How To Reduce Workers Comp Injuries and Claims

Fire Equipment Storage: How To Choose a Storage System

May 18, 2021

Fire Equipment Storage: How To Choose a Storage System

When you’re managing a group of firefighters, it’s pivotal that you send them in with everything they need. Many lives and a lot of property can be at risk in any incident, and the equipment you carry can make the difference. However, ensuring you have the right equipment on your vehicles and having quick access to it are two different problems, especially considering the speed that firefighters need it. This is why it’s so important that you know how to choose and design a system for fire equipment storage.

Determine Equipment

The first thing that you should do is determine what equipment you will need on each vehicle. Without a thorough understanding of what your firefighters need, it’s impossible to plan correctly. This is a good time to talk with your crews, as they know best what they require and how often they use different things. Other than them, asking and communicating with your peers in neighboring municipalities will also give you good insight.

Plan Space For Equipment

Once you have a strong understanding of the equipment you will need to carry, plan out the vehicle’s storage space. The goal is to find areas in the truck or apparatus that can carry the equipment and allocate those spaces to it. You should also look for things you can improve in your vehicles to more efficiently store everything you need to bring. Things like aftermarket modifications, which help to add storage or organize space, are good places to start.

Organization

One of the major things that you need to do to help your personnel is organizing the area. Since you’ll be working with different crews and changing personnel, you’ll need to decide what your Standard Operating Procedures will be for how and when to use the equipment. Then, you’ll need to have all personnel follow your SOPs. This means every piece of equipment must have a designated place where it should belong. This way, everyone will know where things are, regardless of shift changes or personnel changes. It’s also important that someone regularly goes through the vehicles to check that all the equipment is there and properly stored.

Organize by Need and Frequency of Use

Arranging all your equipment according to its accessibility and practicality will allow you to get the most out of your organization system. The more useful an equipment piece or tool is, the easier it should be to find. If a piece of equipment that sees frequent use is not easily accessible, it will cause your team to waste time whenever someone goes to use it. For example, it’s beneficial to store frequently used tools closer to the entrances of the truck to lower the amount of time it takes to get to them.

Standardize Your Layout

Once you have a good layout that works for your needs, apply that system to every similar vehicle in your fleet. Having different layouts for similar vehicles performing similar functions can confuse people and waste time. So, you should make sure that everyone knows about your SOPs and your organization system and that every similar vehicle has the same arrangement.

Features and Things You Need

Every department will have unique needs, but there is some standard functionality that you should consider for each type of vehicle knowing it will be worth the additional upfront investment.

Mobile Work Areas

A mobile workspace is a great idea for a lot of different reasons. When you’re on the scene of an incident, you’ll need areas where you can review building designs, MSDS, and other critical information. Having a mobile workplace where you can set up operations can be invaluable.

Gear Lockers

Most stations have gear lockers. A gear locker area on an apparatus can be a good thing for turnouts or other gear. There are plenty of suppliers that provide proper storage for gear on a firetruck.

General Storage

One of the best ways to increase your apparatuses’ usefulness to the team is to maximize and optimize their storage. However, this isn’t as simple as throwing on a few extra storage boxes and calling it a day. To expand and improve the storage of a fire apparatus, you will need to keep these tips in mind.

Versatile Compartments

Adding extra storage through aftermarket modifications is a great plan for carrying equipment. One of the best ways to add this storage is to use compartments that can hold multiple things. Don’t get a compartment only capable of carrying one specific equipment type because the tools you use might change in the future. It’s best to plan for future growth as it’s likely that you will carry more or use different equipment over time.

Tool Storage

There are many storage tricks that you can apply to help efficiently store any tools you have on your vehicles. Utilizing mounting walls is a great place to start, as these items provide storage, organization, and easy tool access. Mounting tools and equipment on vertical walls will make it easy to find and access them.

Expanding Storage and Organization

There are other ways to expand and organize your vehicle storage as well. A good way to do so is to install things like heavy –duty drawer slides for trucks, which give you extra storage and allow you to use your limited space more efficiently. Investing in some truck organizers can save you a ton of room in the firetruck and even help prevent injuries when you’re loading and unloading equipment.

