You just don’t think about some things until they break. A toothache can change your schedule quickly and a blown fuse can set you back, but if a fire truck or ambulance doesn’t start, a bad situation gets worse in a hurry.
Last year at a conference, I heard Illinois Mutual Aid Box Alarm System President Jay Reardon, chief of the Northbrook (Ill.) Fire Department, offer “41 Things to Do During a Mutual Aid Deployment,” based on the Illinois response to the call for assistance following Hurricane Katrina. MABAS mobilized and deployed 950 firefighters and 200 vehicles over a six-week period at a cost of $10 million dollars.
One of the top-five items that Reardon included in his 41 points was the importance of including four mechanics and a fuel truck. “We would never have moved if we didn’t have the mechanics,” he said.
FIRE CHIEF has believed that mechanics — emergency vehicle technicians — play a critical role in the fire service ever since introducing In Service 14 years ago. “Nothing happens if the rigs don’t roll,” was a repeated saying of my brother Don, the former bureau chief of maintenance for our local department.
And that’s why we are particularly honored to be asked by the International Association of Fire Chiefs Apparatus Maintenance Section to partner with them once again for the Emergency Vehicle Technician of the Year Award.
In 2003, Jim Hydas, an EVT and independent shop owner, received an Award of Recognition for his longtime commitment to fire apparatus maintenance and the Apparatus Maintenance Section. The following year criteria and nominations were formalized and the 2004 Emergency Vehicle Technician of the Year Award was presented to Fire Mechanic Rob Hussey of Fort Mojave Mesa (Ariz.) Fire Department. The 2005 EVT of the Year was Robert Heraver of the Gurnee (Ill.) Fire Department. Heraver was selected for his commitment to the safety of his department’s fleet and the time he invested in the EVT certification and continuing education.
We are pleased to announced that nominations for the 2007 EVT of the Year are open. The deadline to submit a nomination is July 2.
With the upcoming Stand Down for Safety, consider thanking your vehicle technician for keeping your rigs safe. And if there are problems with your department’s vehicles, bring it up as part of the Stand Down for Safety.
Thanks to those who work in the shops and apparatus bays to help our firefighters and EMS personnel respond and return safely!
