Purchasing Fire Apparatus represents the single largest capital expenditure, other than building a new fire station that a fire department will make. In some cases the fire apparatus may actually cost more than a new fire station. Fire Apparatus have become very complexed to specify and to build due to rapid technological advances. These technological advances have left most fire departments ill equipped to make knowledgeable, informed decisions, when specifying new apparatus. More over if your apparatus sales person has little or no experience selling fire apparatus the outcome of your apparatus project is predicable and doomed. Believing that knowledge is power this program will provide the attendee with logical, knowledge based information to help your department avoid the pitfalls that many fire departments have encountered when purchasing fire apparatus. One would only have to look at three fire departments in any direction from your fire department to find fellow firefighters who are very unhappy with a recently purchased apparatus.
Perhaps buying a new apparatus is out of the question this program will also discuss the positives and negatives associated with buying used apparatus. Also the question to rehab or not to rehab used or existing apparatus will be answered.
This program is designed for anyone in the fire service that plays any part in fire apparatus purchasing, fire apparatus sales, fire apparatus manufacturing or fleet management and maintenance.
This presentation serves to educate present and future generations of firefighters and officers that are saddled with the awesome responsibility of purchasing new or used fire apparatus that must serve their jurisdictions for many years to come. A purchasing methodology will be presented that will reduce the cost of the apparatus and will reduce the time required to develop the right apparatus specification for your fire departments application.