Fire Department Vehicle Maintenance Process

Define Phase

What is the Problem?

Problem Statement The city's fleet maintenance program for the Fire Dept.

apparatus lacks efficiency and results in increased cost and downtime. This results in a burden to the department by keeping our vehicle's out of service for a longer period of time.

Process Boundaries Process begins with the notification to Fleet for the need

of maintenance/repair, scheduled or unscheduled. The process ends once the notification of maintenance/repair is complete.

Goal Statement The goal is to reduce cost by 10% and downtime for

maintenance/repair of Fire Dept. apparatus by 25%

Team Members Chad Lindquist, Fire Dept. Operations Chief

Marianna Hutchinson, Fire Dept. Fiscal Analyst

Greg Sutton, Fire Dept. EMS/Training Chief

Chris Threlkeld, Fire Dept. Battalion Chief

Frank Canada, Fire Dept. Logistics Coordinator

Melissa Beamon, Fleet Coordinator

Rodney Wheeler, Fleet Manager

Voice of Customer Voice of Customer Key Customer Issues Critical Customer

Requirements

Budgetary impacts of current process

Unable to determine individual apparatus costs with current process

Provide individual apparatus maintenance expenses on a monthly/quarterly/annual basis

Repairs performed per NFPA guidelines

Safety, NFPA compliance EVT oversight of Fire Apparatus Maintenance

Extended out of service times

Reduced emergency response resources available

Reduce out of service periods

Measure Phase

What is our current process?

Current Process Chart

Analyze Phase

What is the frequency of our units being out of service?

16.71%

25.21%

1.92%

25.48%

14.79%

Percentage of Time Apparatus has been Out of Service for 2013

E10 E11 E12 R13 T13

12.6%

21.10%

27.67%

4.11%

16.44%

Percentage of Time Apparatus has been Out of Service for 2014

E10 E11 E12 R13 T13

13.42%

10.68%

8.77%

7.12%

14.52%

Percentage of Time Apparatus has been Out of Service for 2012

E10 E11 E12 R13 T13

Out of service

53 days

Out of service

101 days

Out of service

93 days

Improve Phase

How do we fix the process?

Utilizing the DMAIC Process

Streamlined the process Eliminated redundancy

Established maintenance intervals

Improve communication

Reduce costs

Frequency change

New Process Chart

400 hrs. vs. 200 hrs.

Control Phase

What is the expected outcome? Diagnose in a timely manner

Repair completed by a certified EVT

Force Field Analysis

Restraining Driving

Accountability Saving money

Resistance to Change Reduce out of service days

“Why change? We’ve always done it that way?”

Reduce man hours involved in process

Future State Pilot

Prior notification to ensure that fluids/filters are on hand

Coordinate through Fleet for authorization to deliver vehicles to vendor

Fleet confirms funding available through BPO

Punch list delivered to Ten-8 for B-Service

Benefits Cost savings over $9,000 as a result

of a change in our scheduled maintenance interval

(400 hrs.vs 200 hrs.) Comprehensive maintenance being

performed by certified EVT’s Fleet longevity

Lessons Learned

There’s always room for improvement! Flow Charts work!! Communication is key!!!