Knowing how to choose or design a storage system for fire equipment storage is an essential skill to have, as laid out here. The extra time a storage system can save is vital to firefighters. Consequently, you need to look for things that will save them the most time. Finding a system that you can customize to your needs is key, as there is no standard for what your firetruck might need. So, keep your options open and plan carefully with your team.

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Top Rules To Follow When Organizing Your Work Van

May 11, 2021

Top Rules To Follow When Organizing Your Work Van

Organizing your work vans is one of the best ways to increase efficiency. It is not uncommon for workers to lose hours every week dealing with a messy van. Finding the correct tools and loading materials can take much longer if your van is not orderly. In addition, the van might be carrying too much inventory, or the worker not realize they actually have what they need in the van, but make the costly and unnecessary trip back to the warehouse. To get that efficiency, you will need to organize your van. To help you achieve that goal, here are the top rules to follow when organizing your work van.

Work From the Bottom Up

It is best to start your organization from the beginning. Clear out your van and start fresh, then slowly find places for everything. It is best to start with placing heavy things lower to the floor. This will help prevent items from shifting. You should place lighter items on top or above these heavier items to allow better access to them.

Organize for Convenience

You don’t just want to organize your items according to where they will fit, but also to how often the item is necessary. The more you use an item or tool, the easier accessing it should be. You do not want your most common tools to be a hassle to grab every time, so make sure you organize with that concept in mind.

Utilize All Space

One thing that many work vans do not do well enough is utilize their space. They can have shelves and storage mounted on the walls of the van, but it usually leaves “dead space” in the middle. It is easy to fill your cargo area with tools and think you are full. However, there is usually plenty of space that is still usable in your cargo area. That is why you should invest in something like a industrial truck sliding trunk tray, or sliding cargo area tray, which can maximize your carrying capacity and help you utilize that dead space in between the van’s side walls more efficiently.

Use Some Modifications

One thing that can help your organization is the addition of aftermarket modifications. Just like the sliding tray, there are many other things that can help you organize your equipment. Installing tool hooks or adding extra storage can give you a lot more control over your van’s space. You can even add things that improve the overall quality of your van, such as extra lights.

These are the top rules to follow when organizing your work van. If you keep these in mind when reorganizing, your vans should be a lot easier to use, and your employees should be more productive.

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Ways To Improve Your Upfit Process

April 28, 2021

Ways To Improve Your Upfit Process

Upfitting your fleet vehicles is a very important process that signifies the advancement of your business. Moving toward a better and more efficient fleet is important to improving your business. That is why you should do everything you can to make sure the process goes well. When you are upfitting your fleet, there are certain things you can do and ways to improve your upfit process. Below are some suggestions to help you improve your upfitting process.

Involve the Workers

One of the best sources of any information is a first-hand account. That is what your workers will provide for you. There is no one else that can tell you what you need better than your employees. Only someone who works with the fleet on a consistent basis will be able to tell you what it lacks. That is why you need clear communication between yourself and your employees for the upfit to work.

Identify Equipment

One of the first steps you will need to accomplish is to identify everything your fleet needs to carry. This can differ drastically from business to business. Even within the same fleet, separate vehicles might carry different gear. You need to account for all of these factors in your upfit plan. That way, your vehicles will carry exactly what your employees need.

Identify Needs

Once you have identified the equipment that you will use in your fleet, you should search for other needs that must be met. This is one place where your worker’s involvement is so important, as they know what they need for the job better than anyone else. Perhaps better storage or tire modifications to help with driving are in order. Figure out what could improve the work area and mark it down for later consideration.

Identify Goals

After you have identified the needs and equipment of the fleet, you should organize everything into attainable goals. Do not simply create a vague “improvement plan.” Focus on what the workers say and what you notice yourself. The best way to set goals is to look at the task of the fleet and figure out what your fleet vehicles need in order to accomplish that specific task. For example, if your fleet vehicles need to carry 500 pounds of equipment, make achieving that weight a goal. If regular access to heavy equipment is needed, make sure your designs allow for that to happen.

