There’s a lot going on in Michigan when it comes to fire trucks these days. On September 18, Spartan Chassis celebrated its 50th anniversary in Charlotte, and the 2025 Fire Truck Training Conference got underway in Lansing on September 22.
Walking into the main hall, your attention is immediately drawn to Ol’ No. 1, Spartan’s first chassis manufactured in 1975 at 426 Sumpter Street in Charlotte, Michigan It features an FMC cab that Spartan trimmed out and installed on the chassis. And, you can’t think of Ol’ No. 1 without thinking of Bill Foster, one of Spartan’s founders who passed away in January 2025.
Foster is the man who, in 1994, recognized the need to provide technicians with an opportunity to get the education they need to stay abreast of new developments as fire apparatus evolve and to stay up to date on their emergency vehicle technician (EVT) certifications.
Besides the EVT test preparation classes, the conference features supplier-lead classes that focus on specific apparatus components, as well as more advanced classes, many of which are hands-on.
Many may not realize that your fleet maintenance division services much more than trucks. Valves, monitors, nozzles, supplemental restraint systems, seats, and more all fall under the fleet maintenance division. Today’s apparatus repair technicians need to know a lot more about electronics than ever before. Programming a monitor, while not impossible, does take some training to learn how do to it.
This year’s conference is a mix of return attendees and first timers. I had the pleasure of sitting with two technicians from Charlotte, North Carolina—one a return attendee and one a first timer. There’s sometimes no better marketing than that which comes from repeat attendees. He said, “If you get the chance, go to the aerial maintenance class. It’s really good. The instructor who teaches it has been doing it for 20 years.” And the first timer? He had just moved over to repairing fire apparatus nine months ago after servicing other vehicles in the city’s fleet. He said, “I have always been fascinated by airplanes and fire trucks. I truly love what I do.”
There will be a lot to see an do here this week. Two keynotes, and awards ceremony, an exhibitor reception, and the opportunity network with fellow EVTs. The best conversations often happen before a class even starts as EVTs troubleshoot problems among themselves, sharing solutions they’ve developed over time. As the conference program states, “Being a technician is more than a job. It’s a passion. The camaraderie runs deep, and at the end of the day, the product you service and maintain in the shop is saving the life of another in time of need.”
I have to admit, seeing the Spartan chassis set up for the classes did remind me of those times Bill Foster personally drove multiple chassis to my firehouse over the years as we were spec’ing engines or rescues. He will be missed this week.
