you propose is the same as what the manufacturer is offering and will work as you intend. For example, a manufacturer may advertise a standard low side compartment as being 30 inches high × 30 inches wide × 28 inches deep. The apparatus purchasing committee might assume that its positive-pressure ventilator measuring 29 inches high × 27 inches wide × 26¾ inches long would just fit in the compartment. However, it will not, because the advertised dimensions are the interior compartment dimensions measured from side wall to side wall and from the back wall to the leading edge of the door opening.
Not every manufacturer fabricates compartments the same way, and not every compartment on the same apparatus is necessarily formed the same way. Ask, or you may be surprised on delivery day. The purchasing committee considered another manufacturer that offered a slightly larger compartment with an advertised clear door opening of 30 inches high × 30 inches wide with the same 28-inch depth. The positive-pressure ventilator still would not fit. The compartment was proposed with dual 1½-inch-thick swing-out doors as specified by the fire department. The purchaser did not know that the manufacturer’s advertised clear door opening is measured from door frame to door frame.
Compartment shelves and slide trays are always smaller in dimension than a compartment’s published width and depth and often are smaller in width than the advertised clear door opening. If the actual footprints of the shelves and trays are important, insist that the manufacturer state the usable sizes proposed.
To eliminate confusion that may arise from the purchaser and the manufacturer interpreting differently the dimensions of door openings and compartments, the purchaser should specify that the dimensions apply to actual usable space. In the case of door openings, actual usable can be further defined with a statement similar to the following: “Actual usable door opening is defined as being unobstructed and large enough for the stated equipment to be placed in or removed without having to tilt, bend, or twist said equipment.”
Compartments may be specified as follows:
- Open Specification. It leaves the size of the compartment up to the manufacturerwhatever size is proposed will meet the specifications.
Example: One (1) full-height compartment shall be provided on the right side of the apparatus ahead of the rear wheel well. The manufacturer shall supply the exact dimensions proposed. - Generic Specification. The purchaser gives the bidders an approximate idea of the storage area desired. Read proposals received very carefully. As long as the minimum cubic footage of space is supplied, any size compartment proposed will meet the specifications.
Example: The compartment ahead of the rear wheels on the passenger’s side shall have no less than 38 cubic feet of compartment space. - Proprietary Specification. In the proprietary description, you are saying this is the only size compartment you want; it can’t be bigger or smaller.
Example: The forward curb side compartment shall be 40 inches wide × 60 inches high × 28 inches deep.
When specifying exact dimensions, they usually are the published compartment dimensions of a particular manufacturer, which other bidders may recognize. They may claim to the AHJ that the dimensions specified are proprietary and reflective of a single favored manufacturer. A change in the wording could help to avoid this situation. If the wording were changed to “The compartment shall be no less than 40 inches wide × 60 inches high × 28 inches deep,” you are not saying the compartment has to be the exact size of any preferred vendor. If legally challenged by another bidder, you should be prepared to justify specifying those dimensions.
• Performance Specification. This may be the best method for ensuring that the compartment will be large enough to carry the intended equipment. There can be no claim of favoritism toward a given manufacturer. You are saying, “This is what I want to carry; this is where and how I want to carry it.” Make it fit.
Example: One compartment shall be supplied on the right side forward of the wheel well; it shall be large enough to accommodate the following purchaser-supplied equipment: two (2) Brand ABC 18-inch smoke ejectors on the floor, one (1) Brand DEF 20-inch collapsible exhaust tube on the bottom shelf, four (4) Brand GHI 500-watt portable floodlights on the top shelf, and one (1) bidder-supplied Brand JKL 115-volt electric rewind cord reel mounted at the top of the compartment toward the rear of the apparatus. All equipment shall be capable of being pulled straight out of the compartment without interference from protrusions such as door jambs, shelving hardware, and door closure hardware.
Be careful if you use this method. Whether by blueprint, prebid conference, dry layout, physical mock-up, sketches, or whatever, ensure that the equipment you want to carry will fit in a reasonable area. The manufacturer must have some leeway in ensuring that front-to-front and side-to-side weight considerations are met as well as overall apparatus length, height, and width requirements. Keeping the amount of equipment carried in line with standard compartmentation offered by various manufacturers may help keep the cost down and increase competitive bidding. Forcing a manufacturer to design and fabricate a one-of-a-kind compartment based on a purchasing committee’s whim could be cost prohibitive.
When space is a critical issue, consider the performance specification. State exactly what is to be carried and how it is to be carried, and let the bidders calculate the appropriate compartment size. A performance specification allows the manufacturer flexibility in design. The manufacturer assumes sole responsibility for full compliance. Some bidders may be reluctant to expend the time and resources involved in submitting such a labor-intensive and costly proposal. Additionally, the manufacturer realizes that if a mistake is made in proposing compartment sizes and dimensions, the customer can reject the new apparatus because the equipment doesn’t fit and, therefore, the unit does not meet the specs.
