Every department's rigs are different — this checklist covers the items that apply to most engines and should be trimmed or extended to match your apparatus. The order follows a physical walk-around so nothing gets skipped.
1. Cab & Chassis
- Fuel level (top off below ¾ per department SOP)
- Engine oil, coolant, DEF levels
- Air brake build-up and low-air warning
- Emergency lights, scene lights, headlights, wig-wags
- Siren, air horn, PA
- Mobile radio check with dispatch
- MDT/tablet powered and logged in
- Mirrors, glass, wipers, seat belts
- Tire condition and pressure (visual + gauge weekly)
2. Pump & Water
- Tank water level
- Pump engages and builds pressure
- Gauges reading correctly, no fault lights
- Intake and discharge valves operate freely
- Tank-to-pump and tank-fill valves
- Foam system level and operation (if equipped)
- Drain valves closed, caps in place
3. SCBA
- Each pack: cylinder pressure at or above department minimum
- PASS device activates on each pack
- Face pieces clean, straps serviceable
- Spare cylinders full and secured
- RIT pack complete and pressurized
4. Medical
- Medical bag sealed or inventory complete
- Medication expiration dates (epi, naloxone, aspirin, glucose)
- O2 cylinder pressure above department minimum
- AED powers on; pads and battery in date
- PPE: gloves, masks, eye protection stocked
5. Hand Tools & Equipment
- Irons, hooks, axes in assigned locations
- Extrication tools: power unit starts, fluid level, blades/spreaders
- Chainsaw and rotary saw: start, chain/blade condition, fuel
- Portable generator and scene lighting
- TIC (thermal imaging camera) powered and charged
- Gas monitor calibrated/bump tested per schedule
- Portable radios charged, spare batteries
6. Hose, Ladders & Compartments
- Preconnects loaded and nozzles set correctly
- Supply hose load intact, couplings accessible
- Ground ladders secured, halyards serviceable
- Hydrant bag: wrenches, gates, adapters
- Each compartment: doors latch, contents match inventory sheet
- Wheel chocks, traffic cones, flares
Make this checklist do the work for you
On paper, this list can verify one thing: that someone walked the truck. It can't warn you the epi expires in three weeks, notice that the RIT pack has been reading low four days straight, or reorder 4x4s when the last box gets logged. That's the difference between a checklist and a check system — we wrote about it in Digital Truck Checks vs. Paper.
Turn this into your department's check system — free
We'll build digital truck checks around your exact rigs: barcode scanning, expiration alerts, and automatic reorders. No build cost, one flat subscription.
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