Pump Service Test Laws?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jim Johannessen on June 23, 2011 at 10:55am

I do not believe that there is any state in the union that requires personnel performing in-service pump testing to be certified or licensed.  In the upcoming edition of NFPA 1911, The Standard for Inspection, Maintenance, Testing and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus the requirements for personnel conducting in-service pump test and annual aerial test have been updated.  Following is the proposed and accepted wording by the NFPA 1911 Committee for the upcoming edition which will take effect in 2012.

4.3.1 Inspections, maintenance, and testing on fire apparatus shall be performed by qualified personnel as required by 4.3.1.1, and 4.3.1.2. or 4.3.1.3.

4.3.1.1* Any person performing diagnostic checks, inspections, testing, or maintenance of the fire apparatus shall meet the qualifications of NFPA 1071,

4.3.1.2* The AHJ shall determine who is qualified to perform the daily/weekly inspection and the operational checks of fire apparatus.

4.3.1.3 Pump tests and annual aerial tests shall be performed by personnel that are qualified in accordance with NFPA 1071 or by an organization that is accredited for inspection and testing systems on fire apparatus in accordance with ISO/IEC 17020. The committee wanted to make sure qualified personnel were doing testing. Some of those qualifications could be met by third party organizations.

 

Personally, I think in many cases, a fire department hires a testing company to perform the annual pump test or aerial test and assumes because a company is in the business of testing fire apparatus that they are performing test to the current standard and meet all the requirements for personnel. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It is the Fire Departments responsibility to verify that the testing personnel meet the requirements spelled out in the current NFPA 1911 Standard. One important thing to remember is that NFPA 1911 is not a menu – testing personnel, be it qualified FD personnel or testing organization personnel, they cannot pick and choose what test need to be done.  All required tests need to be performed annually as the Standard requires.  Likewise if a personnel qualification is specified it must be met or the tests were not completed in accordance with the NFPA 1911 Standard.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bob Franklin on June 24, 2011 at 12:22am

Jim, thanks for the reply. I have been testing pumps since 1979 and have followed the NFPA guides to the letter. I carry a current copy with me when questions arise as to why I tested a pump this way or that. Our problem is that these people are not using NFPA guides, nor are they using standard fire appliances for the testing. One guy has a series of 2-1/2 pipes welded onto the back of his pick-up truck with hose couplings brazed to the pipes. He then test for 5 minutes at full throttle and say it has passed. IF it does not pass(which some donot) his cousin
 has a garage where the repairs can be done at a high cost ! Again Jim thanks for your reply. BOB
Jim Johannessen said:

I do not believe that there is any state in the union that requires personnel performing in-service pump testing to be certified or licensed.  In the upcoming edition of NFPA 1911, The Standard for Inspection, Maintenance, Testing and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus the requirements for personnel conducting in-service pump test and annual aerial test have been updated.  Following is the proposed and accepted wording by the NFPA 1911 Committee for the upcoming edition which will take effect in 2012.

4.3.1 Inspections, maintenance, and testing on fire apparatus shall be performed by qualified personnel as required by 4.3.1.1, and 4.3.1.2. or 4.3.1.3.

4.3.1.1* Any person performing diagnostic checks, inspections, testing, or maintenance of the fire apparatus shall meet the qualifications of NFPA 1071,

4.3.1.2* The AHJ shall determine who is qualified to perform the daily/weekly inspection and the operational checks of fire apparatus.

4.3.1.3 Pump tests and annual aerial tests shall be performed by personnel that are qualified in accordance with NFPA 1071 or by an organization that is accredited for inspection and testing systems on fire apparatus in accordance with ISO/IEC 17020. The committee wanted to make sure qualified personnel were doing testing. Some of those qualifications could be met by third party organizations.

 

Personally, I think in many cases, a fire department hires a testing company to perform the annual pump test or aerial test and assumes because a company is in the business of testing fire apparatus that they are performing test to the current standard and meet all the requirements for personnel. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It is the Fire Departments responsibility to verify that the testing personnel meet the requirements spelled out in the current NFPA 1911 Standard. One important thing to remember is that NFPA 1911 is not a menu – testing personnel, be it qualified FD personnel or testing organization personnel, they cannot pick and choose what test need to be done.  All required tests need to be performed annually as the Standard requires.  Likewise if a personnel qualification is specified it must be met or the tests were not completed in accordance with the NFPA 1911 Standard.

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion