Apparatus Purchasing: a Series of Choices, Compromises, and Trade-Offs

摘要

Anyone who has attended one of my apparatus purchasing classes or read one of my articles dealing with purchasing knows that I always point out that apparatus purchasing involves many choices, compromises, and trade-offs. For instance, when you specify a large water tank on a pumper, it generally involves raising the hosebed. In this article, I will first identify the many areas in the general requirements (boilerplate) where your choices and decisions might impact the project. Then I will move on to the choices available when writing apparatus specifications using National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, chapters as a guide. Hopefully by the end of the article, you will have a much better understanding of the complex process you are undertaking.