Set a Plan

Now that you know what your fleet needs, you should take your time to plan the upfit process in greater detail. Do not rush it—take your time to find the correct solution to every problem and organize your area carefully. You want to hit everything you can with your plan; otherwise, you will have the same problems with the new fleet. That is why it is so important that you give yourself the time to tweak the plan. Below are some things you should keep in mind when making the plan.

Standardize the Fleet

One of the biggest things you can do to help your fleet is to standardize all the vehicles. This may not always be possible, as each vehicle may serve a different purpose. However, if you can, it is best to ensure all your vehicles are as similar to each other as possible. That way, there will not be any confusion if someone is using a different vehicle. This also makes it easy to adjust things or solve problems if everyone is working with the same tools.

Keep Efficiency in Mind

One of the major reasons that businesses get an upfit to their fleet is to improve efficiency. Try to address each aspect of the fleet vehicles to get the best improvements in performance. Don’t just focus on what the vehicles can carry, but also how they drive, how best to carry that load, and how often each piece of equipment is accessed by your work crews. Loading and unloading equipment wastes a lot of time.

Focus on Safety

It can be easy to invest in things that will improve efficiency. However, it is just as important to focus on the safety of the workers. All efficiency savings can be lost with one worker’s comp claim. Installing more storage can seem like an easy solution, but without enough room, workers can hurt themselves. This goes for a lot of the potential changes you can make. That is why you need to invest in things that will provide a boost to productivity and protect your workers. A good example of this is a large aluminum storage trunk that slides out, which provides a lot of extra storage space and organization. At the same time, it reduces worker injuries by providing better access to equipment and eliminates lifting heavy items from awkward angles.

Don’t Be Afraid To Invest

One of the most common things people do in their fleets is to try the cheaper options. It can be daunting to make such a large, upfront investment. However, investing good money into your fleet will help you save and make more money in the long run, especially if that equipment can be transferred to future vehicles. A good fleet upfit will help your workers accomplish more in a shorter period while reducing costly on-the-job injuries. This new speed will let you take on more work, earning you more money in the long run. View each improvement to your fleet as an investment in your future. By improving efficiency of the work truck storage system in their fleet, one company was able to add $19,000/year in revenues per truck without having to invest in additional equipment or personnel. The ROI for their upfit investment was only 3.4 months!

Plan Who Gets Upfitted First and Use Them To Train the Rest

There are always those in a fleet that are more open to change and like new technology and equipment. And there are those that are more resistant to change. Use your “first adopters” and upfit their vehicles first. Get honest feedback, then allow them to communicate to the rest of the team about how well the newly upfitted vehicles have helped them. This builds excitement within the team and can also help overcome any pushback from those that would typically fight change.

Stay in Contact

One of the last big things you can do is stay in contact with those you have working on the upfit. As the installation continues, you will want to stay up to date with all the changes. Even before the installation, contact the installers and come up with a detailed budget and plan. Make sure everyone knows what to do to ensure the process is as seamless as possible. This will prevent any mix-ups and will keep you informed about your fleet at all times.

If you keep these ideas and ways to improve your upfit process in mind, you should have little to no problems with the product. Your fleet should be able to handle your business’s needs and continue to grow without worry.

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What Is a Cargo Management System?

April 15, 2021

What Is a Cargo Management System?

It’s hard for any vehicle to compete with the storage space that a truck bed can provide. The sheer amount of space it gives—along with the open top—means you can carry just about anything, as long as it is within the weight limit. However, you might notice that it’s very difficult to keep items in the open truck bed safe and secure, and it is difficult to efficiently use all the space that a truck bed provides. Items will take up more room than they should and there will be plenty of wasted space between items. That is where understanding the answer to the question “What is a cargo management system?” can come in handy. It’s a storage system that helps to organize your truck space so you can maximize its potential.

