Command Zone Operation offers expanded capabilities
Command Zone system keeps operators informed
One of the great options Pierce Manufacturing can include with its fire apparatus is called Command Zone. The system offers expanded capabilities to benefit the driver, officer and maintenance teams – and features technologies such as integrated GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity to enhance performance.
In this blog, we’re going to focus on some of the important maintenance-related aspects of the Command Zone platform. In our business, we refer to the information as “prognostics,” which essentially is an early warning system for the equipment operator that some part of the system or a component should be checked.
The Command Zone system analyzes real-time performance and operating conditions to predict maintenance needs.
For instance, oil has an expected lifespan in a given component such as an engine. A standard maintenance interval is set to change the oil based on that expected lifespan. However, certain factors such as overheating the oil will degrade or break down the oil, which results in a shorter lifespan. The prognostics software applies algorithms to the real time operating characteristics against the normal expected lifespan of the oil. The remaining useful life of the oil is then adjusted.
The beauty of Pierce’s Command Zone platform is that operators or service technicians can run and view diagnostic codes and troubleshooting procedures from the full-color touchscreen display, or on a tablet using a Wi-Fi, cell or USB interface.
Some of the data is related to hours of usage or miles driven – parameters that can be managed and changed by operators to fit their own unique circumstances of how they use the apparatus.
The system records the data so there is a history of each vehicle’s fault codes, warnings and cautions. The readouts and notifications are easy to review and understand. And if operators have a question, all they have to do is send an email to info@goldenstatefire.com or call us at (916) 330-1638. Our certified technicians can walk them through the steps or send information that allows them to address the problem.
The end result is faster diagnostics and increased vehicle uptime.
“If it’s metered and read and tracked, it’s going to give them a prognostics reminder,” explained Jason Dinkel, operations manager for Golden State Fire Apparatus, the exclusive Pierce dealer in California from Bakersfield to the Oregon border.
The notices operators see often are related to basic service guidelines that can be easy to overlook when apparatus is frequently in use.
“Lubing the suspension, lubing the cab, servicing the engine, drive train … lots of things,” said Rick Tracy, GSFA’s service manager.
“We get calls a few times a week about what operators are seeing,” he said. “We have procedures downloaded that we send to them. They can casually install them at their own pace, unless it’s something that we need to do for them.”
Dinkel said operators should know that Pierce developed the Command Zone system with input from firefighters across the country. The features and information are the direct result of that important feedback.
“The more they run it or the more they drive it, the more it lets them know,” he said. “Also, the system is so comprehensive that it can be customized to any level.”
Pierce prides itself of building the “most reliable, configurable and usable electrical systems,” according to its website. Tracy encouraged users to be comfortable and confident with all that the Command Zone system has to offer.
Our trained staff of Emergency Vehicle Technicians works out of our 35,000-square-foot maintenance facility in Sacramento. We continually invest in tools and equipment so that your emergency vehicle receives the utmost care, while reducing the man-hours required to get the job done right. If you have any questions about any aspect of your equipment’s performance, we’re here to help. You can reach us at (916) 330-1638 or at info@goldenstatefire.com