SOME COMMON AREAS OF “MISUNDERSTANDING”
Following are some examples of how fire departments can end up with a rig that does not perform up to the expectations the purchasing committee “thought” it wrote into the specifications.
1 The purchaser’s specifications stated that the main hosebed “shall be large enough to accommodate 2,000 feet of Brand XYZ’s five-inch large-diameter hose coupled in 100-foot lengths.” The successful bidder’s proposal stated the same. The bidder designed, built, and delivered the apparatus; however, the 2,000 feet of hose would fit only when packed “on edge,” not flatthe way the fire department loads its hose.
2 The purchaser’s specifications stated, “a six-inch air-operated front suction with a swiveling elbow shall be provided.” The successful bidder’s specifications stated the same. At delivery, when a flow test was conducted through the front suction, only half of the pump’s rated capacity was available. When questioned, the manufacturer said, “Your proposal did not specify a flow requirement.” The fire department had intended to draft at least 75 percent of the pump’s capacity through the front suction.
3 The purchaser’s specifications stated the paint “shall match as close as possible Paint Company ABC’s Shade No. 1”the paint color and product number used on the rest of the department’s fleet. The successful bidder, who does not use that brand of paint, did not take an exception. When the new rig was delivered, the paint shade was close but did not exactly match the rest of the fleet. The fire department did not want the apparatus. The bidder stated the apparatus met the specifications, since the paint did match: It was as close as possible. Who is right? Who defines “as close as possible”?
Another point to keep in mind is that it is a common practice, but not commonly known, that many body builders purchase cabs and chassis already painted. What happens when the apparatus is delivered and the paint on the cab does not exactly match the paint on the body? Was the fire department’s intent to have the body builder paint the entire apparatusbody and cab? Did the specifications say so?
4 The purchaser’s specifications stated, “Each rear preconnected hosebed shall be large enough to accommodate 250 feet of 2½-inch DJRL hose.” When the apparatus was delivered, the hosebeds were large enough to hold the required hosein a single stacked lay. The fire department had intended to pack its preconnected lines two tiers wide with their play pipes lying on top of the load. The dividers could not be moved without reducing the required hose load in the main bed. The manufacturer met the technical requirements of the specifications but not the intent of the fire department. Unfortunately, the “intent” did not count.
5 On a similar line, another purchaser’s specification stated, “Each crosslay shall be large enough to accommodate 200 feet of Brand XYZ 1¾-inch DJRL fire hose coupled in 50-foot lengths.” During a factory inspection trip, the fire department was shocked to see each crosslay bed built to hold the hose packed two tiers wide. The fire department intended to pack its hose one tier wide in a shoulder loadjust like the rest of its apparatus. Even if the dividers were moved, there would not be enough height in the crosslay to single stack the hose load.
6 The purchaser’s specifications stated, “The lower rear step compartment shall be large enough to accommodate the purchaser’s hydraulic rescue tool, cutter, and accessories mounted on a slide-out tray.” When delivered, the tool and accessories were mounted on the tray, with the tool and cutter lying down on their sides. For ease of operation, the fire department wanted the tools mounted standing up. The manufacturer stated the specifications were met and the fire department did not specifically call for the tools to be standing upright.
7 On the new pumper-tanker, the purchaser specified “a direct tank fill with a three-inch full-flow ball valve and a lift-to-open, twist-to-lock handle with 2½-inch NST swivel provided at the rear of the apparatus, one each side.” On delivery, the new rig had the specified tank fills; however, the fire department was not thrilled to see them eight feet off the ground, just beneath the hosebed. It expected and wanted the valves to be accessible from ground level for quick and safe ease of operation when refilling the tank. It is unfortunate that the department did not write that requirement into the specifications.
8 The purchaser specified “a full-height compartment with two adjustable shelves and a mounted electric cord reel shall be provided behind the rear axle on both sides of the apparatus.” The manufacturer delivered the apparatus. The fire department was surprised to see the cord reel mounted to the bottom of the compartmenton the floor. The intent was to have the reel mounted at the top of the compartment to enable firefighters to carry heavy equipment at the bottom.
9 The purchaser sought bids for a pumper body to be built on a commercial cab and chassis the fire department purchased from a local truck dealer. Nothing was in the purchaser’s specifications about what type and how much equipment the fire department intended to carry. Per NFPA 1901, the manufacturer built the body with the appropriate NFPA weight allowance for loose equipment and personnel. However, when the apparatus was delivered, the fire department loaded more equipment than the minimum NFPA weight allowance the manufacturer provided for. The rig was overloaded. It would not pass the Department of Transportation inspection, the state would not register it, and the insurance company would not insure it.
Explain in plain language exactly what your department’s intent is when specifying apparatus or any component thereof. Tell the potential manufacturers exactly how you want to accomplish your task and how you want the apparatus to work for you. Be specific. Use plain language. Draw a picture. It may save a lot of grief and aggravation on delivery day.
BILL ADAMS is a former fire apparatus salesman who spent 40 years in the fire service. He is past chief of the East Rochester (NY) Fire Department.
