Next year’s gear budget is sitting in this year’s paperwork: your inspection reports name the replacements coming due, your service invoices set the per-set care cost, and the delta between them is the repair reserve. September is when the sheet gets built.
What are the line items?
- Replacements: every garment hitting age limits or flagged “monitor” on its last inspection — count them now, price them at current quotes (gear prices move; last year’s number is stale).
- Annual inspections: fleet size × per-set rate — the predictable backbone (current pricing).
- Cleaning program: cleaner stock, extractor maintenance, and advanced cleans at your actual exposure rate — pull the count from this year’s log.
- Repair reserve: your last two years’ repair spend, averaged — the honest number, not a guess.
- Consumables on their own clocks: hoods and gloves cycle faster than ensembles; give them their own line.
How do you defend it to the board?
Bring the inspection reports. “The standard requires it” opens the conversation; “here are the twelve garments failing next year and the cost of finding out at a fire instead” closes it. Documented condition data is the most persuasive budget exhibit a fire department owns.
What about grant timing?
Fall budget season is also application season — a documented care program and a priced replacement list are the spine of a strong equipment grant. Write the budget once, use it twice.
FAQ
What if the replacement list is too big for one year?
Phase by risk: oldest and worst-condition first, and put the phase plan itself in the budget document — boards fund plans, not surprises.
Can you help price the plan?
Yes — request a quote for replacements and services together.