What this checklist is for
For a fire truck, pumper, or other such vehicle this form is used to document the shift or day's walk. The form can be filled out in the fields of the screen and downloaded as a CSV or PDF file. Use a blank copy if the crew prefers paper.
The form is broken into sections including the Unit, Apparatus Type, Date, and Shift. Then there are sections that include: Cab & Chassis, Warning Lights and Siren, Pump and Water (if equipped), Hose, Ladders, SCBA, and Generator (if equipped).
Following is a summary of the 2017 edition put together by FAMA and the daily/weekly checks from NFPA 1911 materials. This is not meant to be used as a diagnosis for a shop; it is a ready-for-duty check list. “NFPA 1910 supersedes NFPA 1911 for in-service inspection and NFPA 1900 supersedes NFPA 1901 for the design of new apparatus,” says fama tc005.
Verify current chapter numbers with your local AHJ. The full standards are paywalled. However, this template was created using language and frequency from these linked pages.
What it is not
- It is not a commercial motor vehicle pre-trip or a 49 CFR driver vehicle inspection report. If the chassis is also a CMV, complete the fleet CMV form separately. The related walk is the published pre-trip inspection checklist.
- It is not an annual pump service test, an aerial certification, a ground-ladder structural test, or an EVT diagnostic. Pierce treats those as scheduled shop tests, not the daily walk. This form does not assign pump pressures or ladder-test intervals.
- It is not the department out-of-service SOP. NFPA materials and USFA FA-336 say the AHJ must list conditions that park the apparatus. Record the defect here, then follow that SOP.
- It is not a full SCBA program record. OSHA 1910.134(h)(3) still requires before-use checks, a monthly SCBA inspection, and cylinders kept at or above 90 percent of the manufacturer recommended pressure.
How to fill each block
Career crews are instructed to do a minimum inspection prior to every tour of duty (usfa fa-336). For volunteer agencies it can be on a weekly or monthly basis. Driver level items include batteries, brakes, coolant, fuel, tires and pump. These items is listed in NFPA 1002 (usfa fa-248). They have similar requirements to the Washington State Patrol skill sheets, which include a separate pump check and a daily documented walk.
First enter unit, date, shift, and apparatus type. Then add station, operator, officer, miles, hours, and tank levels to identify exactly which truck on one tour. Note the type of check, weekly, after a run, or start of shift.
According to NFPA 1911 text, this should of been done within 24 hours of a run, or weekly if the unit did not run. FAMA explains why the checks need to be thorough, not just glanced over. Mark the rows N/A if there are no generator or foam tank on the truck. Make sure the OEM operator manual is on the rig. According to fama tc005, the manual can be a download link, on-board display or even paper for newer apparatus.
Before climbing in, walk around the body and the bay floor. According to the OEM manual check coolant, oil, transmission, and power-steering fluid. Inspect the compartment doors, steps, wipers, and glass. Check the seat belts and fuel tank mounting. Inspect the steering, springs, wheels, and tires. Check the brakes, battery, and belts.
Read the cab gauges while starting the engine. According to usfa fa-336, you should park the vehicle if the wipers don't work, there are no seat belts, the brakes are bad, or the tires are poor. Don't make up air-leak or tread numbers on this sheet. If the chassis is a commercial motor vehicle, use the OEM plate, a separate pre-trip form, and the AHJ SOP.
Scene lights, horns, siren, brakes and backup lamps, hazard, turn signals, DOT lamps, and headlights operate. These are all operational checks listed under NFPA 1911 Chapter 7. If your siren doesn’t work it’s an out of service issue. Is a required warning device dead? Mark Defect and go to the AHJ.
Check the tank for level and leaks.
Check the foam quantity.
Pump Mounts, Intakes, and Discharges: Check all three.
Primer: Is it working?
Panel Gauges: Are they operational?
Relief valves work correctly.
Valves and Reels: All are secured to hoses.
Drains are open and clear.
Cooler Valves: Functioning properly.
Tank indicators are readable and correct.