Exterior

Cargo management systems usually come in two types. The first being an exterior system. Exterior cargo management systems are addons to your truck bed that add or change storage. Exterior systems usually sit above the rails of a truck bed or on the outside of the truck, adding new storage locations and giving you new areas to store items. This extra area is meant to help you carry more and give you room to better organize what you already have in your truck. These exterior modifications can provide utility as well, such as anchor points for locking down cargo. However, most of these options are for trucks only with very few exterior options for an SUV.

Interior

The second type of cargo management systems deals with the interior of the truck bed or SUV. Unlike exterior storage addons, this type of storage is more about organizing the space you already have. Bed dividers and lockable storage bins are great examples of this kind of modification. These storage types just maximize the usefulness of the space you already have. A truck storage organizer is the best kind of interior storage system, especially the custom ones. They provide great storage organization for your truck or SUV and can come with custom parts to fit your needs.

Now, to give you a simple answer to “What is a cargo management system?” Simply put, it’s a modification that helps improve and organize your truck’s storage by adding a variety of components. This can include things such as small lockboxes to large storage organizers.

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Key Elements of a Mobile Command Center

April 07, 2021

Key Elements of a Mobile Command Center

A mobile command center (MCC) is meant to serve as your main office on the road. You need to be sure that it is properly equipped and capable of handling all the tasks you need it to fulfill. Getting an MMC to this point is not an easy thing to do and often requires a lot of planning. The trick to getting a good MMC is to keep the key elements of a mobile command center in mind when getting your system or modifying it.

Communication

Every mobile command center needs constant communication with anyone deployed. You need to be able to stay on top of any problems that arise, and a good communication system is the best way to do this. Without a good system to communicate any issues or changes to people you have deployed, you will find it hard to coordinate and finish tasks. Getting a good communication system requires investment in gear and technology. However, this gear takes up space in your MCC. This means that you need an area that can handle such communication. If you will be in locations where cell coverage is limited, installing a satellite connection can be helpful in keeping a good connection and could be worth the investment. Consider getting a pneumatic mast to house all of your connections.

Power

Any good command center will require a lot more power than any regular vehicle. You will need to invest in a good power source to keep all of your tools and machines active. This includes any additional lighting and workers’ electrical needs. The most common way of providing power to a mobile command center is with an auxiliary battery that’s separate from the vehicle battery. Depending on the amount of power needed, a diesel generator can provide great and consistent power to your systems, but they do require a safe, insulated spot in which to be installed. Try to get a spot where the additional generator noise is reduced, or else you will hear it constantly.

Lighting

An MCC requires constant use no matter the weather or situation. It must be capable of handling dark areas while providing a useable workspace. To accomplish this, you will have to install good lighting to provide an area where people can work as they need. You should look for strong light sources that do not need constant replacing. LED lighting often fulfills this role and does not heat the command center’s interior. Be careful when you are looking into lighting for the outside of your MCC; some kinds of lighting are illegal in certain states, so make sure you are following all local laws on the kind of lighting your MCC can have. If you are using a slide-out MCC, make sure that all electrical cabling is installed through an energy chain system to protect it from getting cut while the unit is sliding in and out of the vehicle.

Storage

A mobile command center must be capable of handling a large amount of weight and items, all while fitting multiple people for extended periods of time. A command center is meant to handle all sorts of tasks and requires a lot of equipment to do that. It is key that you have the storage to carry everything you need. The best way to ensure this is with the use of storage modifications. Getting additional shelving added in is a good place to start, but the real way to add to storage is with modifications like custom truck storage boxes or roll out command centers with built-in storage. These additions will help you maximize your space usage and efficiency. They can even help with the organization of the whole area, which improves safety and productivity.

Workstations

Many command centers need an area dedicated to workstations. This is an area meant solely to provide a space for workers to do their jobs. Each workspace will be a bit different depending on your needs and industry. However, this is where your command center can shine. Getting a good work area will give your employees all the tools they need to accomplish their tasks. If there is room, having multiple areas is also a good call, as each area can be utilized by different people at the same time. For example, on a slide out unit you can have fold down tables on both sides and at the tailgate end. Do not be afraid to ask your workers about what needs to be in these areas. They know what is best for them and what tools they will need to get the job done.

