Rescue tools are a safety purchase. The wrong spreader or cutter does not show up as a bad invoice. It shows up at a vehicle extrication. So the requirement has to be exact, and the quote has to prove it meets the requirement.
This guide is for fire chiefs, safety officers, equipment officers and contracting staff at a fire department or a federal fire service who are writing a requirement for hydraulic or battery rescue tools. It goes one level deeper than the rescue tool example in our guide to writing salient characteristics. It uses no brand names. Rated figures differ by manufacturer and model, so the numbers in your requirement are yours to set from your mission and your market research.
Read this first. This article is general information. It is not a substitute for your department's safety officer, and it is not the standard. NFPA standards are revised on a cycle, so confirm the current edition and its exact title on the NFPA 1936 page at nfpa.org before you cite it in a solicitation.
What NFPA 1936 covers
NFPA 1936 is the National Fire Protection Association standard for rescue tools. The 2020 edition is titled Standard on Rescue Tools. Earlier editions were titled Standard on Powered Rescue Tools, and the 2020 title change reflects that the standard is no longer limited to powered tools. NFPA revises its standards on a regular cycle, so check the current edition and title at nfpa.org before you write it into a requirement.
From published descriptions of the standard, it sets minimum requirements for the design, performance, testing and certification of rescue tools and their components. The tool types it addresses are:
- Spreaders
- Rams
- Cutters
- Combination tools (spread and cut in one tool)
- Power units and the hose or cable that connect a power unit to a tool, for systems that use them
- Lifting bags, in the 2020 edition's scope as published
That list is why a requirement should name the tool type on its own line. A spreader, a cutter and a combination tool are three different products with three different sets of figures.
What the standard does not do is decide which tool your crews need. It sets a floor for how a tool is built, tested and labeled. It does not tell you how much spreading force your vehicle fleet calls for, which cutter category your mission requires, or whether you want battery or hose. Those decisions are the department's.
Third-party certification: what to ask for
Under NFPA 1936, a tool is certified when an independent organization verifies that it meets the standard, and the manufacturer then applies a compliance label. The conformance verification is done by an accredited third-party product conformance verification organization, and it continues through the manufacturer's quality assurance program and follow-up inspections.
For a buyer, three things follow.
- Require certification to the named standard and edition. Not "meets NFPA" and not "built to NFPA." Certified, by an accredited third party, to the standard and edition you name.
- Require proof for the exact model. A certification for one tool in a product family does not carry to the others. Ask for the certificate, listing or conformance documentation that names the model you are being quoted.
- Check the edition. Editions are certified separately and manufacturers update their product lines over time. A tool certified to the previous edition may still be on a distributor's shelf. If your requirement names an edition, a tool certified to another edition does not meet it. If you will accept either, say so.
If you want a product that carries the compliance label on the tool itself, say so in the requirement. The label is something you can check on delivery.
Rated performance figures: how to read a datasheet
The figures in a rescue tool quote come from the manufacturer's published specifications. They are the manufacturer's stated ratings for a given model, not figures Lunula or a distributor measures. Your requirement should set a minimum for each figure that matters, with a unit, and your evaluation should compare the datasheets for the exact models quoted.
| Tool | Figures to set | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spreader | Spreading force at the tips (pounds-force), maximum opening (inches), closing force if you need it | Force varies along the arms, so say where it is measured: at the tips, as the datasheet states |
| Cutter | Cutting performance by category as published under the standard, maximum blade opening (inches) | The standard rates cutters by their ability to cut specified test materials. Ask for the rating by category, not a single "cuts steel" claim |
| Combination tool | Spreading and cutting figures, each stated separately | Check that both functions meet the minimums you set, not just the average |
| Ram | Extension (inches), pushing force (pounds-force), closed length | Matters for the vehicle positions your crews actually work |
| All tools | Weight with battery or ready to use (pounds), operating temperature range | Weight matters because crews carry the tool, often one handed |
Two cautions on figures.
Compare like with like. One manufacturer's "rated force" may be stated at a different point or under different conditions than another's. When two datasheets look far apart, ask what the number is measuring before you decide one tool is stronger.
Leave the cutting claim to the standard. Do not write "must cut high-strength steel" without more. Name the cutter categories the standard defines, and state the minimum rating you require in each. We did not reproduce the category definitions here because they sit in the standard itself. Your safety officer should read them from the current edition and set the minimums.
Battery or hydraulic hose: the trade-offs
Rescue tool systems come in two broad architectures. Each has a different list of things to specify.
Battery powered tools carry the power source on the tool.
- No hose to deploy, and fewer parts to connect at the scene.
- Run time depends on the battery, so the requirement should state how many batteries and chargers come with each tool, and what the charger input needs.
- Batteries age and need replacement. Ask for the battery warranty and the replacement lead time.
- Cold weather affects battery performance, so the operating temperature range matters.
- Charging needs a power source on the apparatus or at the station. Account for it.
Hydraulic hose systems use a power unit connected to the tool by hose.
- Tool weight is often lower at the working end, since the power unit stays on the ground.
