My Ideal Attack Pumper - Part 2

Once again, I need to put in a caveat right here and now, that I am NOT complaining about or disrespecting my FD. We are very aggressive and are fortunate in that most of our fires do not require large exterior flows. We take good care of our citizens, and they take good care of us in return. We get there quick and hit it fast and hard, over powering the fire with enough water to stop it in it's tracks. I am merely pointing out that if we (or any FD set up similarly to us) were to make small, subtle tactical changes, such as what I am writing about in this blog, then effeciency in rapid fire attack of large fires would drastically improve.

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I kind of went off on some tangents on the first part. Well, not really. But it was long winded. This one will have some tangents and be long winded too! ;^)  So perhaps breaking up the posts into more managable chunks will be easier to digest. I dunno, but it's worth a try. Ok, now for the pumper itself.

Cab - this may be overstating the obvious, but it should be large enough to safely and comfortably carry the crew from the station to the incident and back again. Up front, the driver and officer seats should be air ride and adjustable. The driver should be able to reach all the vehicle controls easily, without taking his/her eyes off the road. The officer should be able to easily reach the radio, siren control, etc.

The officer's seat & the crew seats should have an SCBA with a bracket strong enough to hold the SCBA in place during a crash. There are a few different types available out there. Forget the straps - let's be honest. Complacency out there has ensured that the restraint straps aren't used properly, if they are even used at all. I BELIEVE THIS IS NOT JUST WRONG, BUT VERY WRONG! But I know for a fact it happens, in more places that wouldn't like to admit it. Sometimes, the strap assemblies break and are not repaired. Ok, what ever. If it is possible to secure the shoulder straps behind the head flap cushions, then at least do that. IMHO, the fire service should simply do away with this style of SCBA seat.

One of the apparatus at my FD has the type of bracket that holds in the SCBA until we simply pull it out. The brackets have the exact same type of inertia clamps that common seat belts have. If the apparatus stops suddenly (like during a crash) then the clamps hold the SCBA in place. There is another manufacturer that makes an electro-magnetic clamp that will hold the SCBA in place until such time that the vehicle's parking break is activated. THESE DEVICES ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR USING THE SEATBELT! YOU SHOULD ALWAYS WEAR THE SEAT BELT!

Equipment such as portable radios & flash lights should be stored securely in such a location so as to facilitate a member easily grabbing it as they are getting out of the cab once they have arrived on a call. Some FDs store various tools in the cab, with or without the use of safety brackets. If your FD is going to do this, the tools MUST be secured. The bracket should also be very simple to latch/unlatch. If it is a complicated procedure to secure a tool or to deploy the tool, then I'd bet the tool won't get secured all that often, if at all.

Radio headsets: There are plenty of folks out there who are against them. I'm in favor of them, although I don't use them very often, mainly because I'd be the only one with one on, so while I could hear the radio better, I couldn't hear any crew members. Fire service culture is very slow to change sometimes. Oh well. I'm guilty of not wanting to change. Finding something that not only works, but works very well, only to have someone come along and simply institute change for the sake of change, well, yeah, I am against that. Prove to me that the change is better. Otherwise, leave me alone, cuz I am getting the same result.

Personally, I am not a fan of top mount pump controls. The advantage of being able to see the scene is outweighed by having to climb down to get something. In freezing weather, this is a slip hazard. I much prefer a side mount pump. The disadvantage? You don't always see the scene. With today's apparatus monstrocities, even though I stand 6' 1" tall, on a top-mount, I still can't see much of the scene all the time. The raised roof of the cab and the tall pumper bodies block some of the view, and depending on where the rig is spotted, sometimes most/all of the view.

Someone once told me, many years ago, that with the top mount panel you can see which lines are pulled so you know which ones to charge. Really? I call bullshit on this one. Unless it is one of the speedlays that is right in front of your knees, you still have to either lean over to see which crosslay was pulled or get down off the panel to see what was pulled. Besides, you still have to ensure silly little things like making sure ALL of the hose is out of the hosebed before you charge that particular line.

