Spec writing consultants

[Roto-Ray]

My suggestion:  Tom Shand and Mike Wilbur with [url=http://www.emergencyvehicleresponse.com/...tfile/home]Emergency Vehicle Response[/url].  In full disclosure, Tom is a friend, but you'll find few people in the industry that have the knowledge that Tom does.  Tom is also a member here at Firepics.

 

The use of a consultant is a great thing for those departments that don't purchase apparatus on a regular basis.  You'll want someone who knows all of the facets of design and construction, including weight distribution, wiring, pump selection, body options, dimensions, and the like.  Any consultant worth their weight has already faced these issues with previous customers (and while they were either employed in the industry or were on spec committees for their own departments) and can help you avoid pitfalls.  Furthermore, consultants will know the techniques used by the sales staff and can help your department focus on what's important.

 

I have served as a consultant to a couple of departments locally and have enjoyed the experience - it's nice to be able to help fire chiefs nearby ensure that they're getting the best value AND the best vehicle for the monies set aside by the taxpayers.

 

ETA:  I think my post might have come across as saying that a consultant is absolutely necessary for the specification and purchase of a new rig - obviously, it's not.  You can work with different manufacturer's reps to come up with a spec, but unless you specifically know how to interpret specs, there's a very real chance you'll publish a spec that only a single vendor can come close to complying with.  Many of us can pick up a set of specs and within 2 minutes know which manufacturer put the bid package together.  It's a cause of inflated prices and non-competitive bidding - not something that many municipal departments want to be faced with.