- The power unit and the hose are part of the system. Specify hose length, the coupler type, the power unit's fuel or power source, and how many tools a unit can run.
- Hose handling takes training and storage space.
- Fluid, hoses and couplers are wear items. Ask for the service interval.
Neither is better in general. The right answer depends on your call mix, your apparatus, your training and your maintenance capacity. If you run a mixed fleet, spell out whether new tools must work with existing power units or batteries. That compatibility requirement is the one that most often trips a quote. A tool that is a fine product but does not connect to what you own is a nonconforming offer.
Training, service and warranty
A rescue tool is a system, not a box. The requirement should cover the parts of the purchase that follow delivery.
- Training. State whether you require on-site instruction at delivery, how many personnel and how long. If you require none, say so, so suppliers do not guess.
- Operator and service manuals. Require printed or digital manuals with each tool, and the maintenance schedule from the manufacturer.
- Warranty. Set a minimum term in years and say what it covers: tool, battery, power unit, hose. Terms often differ by component, so list them separately.
- Service. Ask where warranty and repair service is performed, who performs it, and how long a typical repair takes. If you cannot lose a tool for weeks, ask for the manufacturer's loaner policy.
- Parts. Ask how long the manufacturer commits to supplying parts and batteries for the model.
- Required accessories. List each as its own line: case, tips, chains, spare batteries, charger, hose.
What to put in the requirement
A usable requirement for a rescue tool line reads like a short list of facts with numbers.
- The tool type, on its own line, for each type you want.
- The standard by name and edition, and the requirement for third-party certification to it.
- A minimum value, with a unit, for each performance figure that matters to your mission.
- The power architecture: battery or hose, and any compatibility requirement with equipment you own.
- Weight limit with battery or ready to use, and the operating temperature range.
- Included batteries, chargers, hose, case and accessories, each as its own line.
- Training, warranty term by component, and service location.
- Quantity per line, delivery address and delivery contact, and whether partial shipment is allowed at the line level.
If you are using a brand name or equal description, it must list the key characteristics an equal has to meet, as FAR 11.104 provides. See our guide on how a supplier builds a brand name or equal offer. The list above is that list.
For the policy on describing agency needs, including stating requirements in terms of function, performance or essential physical characteristics, see FAR 11.002.
What documents to require with the quote
Ask for these with the quote, not after award. They are what let you compare offers.
- The manufacturer's datasheet for each exact model offered.
- The NFPA 1936 certification or conformance documentation for each exact model, naming the edition.
- The manufacturer's warranty statement, by component.
- A statement of country of origin for each line.
- The manufacturer's authorization letter, if your requirement calls for an authorized source. See what a letter of authorization is and why a reseller needs one.
- A list of what ships in the box: batteries, chargers, hose, case, accessories.
- Training and service terms as offered.
- Lead time stated as a date or a number of days after award.
For the rest of what a complete quote contains, see what a complete supply quote includes.
Before you publish: a check for the safety officer
- Is the standard cited by its exact current title and edition, as shown on nfpa.org?
- Does each tool type have its own line and its own minimums?
- Does every figure have a unit and a stated measuring point?
- Is the power architecture and any compatibility requirement written down?
- Did you compare the datasheets of at least three manufacturers' tools against your list, so that more than one product can meet it?
- Are the proof documents named?
- Did your safety officer read the current edition and approve the cutter and spreader minimums?
How Lunula Supply handles it
We are a supplier and reseller, and we work from your requirement as written. On a rescue tool line that means:
- We get the manufacturer's letter of authorization before we quote a brand-name or authorized-source requirement, and we do not quote without it.
- We verify that the exact item is available before anything ships, and we ask before any substitution.
- We send the certification documents, country of origin and representations with the quote.
- We label the sourcing channel on every line, and we try for bulk or distributor pricing first.
- We keep a running order report for the award, with partials, backorders and tracking, and one contact stays with you through the warranty.
If you are writing a rescue tool requirement and want to see how a supplier will read it, contact us or see what we supply.
Frequently asked questions
Does NFPA 1936 certification mean a tool is the right tool for my department?
No. Certification means an independent organization verified that the tool meets the standard's minimum requirements for design, performance and testing. Which spreading force, cutter category and power architecture your crews need is a decision for your department and its safety officer.
Which edition of NFPA 1936 should the requirement name?
Name the current edition as shown on the NFPA page for the standard, and say whether you will accept a tool certified to an earlier edition. If you do not say, suppliers may offer either. Your safety officer should make that call.
Are the force and cutting figures in a quote verified by the supplier?
They are the manufacturer's published ratings for the model. The certification documents are the independent check. Require both the datasheet and the certification for the exact model offered, and ask what each figure measures if two datasheets look far apart.
Should we require battery or hose powered tools?
That depends on your call mix, apparatus, training and maintenance capacity. State the architecture you need and any compatibility with equipment you already own, so that suppliers quote tools that work with your fleet.
General information for buyers, not a substitute for your department's safety officer or the current edition of the standard. Your agency's policies and the solicitation control.