So, I prefer the side mount pump controls. I have seen some manufacturers build them with no hoses at all at the panel. No intake hoses, no discharge hoses. They claim it is safer. Maybe, I dunno. I am not as worried about having a discharge right there at the panel, however, I DO want a steamer port there. Why, you may ask?

I don't know how it is today, but when I started off in Camdenton, while we had plenty of fire plugs in town, and, generally, the hose lays weren't to terribly long, but the water pressure was less than desireable. 50 psi static pressure was considered as good as it gets. There were often times we had a pumper on the plug, relay pumping, just so the attack pumper had decent pressure to work with. You do what you have to do, but I hope the water pressure situation has improved for the CFD since I left there 16 yrs ago. I learned, very early on, that if I leaned on leg on the intake line (not straddling it, just leaning on it) I could feel when the pressure was too low before a gauge showed a drop. Simple enough to fix, slowly lower the RPMs a little and you're good.

Adjacent to the pump panels, I would have three speedlays of 1.75" hose, in 150', 200', and 250' lengths. I feel this would provide plenty of flexibility for the first attack crews. If the house is close to the pumper, and the house isn't huge, then most of the time a 150' line should suffice. A back-up crew could either pull the next-longer line (Is that even proper grammar? I dunno, but I think you get my point.) to back up the first in crew with. Most of what I have seen over the years is if an attack line is needing the back-up line deployed to there location, it is often because they are just a hair too short and a little more length is needed to access the fire area. If a longer line is the first one pulled, we could pull the shorter lines, disconnect one and attach it to the other. Options. We have options, and options are good.

The nozzle of choice for the 1.75" (that's 1³/₄" for those who are decimally delayed) attack line? The 15/16" solid tip nozzle! See my first blog on this topic for more on that.

Above the pump panel, there would be three Mattydale cross lays. (Extra credit to anyone who knows why they are called Mattydales. I know, do you?) Instead of 1.75" hose, I would have 2" hose, with 200', 250', and 300' lengths, for the very same reasons as I listed above. Ideally, in my mind, I would choose a 2" line as a back-up line for each deployed 1.75" line. Why? There are times when the attack line needs back-up because the fire is simply bigger than their line can handle. Having the back-up crew deploy with not just a slightly longer hose, but a higher flowing hose, often can be the difference between a crew getting cooked and the fire going out. Again, this provides us with more options.

Also above the pump panel I would put a remote controlled deck gun, with stacked tips. I'd leave it with the tip that will flow what we can get from the tank-to-pump, so that if we roll up on a real barn-burner, we can do a quick blitz attack by emptying the tank through the deck gun and we'll get a decent stream. We won't have to climb up to change tips, and actually we won't have to climb up at all. I'd have the remote wired directly, rather than wireless. Too much chance for interference of one sort or another if we go with a wireless remote. The remote should be tethered, so that whoever is controlling the deck gun can move around a little to get various vantage points and see how effective the stream is.

The nozzle of choice for the 2" attack line? The 1.125" (that's 1¹/₈" for those who are decimally delayed) solid tip nozzle! If it is a CAFS pumper, the tip would be able to be unscrewed, so that we could apply the CAFS through the 1.375" (that's 1³/₈" for those who are decimally delayed) open butt (the experts recommend this, so that the nozzle assembly doesn't strip the bubbles out of the foam). Again, see the first part for more.

We're not finished with the attack lines yet. On the front pumper, I'd have two 1.5"discharges (If you don't know what the decimals mean, at this point I'd suggest that you find a math tutor. Aww, screw it. I'll just use the fractions for the rest of this blog! ;^) , one on each side. There'd be two boxes for the hoses. In case you're wondering, yes, I'm patterning this similar to the Kentland VFD bumper line. I'm thinking though, instead of how they have reverse horseshoe loads, I'd simply put four rolls of what I learned as double-donut rolls, where we roll them from near the middle, so that the male end is a foot or two back from the female end when it is all rolled tightly. Hook the female end to the discharge, and then the male end is connected to the female end of the next roll, and so-forth, until we have four rolls in place. Don't need all 200ft? No problem. Unhook what you don't need, and go from there. When the pump operator sees that there are two rolls still in the box, he/she will know there is only 100ft being pumped. Then the nozzle would be attached. Yes, same nozzles as above for the proper size hose. One side would be 1³/₄", and the other would be 2".

