Rebuilding Apparatus May Become Trend

In the midst of the current recession, departments around the country are looking at ways to save money and Tom Shand believes some of them may decide to refurbish an old apparatus rather than buy a new one.

Shand, a partner in Emergency Vehicle Response and a contributor to Firehouse.com, spoke as part of a panel yesterday at the FDSOA Apparatus Symposium in Orlando, Fla.

Following the session, he told Firehouse.com that refurbishing apparatus isn't a big trend yet, but may become one in the near future.

"Surprisingly it is not yet, but it's something I think we'll see more of," he said. "Most chiefs have only been turned down once for funds in regards to replacing apparatus during this recession. If they are turned down again, they will have to start looking at this as an option."

During the session, Jim Salmi, Chief Operating Officer of Crimson Fire, made it clear that while rebuilding may save money, the decision needs to be made carefully.

"There are some significant pitfalls," he warned. "You need to understand how long this process is.

"The refurb process is more complicated than building a truck. You have to be extremely comfortable with who you are doing the work with."

He took a poll of the audience, asking what their experience was like with rebuilding a piece of apparatus and the reactions were mixed.

Salmi said that departments have to ask the question: "Is this the right set of circumstances to win from?"

Shand said that if the unit is between 10 to 15 years old or less it could be a good candidate, but that there are a lot of things to take into account.

How long a department plans to keep the unit is a good start along with how much money they plan to spend. He said that even when departments chose this alternative, "You still may be battling for that money."

Another challenge is that some features on the existing unit may need to be upgraded.

Donald Daemmrich, a sales manager who specializes in refurbishment for Piece Manufacturing, spoke about the need to make technology upgrades such as fitting the apparatus with LED lights, non-slip stepping surfaces and Chevron striping.

He said that departments must aim for safe operations and reliability when rebuilding a unit.

Shand also pointed out that in the case a unit is involved in a collision, rebuilding can be used to repair or replace it at a low cost.

"Rebuilding isn't something we necessarily plan for," he said. "'Be Prepared' is the Boy Scout Motto; it's not a bad idea."