Meeting Area

Just as every MCC has a need for communication systems, it also has a need for a central meeting area. This is a place to gather to discuss relevant issues and should also have access to all necessary information like MSDS and site plans, as well as your communication devices. It should include enough space to accommodate multiple people and be in a position to address everyone, if needed. Having a whiteboard with dry-erase markers is useful not only for incident planning purposes and sharing ideas, but a magnetic one can also be used to keep the badges of everyone on scene for employee tracking purposes. This area can also serve as a place to meet with anyone online and can function as an onsite “conference room”.

Air Conditioning

MCCs are constantly in use and they also have to function all year round and in all kinds of weather. That is why it is important to make sure that your MCC is able to handle these conditions and keep your employees safe. MMCs can be prone to overheating, and this can cause a host of problems for people in the vehicle. Making sure that the air conditioning is functional is key to keeping everyone happy. The same can be said for the winter months and the heating of the MCC. Keeping your MCC comfortable will keep those in it happy and productive.

Now, if you keep these key elements of a mobile command center at top of your mind when designing your MMC, you will be able to get exactly what you need, and you will turn your MCC into a vehicle that can handle all your operations.

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How To Transport Large Items in Your Pickup Truck

March 31, 2021

How To Transport Large Items in Your Pickup Truck

A pickup is the best personal vehicle for moving things—whether it’s small or large items, a pickup truck is a way to move it all in one go. However, moving large loads can be very dangerous and possibly damage the car or those driving it. That is why it is so important to know how to transport large items in your pickup truck. Try following this advice to get yourself what you need to be safe during these larger transports.

Ensure There Is Enough Room

The first thing you must do when moving any large load is ensure your pickup can handle it, both in size and weight. These large loads place a lot of strain on a pickup truck, and you do not want to have it fail halfway through the trip. You need to know the weight of whatever you are carrying before you load it on your truck. After you know the weight of the load, make sure it is not greater than what your truck can carry. Go with the recommended load numbers that you find in the manual.

The size of the load also matters; you need to be able to fit the whole thing into the cargo bed. Dangling or overflowing loads can fall off and cause damage. It can be beneficial to get a truck bed sliding tray, as they extend the back of your truck to accommodate larger loads and make it easier to load and unload your pickup bed. The sliding trays from M&M Extendobed can extend to over 110% of your current bed length, pas the taillights, and can handle heavy loads—even if they aren’t evenly distributed.

Lock It In

Once you determine that you can handle the large load, you need to make sure you can carry it safely. The best way to do this is to strap it down tightly. You will need to get some ratchet straps and some cargo nets to fully lock it in. The ratchet straps will hold down objects to the bed of your truck. Make sure you attach two ratchet straps in separate places per object you need to hold down. This will keep it from shifting during transport. A cargo net is also great for keeping everything tied down and catching anything that moves. However, a cargo net is not made to hold down larger loads—only ratchet straps will do that.

Now that you know the basics of how to transport large items in your pickup truck safely, we have a few more tips to share. Do not try to move a large load by yourself; it can be very dangerous to do so. Also, when you have finished the trip, do not stand in the way of any large items when you check on the truck bed. Make sure you are out of the way of any potential falling items or loads.

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How To Improve Efficiency of Service Technicians

March 12, 2021

How To Improve Efficiency of Service Technicians

Improving the productivity of a service technician is not an easy task. It requires detailed knowledge and an understanding of your workers to know how to improve the efficiency of service technicians. However, there are several areas you can look into and improve to help your technicians.

Prioritize Workers

The best way to improve productivity is to focus on your technicians. Often, the main problem stopping a good technician from working efficiently is not their own performance but a lack of the necessary resources and tools. Invest in things such as training courses to help your workers learn more about their trade. There are many things you can do to support your workers on the job as well. For instance, you can standardize an organization method for the technicians to help them navigate their workspace. One of the best organization methods available in this industry is vehicle slide out trays. Not only can they decrease the time it takes to unload and load materials, but they also help prevent injuries by providing easy access to the vehicle.