Tailboard: Here I would have three attack lines - two as handlines and one as a portable monitor line. One 1³/₄" @ 350 ft and one 2" @ 350ft. These would be used less often, but for when you have a long stretch and don't have the time (or desire even) to horse around with disconnecting one line to add it to another. While extending lines is effective, it does take time, and the longer preconnect may simply take less time to deploy. Possible uses for lines such as these are smaller fires (preferrably sprinkler system confined) in a large building, mid-rise structures that don't have standpipes, even for when a curious kid gets a little too curious and his tree-fort that he built in the woods is on fire, a hundred or more feet back from the back of the yard.

For the portable monitor, I actually prefer to call it the bomb line. Mounted to a bracket either on the tailboard or along the back wall of the pumper, a 500 GPM monitor (1³/₈" tip pumped at 80psi) pre-connected to a hosebed of, oh, lets say 400 feet of 3" hose. Sure, we can easily flow 500 GPM longer distances. Take the 80psi nozzle pressure, add the 25 psi appliance loss, that's 105 psi we have to pump the gun at. At 500 GPM, 3" hose has a FL of 20psi/100'. We could easily pump the gun at 500 GPM at a distance of 700' if we wanted to. However, that is a long haul, and would require extra manpower to drag; we may not have that kind of manpower available. We are trying to keep things as simple as possible here for a minimal crew to be able to effect a maximum punch.

Let's bring it all together now. The 15/16" tip at 50 psi flows 185 GPM. The 1³/₄" inch hose has a FL of 53psi/100' at that flow. The 1¹/₈" tip flows 265 GPM @ 50 psi. The 2" hose has a FL of 56psi/100'. To keep things simple for the pump operator, let's say both have a FL of 55psi/100'. Ok, we'll lose a couple GPMs on the two inch, and increase a GPM or two on the 1³/₄". But not enough to matter. If one crew pulls a 1³/₄" of one length, and another crew pulls a 2" of the same length (say both bumper lines have all 200' in use, and/or both of the rear preconnects are pulled) then the pump operator pumps both lines of equal length at the same discharge pressure. That would be 160 psi for the front bumper lines if all 200' are used, and 240 psi for both rear preconnects.

Now lets look at it via the formula - the 1.75" at 185 GPM, 50 psi NP, at 200ft would be properly pumped at 156 psi. The 2" at 265 GPM, 50 psi NP, at 200ft would be properly pumped at 162 psi. For the 350 ft preconnects on the back end, the 2" would be properly pumped at 246 psi and the 1³/₄" would be properly pumped at 235¹/₂ psi. Is it really and truly going to hurt anything if both front lines are simply pumped at 160 psi and the rear lines pumped at 240 psi of pump pressure? No. If it is enough to bother you though, you can pump the rear 2" line at 245 psi and the 1³/₄" at 235 psi. Instead of messing with throttle changes, you can simply gate back the 1³/₄" ever so slightly.

One more thing I would do: You know those little lable signs they put at each discharge valve handle and each discharge? Ok, not on the crosslay and speedlay discharges, rather at the ends of those bed on each side so you know what one it is. Anyway, in addition to identifying the discharge, I would also have them say (provided your FD isn't playing nozzle games and always changing the lengths, but that's altogether another topic) not only what discharge it is, but how many feet of what size hose, and what to start pumping it at. This is easily done, using simple math formulas (like I've been doing all along). For example, "CROSSLAY 1, 200' 2" 265 GPM, PUMP AT 160 PSI". (OK, for the purests among you, 162 PSI. But really? How are you going to ensure it is actually 162? Gages are marked in 5 psi increments, so more than likely it'll be set at either 160 or 165 psi. Either way it'll work, and work well.)