The weekly readiness pass (Washington) includes engaging the pump, operating the primer with valves closed, operating the pressure-control device, and chocking. Enter “Performed AHJ Pump Check.” If it’s written as pass/fail psi/vacuum, don’t put down a number unless printed in the department SOP or on the OEM plate. On a straight engine, quint or aerial rows remains N/A. This isn’t an annual pump test.
Check hose-bed load and covers, preconnects, supply hose and appliances, ground ladders and racks, SCBA seats, each pack, and spare cylinders. Respirators (OSHA 1910.134): A complete respirator must have a function check before every use. This check must include all components: connections, valves, straps, and facepiece. Cylinders must be inspected and recharged at least monthly if the pressure drops below 90 percent of the manufacturer’s recommended level. Don’t rely on a number from a different brand, use the rating on the bottle. Tools, radios and extinguishers ride on the same truck.
What varies
Check lights, cord reels and outlets; read gauges; and engage the generator (if equipped) according to OEM instructions. Note: If the truck lacks an onboard power source, mark it as N/A. According to NFPA 1911, when a generator is out-of-service, the engagement device must be disabled to prevent anyone from running a dead system.
Fill out the notes box with all defects. Select the action: Out of Service; Chassis Only; Safe for Operation Under an AHJ Exception; Repaired Prior to Dispatch; Ready. Both Operator and officer sign. Record is Kept. NFPA 1911 calls for a defect-reporting procedure. It also requires a method for removing the apparatus from operation if it develops an out-of-service condition. Finally, it requires a kept check sheet.
The second split is when to do it: career vs volunteer timing. Career ops are expected to complete a tour-of-duty per usfa fa-336; volunteers have a monthly or weekly interval, whichever is in their written SOP. The NFPA materials still advocate within 24 hours after a run. Follow the stricter rule between the NFPA edition your department has adopted and the OEM/AHJ.
Quint, tanker, pumper, Which rows do you check? Pump engage rows are marked N/A on tankers. The water tank is checked if it’s a tanker but not a fire pump (pump-engage rows N/A). Quints adds aerial rows to the form. There is no complete aerial operational test on this form. Annual aerial tests follow fama tc005. These tests go into the test lab/shop operators’ manual instead of on a shift sheet.
There are different CDL laws from state to state. Some states have an exception for emergency vehicles, while others do not. This form does not cover that CDL issue. If it is a CMV in your state then add this apparatus walk to the CMV pre-trip form as well.
Procedures differ among SCBA brands. OSHA sets the 90 percent recharge trigger against the manufacturer recommended pressure. Department SCBA SOPs should include the check sequence for Scott, MSA, and other OEM brands. This sheet simply asks if the pack has been checked to this SOP. It does not pull manufacturer manuals from websites like Rosenbauer or E-One.
After you finish
Use the book that came with your truck for pump or foam, primer oil, fluid types, and generator pre-start.
If you want a copy of the shop or station file download a filled-in PDF or CSV. If you want a blank one to have on the clipboard, download that. Answers stay in this browser tab only. When someone else visits it, they get an empty form. No email gets sent anywhere, not to your records system, not to BenchTab, and certainly not to the OEM.
Provide the officer with the defect list and, when necessary, the emergency vehicle technician. According to USFA FA-248, qualified mechanics perform repairs and drivers performs maintenance checks. Don’t send out a truck that’s out of service according to your SOP.
Follow the authority having jurisdiction rule regarding the operation of the chassis with one or more systems inoperable (i.e., if it’s just the generator or pump). Document the sheet as the department documents its paper or electronic checks. Warranty and ISO review will be looking for evidence that you’re doing what you say you do on the daily and weekly walks.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
This is a record keeping template. This is not legal advice. This is not a substitute for the technician inspection, department SOP, OEM procedure or NFPA compliance certificate. Don't make up aerial test intervals, tire replacement years, primer vacuum limits or pump pressures. If a number is not on a page you can open, leave the row as OK, Defect, or N/A and write what you saw. Write what you see.