National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1900, Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, Automotive Fire Apparatus, Wildland Fire Apparatus, and Automotive Ambulances, has many changes, not the least of which is combining several apparatus standards into one. One notable change was moving most of equipment to be delivered with each new rig to the Annex and making it recommended vs. required. This month, we asked Bill Adams and Ricky Riley, “Did the NFPA make the right decision moving most equipment to the Annex and recommending it vs. requiring it on newly delivered rigs in NFPA 1900?”
Answer: Yes It Did
By Bill Adams
In my opinion, the NFPA made an excellent decision when it moved most of the ancillary equipment requirements in NFPA 1900 to Annex A. The change makes the document a little less confusing and easier to read.
My comments are directed mainly at fire apparatus intended for structural firefighting. The history of why and when NFPA 1900 and its preceding apparatus standards as well as commercial (for-hire) insurance rating organizations developed lists of ancillary equipment is irrelevant for this discussion. It has been addressed previously (https://www.fireapparatusmagazine. com/equipment/apparatus-purchasing-iso-and-nfpa-equipment-lists/).
Removing most of the ancillary equipment requirements reinforces my conviction that NFPA 1900 and its preceding NFPA fire apparatus standards have overstepped my interpretation of the actual scope of the document.
SCOPE
Dictionaries have multiple definitions for the word “scope.” They include intention, objective, range, and purpose. Pick one of your choosing. I concur with NFPA 1900’s published definition of scope as stated in its own words, which is to describe the minimum criteria for an apparatus to transport personnel and equipment to a scene and to support the suppression of fires and mitigation of hazards after arriving on scene. (Underlining is mine for emphasis.) In my opinion, supporting fire suppression does not necessarily mean being responsible for the actual extinguishment. That is “splitting hairs” to justify a personal agenda or belief.
NFPA 1900 Chapter 7 Fire Apparatus-General Requirements (NFPA 1901/1906) section 7.1.1* Scope states: “Chapters 7 through 27 define the minimum requirements for the design, performance, and testing of new automotive fire apparatus and trailers designed to be used under emergency conditions to transport personnel and equipment and to support suppression of fires and mitigation of other hazardous situations, including wildfires.” Section 7.2.3 Purpose states: “This purpose of Chapters 7 through 27 is to specify the minimum requirements for new automotive fire apparatus and trailers that will be safe and reliable when maintained and used within design parameters.”
ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT
NFPA 1900 does not say its scope includes specifying the ancillary equipment a fire truck has to carry or should carry. Remember: The document specifically says to transport and support. It does not say anything about how to put out a fire, how to mitigate a hazard, or how much and what type of equipment has to be carried to accomplish the mission. Don’t read between the lines!
I wholeheartedly concur with NFPA 1900 determining what is required to ensure an apparatus can safely transport people and equipment. I have no problem with NFPA 1900 establishing safe design criteria for any component parts, devices, and appurtenances that manufacturers and fire departments opt to include on their apparatus. And, I have no qualm with establishing criteria for mounting equipment that the purchaser opts to have mounted.
I do not believe it is in NFPA 1900’s purview to dictate how much and what type of ancillary equipment is required to be carried on the apparatus. That is the fire department’s responsibility. Determining how much water, how big of a pump, the number of hose connections, and the amount of loose equipment required to mitigate hazards particular to individual response districts rests solely with the fire department and the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
RATE AND EVALUATE
As mentioned, NFPA 1900 should ensure fire apparatus and component parts are designed and manufactured to provide a safe working environment for firefighters to safely meet the standard’s scope as defined by itself. NFPA 1900 is not mandated to rate or evaluate a fire department’s capability in mitigating hazards—nor should it. That is the responsibility of the fire department and the AHJ.
It is the fire department’s and AHJ’s decision whether to adhere to—or to formally adopt—the guidelines and requirements of a job-specific regulatory standard or a commercial (for-hire) rating or insurance organi such as the Insurance Services Office (ISO) that specifically addresses ancillary equipment. As I have interpreted and previously stated, NFPA 1900’s obligation is only to ensure the apparatus carrying the personnel and equipment specified by the purchaser is safe for firefighters to operate.
LIABILITY?
A highly controversial and volatile yet important topic I mention at every opportunity is liability. It should not be overlooked. Could the fire department or AHJ be liable if an injury or catastrophic event occurs because a piece of ancillary equipment is not provided on a fire truck that NFPA 1900 says shall be, should be, might be, or ought to be considered? I am not qualified to answer. 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.
Overall, It’s a Good Thing
By Ricky Riley
This question is probably just one of many that could be asked about all the changes in the new NFPA 1900 document. And if you have not seen the size and amount of information included in this document, then just wait till you can’t fall asleep one night and just try to read it! While it is nice to have an all-encompassing document, there are a lot of tabs in my copy for me to find the most often referenced information without having to search through the entire book.
I mean look, there is no NFPA policing unit that will take your aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle, automotive fire apparatus, wildland fire apparatus, or automotive ambulance if you, the AHJ, do not meet the NFPA 1900 document. It is the responsibility of the departments to adhere to what is contained in NFPA 1900. And, the standard on fire apparatus does have some great representation from some reputable fire departments, but there still is a large number of manufacturers and vendors voting on how our apparatus should be designed and purchased. But, that is a question for another day.
When we talk about the requirements for equipment on our engines, trucks, squads, etc., this was a legacy list in the older NFPA 1901 standards. The minimal equipment list provided a number of items believed to allow departments to support their basic core assignments related to the apparatus that they were riding. And while this core list may work in some departments, a vast majority of departments require a larger and specialized equipment cache to support their unit, department, and community. In removing this basic list from the standard, it places the responsibility to ensure function and ability to perform on the local department. Now all adapters, equipment, and tools are centered around the response area of the department making the purchase and delivering service.
I have said in a previous Viewpoints surrounding equipment that during the Great Baltimore (MD) Fire of 1904, there was a massive request for assistance from many departments. This brought many cities, departments, and apparatus from across the region. And when many of them showed up to help quell the fire, they found out that they could not hook to hydrants and hoses had different threads. If a major fire happens in Baltimore today, those hydrants still require an adapter, as they are not the standard hydrant thread that most other jurisdictions have adopted to ensure adaptability and standardization. So, this requires many jurisdictions to add the proper appliances to their equipment cache to operate in the city.
Removing the list now requires departments to more or less ensure that they have a standard equipment list and that it meets some of the intent of the legacy lists from the standard. But, the equipment cache is updated and fresh to ensure the operational needs of their area and their mutual-aid districts are addressed.
Overall, removing the standard NFPA 1901, now 1900, equipment minimum is a good thing for departments. But, it should not alleviate the need for standardizing equipment and caches on single-station departments or large municipal departments. They all should have a minimum/standard equipment list based on the function of the apparatus. This way, drivers, officers, and firefighters can ensure that the rigs are checked out each day and that all tools, equipment, and appliances are in place and accounted for on each rig. This deletion from the standard puts that on each individual department. In the words of my friend, Bill Carey, “You do you.” Make the items in your compartments, mounted on the side of your rig, or inside your cab matter for your mission and your response area. ?
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.