Now on to other things - like the pump. IMHO, the bigger, the better. Most apparatus manufacturers now offer 2000 GPM and 2250 GPM. I'd go with the 2250 GPM myself, if it's within the budget. To get a large capacity pump, you need a bigger engine in order to have the power needed. Bigger engines cost more though, a lot more. Weigh your needs and balance things out on your engine.

I'd also put a CAFS system on it. CAFS stands for Compressed Air Foam System. It was developed by the U.S. Navy back in the 1940s, but didn't really catch on in the Fire Service until the 1990s or so, and even today, it is still not the most widely accepted. CAFS pumps foam, proportioned at about 0.5% +/-, into your water lines (the ones that are plumbed for it, that is). There is also an air compressor that pumps air in with it. The result? The hose line weighs 25% of what it weighs with water only. It also puts out the fire five times faster. So, you have a lighter line to haul, and the fire goes out in ¹/₅ the amount of time. Hmmmm... seems like a no brainer here. My FD has two pumpers with CAFS, and I've seen it in use at several fires. The claims of lighter lines and faster knockdowns are absolutely spot on. Sure, you still have to overhaul. Ok, so what. That's part of da job.

So, what happens if the air compressor fails during the operation? Shut it down, and pump a water/foam mix at the same ratio (around 0.5%) and, even though it weighs the normal amount now instead of the light weight attack line,  you still get twice the knockdown power of plain water. What if you run out of foam or the foam pump malfunctions? Ok, go with plain water. We've been using it for centuries to put out fires, and we know it works. Some say the CAFS option adds too much to the cost of the apparatus. Yes, it costs more in a captial expense. But the results are absolutely worth it! Fires going out faster mean it is safer for firefighters. It also means that it is safer for the citizens. Less burn time = less polution. Less burn time = less production of smoke and toxic gases for anyone who is trapped in a fire. Less burn time = less overall work on the fire crews, less stress on the heart and the rest of your body, and more time to be available for other calls that the citizenry will have. And for those who are interested, I forget which agency it was out west (in California I think), they tested friction loss with CAFS, and found that in their 1¹/₂" hoses that they carry and extend for some very long hose lays at wildland fires, that there is no friction loss with CAFS until you get out to about 4,000 feet or so. Yes, that is FOUR THOUSAND FEET. Quite impressive, IMHO.

I need to put in a caveat here - I work in a mostly suburban area with fairly decent water supply available via those things that stick out of the ground; yes, I mean fire hydrants. I've worked in areas that don't have them, and before anyone gets up in arms about my specs, just relax. For your pumpers, put on there what you need.

I'd spec it with a 500 gallon water tank, or at most a 750 gallon. I'd like it to be an "L" shaped tank, so that the hose bed can be lower to the ground. This makes it not only easier, but also safer, for firefighters to deploy hoses and to re-pack them. I'd put on there a 20 gallon foam tank for Class A foam and another for Class B foam.

This may sound arrogant, nerdy, whacker-esque, or what ever. I prefer a non-boxy looking engine. I like the slanted back end, and if possible, a rounded corner where the top and the back end meat. I think they look better, more appealing. A lot of modern apparatus is built, understandably, as a multi-mission piece. They are built huge and have tons of storage space. That's all well and good, however, I have found that if you try to put too much stuff on a piece, the mission of that apparatus gets lost. Is it an attack pumper? Is it a rescue truck? Is it an EMS response vehicle? What? Sometimes too much stuff gets in the way, and interferes when you really need something NOW, and yet you have to dig through a ton of stuff first. Very distracting.

Driver side compartments - this is a no brainer. The first one would be the Engineer's Compartment. All the adaptors and fittings would go here. Mallots, spanners, etc. If there's room, perhaps a short section of LDH and even a roll of 3". The compartment would be a full height compartment, and an SCBA would be mounted in there, and there would be room for the engineer to put their gear, too.

The center compartment would be where things like the cellar nozzle, piercing nozzle, and some short hooks, a pick axe, and a set of irons would go. A 10# maul, utility rope, an edge roller, and some salvage covers would also go in here.

