Leading off with deck guns for initial fire attack presents myriad challenges to responding firefighters. Getting backed up with water in a timely fashion is something for the chauffeur to worry about. Making the call to commence with an exterior attack and which water appliances to deploy falls to the company officer, and huffing all the equipment around is the firefighter’s task. This week’s drill focuses on ensuring you get the water you need quickly to initiate and maintain an exterior attack using deck guns. It focuses on how three-member engine companies can deploy these devices efficiently and translates between career municipal departments and volunteer departments.
Tom Sitz, the author of “Deck Gun Drills For Three-Member Engine Companies” (Fire Engineering, August 2004), divides the trill into three scenarios presenting different challenges for the chauffeur and jumpseat firefighter. The objective of each scenario is to place a hydrant in service to establish a water supply to the engine before its tank water is exhausted or as quickly as possible after tank water is exhausted. Remember, depending on tip size or the gallonage per minute the officer designates if using a combination fog nozzle will determine how long you have to operate before your tank water runs out.
Read “Deck Gun Drills For Three-Member Engine Companies” here.
Visit FireEngineering.com’s Drill Archive for other engine company drills.
