One of the first tasks at hand when designing your new engine or ladder is deciding how the vehicle will be used and what equipment it will carry. Remember: you don’t want to overload the vehicle with heavy equipment that will exceed the GVW.

Many apparatus manufacturers will help you design the cabinets based on the weight and types of the equipment carried. Check with NFPA 1901 for the required equipment for pumpers, 1902 for Initial Attack Apparatus, 1903 for Mobile Water Supply Apparatus and 1904 for Aerial Apparatus. There is a chart available from FEMA (Fire Equipment Manufacturers Association) that gives you the weight of each piece of equipment.

It is the purchaser’s responsibility to inform the manufacturer of all equipment that is to be mounted on the vehicle. The use of roll-out and tilt-down drawers and tool boards are now commonplace in designs. Use your space logically and logistically. Designing an oddly-shaped compartment to carry specialized equipment will also increase the cost of the apparatus in most cases.

Make sure if you carry SCBAs and various tools in the cab area that all are securely fastened to prevent injury, not only during a normal response, but also in the event of an accident.

Using common sense when designing a vehicle will go a long way toward ensuring that it is both functional and cost effective.