The back compartment would hold the fire extinguishers down low. Speaking of fire extinguishers, there'd be two regular "Cans" which are 2¹/₂ gallon water extinguishers. I'd also put 3 TBS of Class A Foam into them, making them CAFS, and they'd have the same percentage as the hose lines. I would have a third "Can" with 9.6 ounces (call it 10 ounces for simplicity) of Class B Foam added to it, which will give it a 3% solution for small flammable liquid spills or fires. There'd also be two Class D extinguishers, one rated for lithium fires and one for general metal fires. And to round it out, a 20# ABC extinguisher. On the shelves above would be two sets of step-blocks and the spare saw blades.

In the tailboard compartment would go the power unit for the extrication tool. Also a spreader, cutter, and ram. A come-a-long and some chains, a circular saw, and a chain saw, as well as the fuel cans for these items, would also go in here. This compartment would be independently vented, so as not to get fuel fumes into the other compartments. Spare metal and wood cutting wheels for the circular saw would go elsewhere, as the fuel vapors damage these items.

Officer side compartments: since we're kinda in a pattern here, I'll go from back to front. In the rear compartment would go the PPV fan. On the shelves above that would be quartz lights and reels of electrical cord. (The PTO generator would be somewhere under the body of the apparatus or perhaps in the dunnage area.)

In the center compartment is where the ash bucket would go, as well as other items used for chimney fires. In the front compartment would go another set of irons, another pick axe, rescue grade PFDs and throw ropes for water rescue use. For those who are still here, any EMS gear would be carried in the cab, secured properly.

Ok, that's about it for that. Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. As a reminder, this is just my own idea of how I would spec out a pumper, based on my FDs response area. It is very likely to be different from how you would spec for your area, and you know what? That's ok!

On my next blog, I'll start a series on my ideal fireground tactical support truck.

Thanks again for reading, and stay safe.

Ken

My Ideal Attack Pumper

This one, I hope, will stir some debate. As long as it's kept civil, I'm ok with any viewpoint. As this is my blog, I reserve the right to delete what I feel are uncivil remarks.

(I need to put in a caveat right here and now, that I am NOT complaining about or disrespecting my FD. We are very aggressive and are fortunate in that most of our fires do not require large exterior flows. We take good care of our citizens, and they take good care of us in return. We get there quick and hit it fast and hard, over powering the fire with enough water to stop it in it's tracks. I am merely pointing out that if we (or any FD set up similarly to us) were to make small, subtle tactical changes, such as what I am writing about in this blog, then effeciency in rapid fire attack of large fires would drastically improve.)

Ok, so on an earlier post, I started a quick spout about how I'm not a huge fan of the 2.5" attack line.

"I'm not a huge fan of the 2.5" attack line. If it were me, I'd have all my attack lines using smooth bore tips. My ideal pumper (wait, I thought you said you like truck work over engine work? Yes, I do, but that doesn't mean I don't know anything about engine work) would have a large pump - 2000 GPM - and three 1.75" attack preconnects; with three more 2" attack preconnects; a pre-piped deck gun; a tailboard mounted portable gun with a 500 GPM rating, preconnected to a dead-bed of two- to five hundred feet of 3" hose, and a large capacity hosebed of five inch supply hose. More on that in another blog."

Most FDs out there that I have been on and worked/trained with generally use 1.75" hose, 2.5" hose, and large diameter hose (LDH) in either 4" or 5" sizes. Many, but less, FDs also use 3" hose. Back in the day, there was ONLY 2.5" hose (except the booster line, which is a glorified garden hose, and not part of this blog). Then someone developed 1.5" hose, which was great for attacking smaller fires. However, it's flow is limited to not much more than 125 GPM. For larger fires, the 2.5" line would be used as an attack line, flowing nominally 250 GPM. Much more punch than a 1.5", but a lot heavier, too, requiring more manpower.

Then in the 70's (?) or 80's (?) 1.75" was developed, and for the most part has replaced the 1.5" hose as a primary attack line. The 1.75" which can nominally flow 185 GPM, is only a little heavier than a 1.5" line, but with significant more knockdown power, thus making it safer for firefighters.