Improve Workload

A great plan is to focus on improving workload management. Making sure every worker has enough to fill their plate is key. You do not want to have a technician wasting time on tasks when they don’t apply their skills. It is very important that you process each service quickly to not slow down your workers. Along with this comes the necessity to make sure you are handling all your restock and other procedures smoothly. If you can accomplish these steps, you will know that you are not slowing down your technicians.

These are some of the broad things you should do to improve productivity. But knowing how to improve the efficiency of service technicians is only part of the battle. Implementing these steps will be an investment. However, the improvements to your productivity and your workers’ safety will quickly make up for any investment.

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Tips for Designing Optimal Storage for Fire Apparatus Equipment

March 03, 2021

Tips for Designing Optimal Storage for Fire Apparatus Equipment

More so than most, fire departments must have clear storage organization along with efficient and easy access to all their gear when responding to a situation. Carrying around heavy equipment and essential gear isn’t an easy task to do, especially in quick and tense situations. Achieving this goal of efficiency is not an easy task as each department has different needs to address and tools to carry. However, there are some tips for designing optimal storage for fire apparatus equipment that can help any department.

Planning

Before you can do any planning for your trucks you have to first know what you plan to bring. Do an in-depth inventory check and figure out what you need. Clearing out the truck and taking accurate measurements along with a good inventory is key to planning your storage. Once you know what you’re bringing, it’s time to plan out exactly where you’re putting everything. Remember one of the basic rules of storage: heavy things go on the bottom, securing objects to prevent movement when driving. Also, the most used items need to be quickly available. During this process you may discover you need more room, or you have space you can’t use. A way to better utilize this space is through the use of aftermarket modifications.

Modifications

There are many useful modifications you could add to a truck, from better wheels to additional storage. If you’re looking to increase your ability to carry equipment and gear, the best way is by using pull out truck bed storage. While you can get some premade and standardized, getting a custom one from us at Extendobed will serve you better. By getting a custom bed storage you can increase your storage by up to 200 percent more than premade organizers. Our custom organizers reduce injury risk and give full access to equipment due to our unique over-110% extension feature which brings the slide out past the taillights for full access or for mounting drawers, SCBA slide-out walls or sliding equipment trays at the back end of the custom pull out bed storage slide. .

One last tip for designing optimal storage for fire apparatus equipment is to plan for more than you currently have. You’ll likely need this extra room for additional gear or equipment that you get in the future. Having a bit of extra space to work with is always better than being short on room.

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Increasing Your Storage Capacity and Accessibility of a Work Van

February 18, 2021

Increasing Your Storage Capacity and Accessibility of a Work Van

Increasing the storage capacity and accessibility of your work van is not an obvious task, but there are clear steps you can take to start improving your vehicle. The name of the game is to plan and organize the layout of all the equipment and things you will need to carry. Installing what you need to carry everything properly while also keep your items secure for transport.

Storage

When it comes to organizing your work van, the best place to start is to figure out a better storage system. This means you should develop a system to store all your equipment and whatever else you need to bring in your vehicle. A great way to improve your storage is to install some shelving, a vehicle trunk organizer or even a slide out storage system in your van. These organizers not only increase your storage but also provide storage room for many different forms of equipment that you previously stored on the floor of the vehicle. These organizers keep worker injuries down as they provide better and safer access to equipment. You might also want to install smaller additions such as tool hooks or horizontal poles that can hold specific tools and cords for easy access.

Organization

Now, there are some practices you can put in place that will also greatly increase your storage efficiency. One thing to remember is to always store things with the heaviest items on the bottom and the lightest on top. This will keep everything more balanced during transport and will limit shifting. It is also advisable to keep anything you use frequently closer to the doors to make it easier to access. The last big step you can take is to clean everything daily. Wrappers and mud can quickly clutter up your van and make it harder to work. Cleaning a little bit every day can stop messes from accumulating and keep everything tidy for work.

By taking these steps, you will see that you are increasing the storage capacity and accessibility of your work van. Your productivity and efficiency will especially increase if you use an organizer for the van. Messes and poor organization won’t hold you and your workers back anymore.

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