MORE ON STANDPIPES AND THEIR USE
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Last month we began our discussion of this subject. These systems so often are overlooked, seem too simple to discuss until they’re needed, and are installed without fire service input or routine and regular inspection. But without them functioning flawlessly, we can have a firefighting nightmare on our hands We discussed getting water to the system. Now, can we get water out of the system?
What about the standpipe outlets? If you know how they are made up and have a good fire prevention and surveillance program, all the better. Most have a wheeled gate or globe valve control. This is your engine pressure control. After that, a male nipple usually is followed with an adapter that changes threads to yours (if needed). Before the cap is placed on, we may find a troublemaker: a flow restricter, misnamed “pressure reducer.” It is designed to permit only low pressure that can be handled by the cheap standpipe hose and civilians, ft reduces pressure (flow) below that which is needed for safe and effective firefighting—remove it. Another water restricter can be found on the valve stem in the form of a pin. The pin prevents the valve from being opened all the way. effectively restricting flow. Remove it!
The pressure reducer that causes us the most trouble (how come they’re allowed?) is the internal, factory designed type. Each floor may be set differently depending on the normal system water supply. If they’re installed on the floor they’re designed for, pressure is reduced to about 65 psi for 2!/2-inch outlets and 80 psi for 1 ‘/2-inch auxiliary hose connections. These cannot be removed and always will cause problems tor us.
More on restricters and reducers. Most of us know that if the FDC is a problem, we can supply the standpipe riser from the first floor outlet. But, if we don’t remove the restricters or cannot remove the reducers, we never will be able to pump enough water into an open system (nozzles open) to fight fires. Sure, we’ll read enough pressure, but we’ll have no water—another reason for flowmeter installation.
Know your district. Its personality, 1 mean. You need all the fittings and adapters located at the standpipe outlet to supply your hoseline. Unfortunately, most are made of brass, and brass brings a great resale price to unscrupulous individuals. Most inner city, urban areas are stripped of these fittings (including control valve handles). We used to carry a bag containing all the connections necessary, expecting to find only an open 2½inch female nipple at the stairway connection. Another unfortunate condition that occurs in these areas is open pipes on many floors. You’ll never get enough water. This is a fire prevention problem. Building services should be encouraged to include inspection of these devices on a regular basis.
What stair shaft is your standpipe in? Don’t laugh. This problem can be as simple as it sounds: You get to a position below the fire by elevator and you haven’t taken the time in the lobby of the high-rise building to either get a floor plan or to ask! Sometimes stair construction is a nightmare—specifically scissor stairs. You check a floor below the fire and find the standpipe in stairway C. Stairway C, being scissor-type, terminates at opposite sides of the service shaft on each successive floor—but the standpipe doesn’t! Depending on the floor, the standpipe connection can be either in stair C or its sister stair (call it D). To make matters worse, some building service personnel label their stair shaft doors using the elevator for access. This results in scissor stairs changing names every other floor. Maybe a mental picture is needed here.
Handline team. In most cases, with today’s “never enough” manning levels, two engine companies should be paired to put one hoseline in operation. Enough hose is certainly one problem, but water supply (pressure) is another. As handlines are added to the firefight from other floor locations, supply pressure working against head loss will vary with it. Each handline must be controlled by someone at the supply valve with communication to the nozzle—much like the pump operator manipulating the individual outlets on the pump panel.
Recently there have been large fires that have identified problems with the standpipe system. These are just some of the reasons for that. Just like your apparatus, you should know your system well.