About that time, companies started developing "automatic" fog nozzles, which are spring loaded to maintain a certain nozzle pressure (generally about 100psi). They are good products, and when properly maintained, work well, as designed. So when I say fallacy, it is not directed toward nozzle manufacturers.

The fallacy with automatic fog nozzles is in the belief by members of the fire service (that's firefighters, folks) think that because the stream looks good, therefore they must have a good flow. Flow tests have proven time and again that just because a stream looks good, doesn't mean it is flowing. I've participated in flow tests, and online there is plenty of documentation, to show that a 1.75" line with a stream that looks good can be flowing as little as 100 GPM. So much for being safer - hauling a heavier line with less flow than the old 1.5" lines... Hmmmm....

So what can be done to overcome the low flow? Pump it properly! Some nozzle manufacturers claimed you could get the same flows as a 2.5" hose (250 GPM) out of a 1.75" line, using their nozzle. And you know what? It's true! You can! But...

To attain those kinds of flows, first we have to determine the friction loss so we know where to set the pump. For a 1.75" hose, there is 96 psi of friction loss (FL) for each 100ft of hose. Since most hoses are set up between 150ft and 250ft (average being 200ft), well, that's friction losses anywhere from 144 psi to 240 psi to overcome, with the average 200ft line having 192 psi in friction loss. Then we must add nozzle pressure. For the automatic fog nozzles, it's 100 psi. So now you have to pump the line at anywhere from 244 to 340 psi, with 292 psi for the 200ft line. Can our pumps handle that? Sure!

But, we need to remember, the 1.75" is by nature a very squirrelly line. It is not docile, like the 2.5" is. We also need to remember nozzle reaction. A fog nozzle flowing 250 GPM has a nozzle reaction force of 126 lbs. That is manageable, with a docile line. When you have a squirrelly line, you not only have that force pushing back in a straight line, you also have it swinging the firefighters from side to side, up and down, as well as backwards. So, is the 1.75" a two person line? Not at those flows.

I think it is unsafe, personally, and my guess is a lot of other firemen out there think so too, as the automatic nozzle push seems to have died down over the last several years. They are still available, and like I said above, they are fine products that do what they say they will. The problem isn't the knob, the problem is us.

So why not just go back to the old system of 1.5" attack for small fires and 2.5" attack for large fires? I do believe that it is safer having a larger flow available than the 1.5" can deliver, given the contents of most occupancies these days (plastics are the norm, which are essentially solidified petroleum, and when they burn, they burn fierce and hot).

But Ken, earlier you said you advocate replacing the 2.5" hose altogether. What gives? I'm glad you asked.

I'm in the camp of using 1.75" and 2" attack lines. The 1.75" line efficiently flows 185 GPM, which has a FL of 53psi/100ft, and with a 100 psi fog nozzle it has a reaction force of 93 pounds. Using a 15/16" solid tip with a 50 psi nozzle pressure,  the nozzle reaction force is 69 pounds. Quite a difference, ain't it! Same flow, and a lot more manageable to boot! Still squirrelly, but not like the 250 GPM reaction and squirrelliness.

For higher flow requirements, tradition says we pull a 2.5" line and flow 250 GPM. Remember the fallacy of the automatic nozzle. Crews can think they are flowing high flows because they have a stream that looks good, but in fact have a stream that flows not nearly what is needed to absorb the BTUs given off by the fire. Put a 1.125" straight tip on a 2.5" line and operate it with a 50 psi nozzle pressure, and you are flowing 265 GPM, with 99 pounds of nozzle reaction force, and FL of 14psi/100ft. Easier to pump, easier to handle, but VERY heavy to drag around and make an aggressive fire attack with. If a FD has manpower out the whazoo, ok, but  let's deal in reality - most paid (read fully staffed) FDs are staffed with three on an apparatus, if that. Some are lucky to have two men on an apparatus. My FD has two companies with four men, and the rest with three. We are blessed. Volunteer FDs (read - not staffed fire stations, where members have to drive to the station to get the apparatus, and they are lucky to have one member on an apparatus. Not slamming, just pointing out reality.)

