MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT
THE RESCUE COMPANY
THE APPARATUS could be the finest available and the rescuers the most highly trained, yet the operation still could be a failure. Why? The equipment or tools were not properly maintained or cared for.
Our daily chores in quarters usually require a routine that includes the maintenance of the facility and apparatus. The tour starts with the cleaning of the kitchen, sitting room, apparatus floor, and company offices (that’s after 10 cups of coffee); a good sweep and swab is the order of the day. The apparatus chauffeur is busy checking the fuel, oil, water, and transmission levels of the apparatus. The tool man is checking hand tools, extinguishers, and equipment that is used on most routine runs. But what about the extrication equipment, saws, generators, lights, airoperated tools, cutting equipment, meters, rigging equipment, scuba gear, hazmat equipment, and salvage equipment (the list size depends on the unit’s inventory)?
The less special equipment a department has, the easier it is to organize a maintenance schedule. A heavy-duty rescue company with a greater amount of equipment and tools, in addition to its daily chores and work load, requires a schedule that allows sufficient time to maintain its numerous tools and equipment properly. You will truly appreciate how much equipment your apparatus carries when you have to strip it for a changeover. If your unit’s inventory includes equipment and tools that can be maintained and cared for on each tour, then you must ensure that each shift follows the schedule.
CHOOSE A MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE
A larger inventory control system for the maintenance and care of equipment and tools can be handled in a variety of ways. The compartment numbering system allows for systematic control because you assign work schedules by the numbers to various shifts. Schematic layouts of the numbered compartments can also be an excellent inventory control. (See “Tools and Equipment” in the September 1988 issue of Fire Engineering for examples of compartment layouts.) A weekly schedule can be organized in which different shifts care for various compartments. Alternating compartments and shift assignments allows all shifts to eventually be responsible for the entire inventory over a specific time period and ensures that all equipment is properly maintained.
When using the numbered compartment system, consider balancing the schedule. Some compartments may hold equipment that requires only a visual inspection, while others have equipment that requires both visual and operational inspections. Or divide the work schedule by labeling the compartments according to location on the apparatus (officers’ side-outside, chauffeur’s side-inside). Set up schedules whereby all the compartments located in a specific area are the responsibility of the shift on duty.
Another system besides numbering compartments is grouping tools and equipment. You can schedule maintenance for different groups on different days. Here is a sample schedule:
- Monday — all communications equipment (portable radios and soundpowered phones and reels).
- Tuesday—extrication equipment including all components, cutters, spreaders, rams, extension reels, and power supplies.
- Wednesday—lighting equipment (lights, generators, reels, convertors, •> adaptors, extension cables, and junction boxes).
- Thursday—meters and testers (explosimeters, CO tester, O2 indicator, gastechs, electrical testers, thermal cameras, radiation detectors, and test kits for chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, and sulphur dioxide).
- Friday—air-operated equipment (air hammers/chisels, pavement breakers, saws, and drills) and air bags (regulators, hoses, and controllers).
- Saturday—self-contained breathing apparatus with air extension lines and systems and ropes and rigging quipment.
- Sunday—specialized equipment for that particular unit (scuba, haz-mat, first aid, trauma kit, burn kit, salvage equipment).
Operational procedures should require that all equipment and tools are checked after each use and before being placed back in service. The daily, weekly, or biweekly schedule must include an operational check in addition to a visual inspection. Check proper fluid levels; hoses for cracks, breaks, splits, or kinks; connections, bolts, and screws for tightness; and general cleanliness to ensure that all equipment is in top operating condition.
A VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS
Scheduled maintenance and care of equipment can prove beneficial in a number of ways. It can be used for inventory control: A tool list in conjunction with your maintenance schedule can point out missing equipment or equipment that is out for repairs and not otherwise recorded. A regularly scheduled visual and operational inspection also familiarizes rescuers with tools and equipment so they can use tools with more confidence in an emergency operation.
Generate interest in a schedule by using drill and training sessions as part of the routine for inspection. For example, on a day that you have scheduled air bag maintenance, plan a drill in which you can discuss and use operational procedures during the inspection. However, don’t get so caught up in the drill session that you forget to make the inspection and operational checks.
Following a regular schedule also ensures that the tools and equipment you use less frequently are checked and inspected. Again, it will also familiarize rescuers with the less-often-used equipment.
Regardless of the amount or type of equipment your apparatus carries, a regularly scheduled inspection and operational check is a must. Remember, the scene of an operation is not the place or time to be wondering if your equipment works. Proper maintenance and care of equipment is a responsibility that adds to the professionalism of the fire service.
