Vehicle Inspection, Maintenance, and Apparatus Readiness
Vehicle Inspection, Maintenance, and Apparatus Readiness
NFPA 1002 expects the driver/operator to inspect, document, and correct deficiencies, with NFPA 1911 as the inspection and maintenance reference. On a tractor-drawn aerial the trailer is half the vehicle - and the half most often neglected in a quick walk-around.
Core rules
- Inspect at the start of each shift and after any event that could have caused damage; use the department checklist and record what you found.
- Trailer items: tires (inflation, tread, sidewall cuts, exposed cord, dual spacing, valve caps), wheels and lug nuts (cracks, rust streaks, loose fasteners), air lines and glad hands, electrical cord and lamps, landing gear stowed with the crank secured, fifth-wheel jaws and safety latch, turntable locks, outrigger pads on the rig.
- Tractor items: fluids, belts, battery, brakes, steering, wipers, lights, siren, horn, mirrors, fuel level.
- Air brake checks: static leak test, low-pressure warning must activate before pressure falls to 60 psi, and spring brakes must apply automatically at low pressure.
- Aerial-specific: hydraulic oil level and leaks, PTO engagement, control console condition, emergency lowering instructions present and legible.
- Deficiencies are documented and reported; safety defects place the apparatus out of service.
Worked example
On the walk-around you find a 1-in. sidewall cut on an inner dual of the trailer with cord visible. Reasoning: exposed cord cannot be repaired and the tire can fail under the trailer's share of the load on a grade or at highway speed. The apparatus is tagged out of service, the officer is notified, and the tire is replaced before response - not after.
Traps that cost marks
Inspecting only the tractor; skipping the fifth-wheel jaw and latch; trusting the dash gauge instead of a hand gauge; failing to document a defect, which leaves the next crew with the same problem.