Instead of using a 2.5" line, I advocate using a 2" line. But it's smaller! Yes, it is. It is also significantly lighter than the 2.5" hose, and CAN flow the same 265 GPM using the same 1.125" solid bore nozzle at 50 psi of nozzle pressure. It has the same reaction of 99 pounds, but only has 56psi/100ft of FL, compared to the 96psi/100ft of FL the 1.75" line has at 250 GPM. The 2" is only a little heavier than the 1.75" line, and yet it is docile, like the 2.5" line.

Hmmm... a line that ain't too much heavier, is easier to control and move around, and has the punch of a 2.5" hose... I dunno about you, but I like the concept quite well!

So, can we use the 2.5" hose to supply a portable monitor? Sure you can, but why would you want to? Remember, you can flow more than 250 GPM through a 2.5" line, but you start putting bigger friction loss numbers up. A portable monitor has 25 psi of FL just in the monitor. Then add nozzle pressure (80 psi for solid tip on a master stream, 100 psi for fog tip). Now add your friction loss. It adds up. For instance, if you are pumping a 2.5" hose at 500GPM, that is 50psi/100ft of FL you have to overcome. If it's a long lay, well, then you start needing relay pumpers and such.

But Ken! We can lay two or three 2.5" lines to the monitor! That should reduce the friction loss, and increase the distance we can pump! You're exactly right. But, again, why would you want to? Pump that same 500 GPM through a 3" hose, and you only have 20psi/100ft of FL to overcome. Using 4" or 5", the FL goes down even more. The problem with 4" and 5" is they are heavy lines to hand jack very far.

On my FD, the pumpers have a 500 GPM portable monitor with a choice of a 1.375" solid tip or a 500 GPM rated fog nozzle. They stay in their compartment. It is unfortunate, IMHO. I'd rather see them pre-mounted to the tailboard, connected to hose. My FD doesn't have 3" hose, but we do have 2.5". The theory is if we do need it, we'll pull a 2.5" preconnect, take the nozzle off, and use the monitor. Our 2.5" preconnects are 200 ft long, and at 500 GPM that means we'll pump 100 psi just to overcome the FL, then 25 psi FL for the monitor, then either 80 or 100 psi for the nozzle pressure. 205-225psi is quite doable. However, not too much more can be added to extend the line, because the FLs will make it counter productive.

If we (or any other FD) were to use 3" hose for the portable monitor, then we could theoretically pump it at much further distances (like 500+ ft away) as we only have 20psi/100ft of FL to pump. Using a single 3" line to a portable monitor, while the hose itself is heavier than the 2.5" line, will in the long run save time and energy, when compared to stretching multiple 2.5" lines.

Okay, that's enough of a rant for now. Please note that I did NOT mention Compressed Air Foam Systems (CAFS). For the record, I AM a fan of it, have used it and seen what it is capable of. My FD has two CAFS pumpers now, and I presume will have more in the future. However, like the booster line, it's not on topic for this blog.

Thanks for reading.

Stay safe.

Ken

Winter Firefighting

'Tis the season - winter is upon us. Today I am on duty, detailed to an engine company as the acting captain. The weather forecasters are continually saying "SNOW". Oh well, the good weather had to end sometime. We're in somewhat of a drought here, so moisture will be good.

As the acting captain, I checked with my crew to make sure they are ready for it. Some of the things we double checked:

• The apparatus' automatic tire chains.
• Extra socks/other assorted attire, so we have something warm & dry to change in to in the event we catch a job.
• Slip-on spikes for our boots.
• Ice melt.

It's the little things that can make a big difference.

Other things to consider in cold weather operations:

• Take enough time to be safe and to do it right, the first time.
• Use caution when operating on/near ice.
• Don't run.
• Remember to leave the nozzles cracked just a little so the line won't freeze.
• Eat right.
• Keep properly hydrated! Just as our hydration affects how we cool off in the hot weather, staying properly hydrated will help us to keep warm in the cold weather.

Cold weather doesn't add or take away from a fire; it only affects the flash point of some substances, but none of that stuff matters when it is already on fire! Wet gear freezes. Wet surfaces freeze, increasing the fall risks for firefighters exponentially.

I'm keeping this one short. Feel free to comment and add more suggestions!

Stay safe.

A Fireman’s Little Girl

I didn't write this, although I enjoy it very much, and it does fairly accurately describe me. I wish I knew who did write it, so I can give proper credit. Any fireman out there with a daughter will appreciate this.

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I am very dedicated to my work. I wear firefighter shirts every day, even when I’m not on duty. The fire department is my second home, and my second family. It often seems as if my life revolves around the fire department, but it means nothing compared to my little girl. I am normally a very friendly person, but if you hurt my little girl you will make me mad.

I know my little girl is growing up, even if I don’t like it. She seems to like you, so I’ll tolerate you dating her, but here are a few things for you to think about while you’re with her:

First of all, I go into burning buildings to save people that I’ve never even seen before. If I do that for strangers, you can’t begin to imagine how protective I am of my little girl.

I sometimes break people’s sternums & ribs by accident while doing CPR to save their life. If that’s how I help people what do you think I do when I’m pissed off?

I investigate arson fires. I know exactly what clues to look for to prove it was arson, so I also know how to make sure nobody can tell how a fire started. I know where you live. Remember the movie Backdraft?

I’ve worked more car accidents than you’ll ever see, and the sight of blood doesn’t bother me one little bit.

It’s normal for me to carry chainsaws, axes, and various other extremely sharp tools in my car… touch my little girl, & we take a little ride.

When we burn down a house for training, nobody looks in the closets.

I use the jaws of life to tear doors off wrecked cars. They cut though solid metal like a hot knife through butter. Watch your paws or get the jaws!

Sirens and air horns can really muffle the sounds of someone screaming.

Most of my friends are cops, paramedics, or firefighters. WE ARE 911. If you make me mad, who do you think you’re going to call for help?

I have access to explosives.

I am well trained in emergency medicine. I know exactly which arteries are the easiest to sever and which ones bleed the most. (You remember all them sharp tools?)

Even though my little girl insists that you are a “nice guy” and not like most other guys, I know better. I was once your age, I know EXACTLY what you’re thinking. Because of that, I already have plenty of reasons to not like you. It wouldn’t take much at all to push me over the edge, and I just sharpened my axe.

So if you want to date my little girl you better keep these things in mind. Firemen are protective by nature, and there is nothing we are more protective of than our little girls. Whenever you're alone with her, you better remember that someday, you may be alone with me.

(Author unknown, but I like this, and would gladly give credit to the author.)

What's in your pockets?

One topic that often comes up between firefighters is "what's in your pockets?". I personally enjoy those conversations, as I learn from the experiences of others.

Over the years, what I have carried has changed. I will periodically go through my set-up (aside from daily checks at shift change) and evaluate what I carry vs. what I use vs. what I need that I don't carry, and change things up. So, what's in my pockets?

From the top down:

On my lid:
I keep a few 16# nails tucked inside my helmet band, and my FD Passport tag. That's about it.

In my coat:
Left front pocket: A pair of 7/8" cable cutters. They were put there with the intended purpose of self rescue, if I were to get caught up in wires, etc. I have used them plenty at car wrecks to cut the battery cables. They are quite inexpensive, and actually quite rugged.

Right front pocket: A pair of safety glasses.

Left lower pocket: CPR mask in a case - if I make a grab, and they need mouth-to-mouth, it'll be mouth-to-mask-to-mouth.

Right lower pocket: A 10 ft (+/-) roll of webbing and a carabiner. Comes in handy, with a million potential uses.

In my pants:
All I keep in my turnout pants pockets is my fire gloves.

Truckie Belt:
A few sprinkler wedges, a TFT Res-Q-Rench, a six-in-one screw driver (two large and two small phillips and flat head tips, plus a 1/4" & 3/8" nut drivers), a four foot piece of webbing (not looped, but does have looped handles), a vice-grip, and a pair of channel locks with modified tips for use with the through-the-lock techniques of entry.

Ok, so that's what I have. So, what's in YOUR pockets?