By Michael N. Ciampo
Responding to basic emer-gencies is a large part of this profession. You must be prepared to operate at vehicle accidents; stalled elevators; and gas, steam, and water leaks on a daily basis. The key to responding to these calls is to not let your guard down and to use them to develop a systematic routine and tactical plan. This way, you are prepared if the unordinary occurs.
Water leaks are one of those “public service” calls where we try to mitigate the situation and prevent more damage from occurring. Normally, we try to shut down the valve to the leaking pipe or hose feeding the sink or toilet, and it’s a fairly simple task to complete. The valve is usually the “turn” type with a wheel handle on it; when you turn it clockwise, you will shut the valve off (counterclockwise opens the valve). There’s also the old adage that many use for tightening up a nut and bolt—“Righty tighty, lefty loosey”—that you can apply to water valve operations.
When you encounter such a valve, don’t be so quick to just turn it to the closed position; look at it first. If it has been painted a few times, you can be certain it isn’t going to close easily. Use a pliers or vise grips (from your personal tools in your bunker coat pocket) to scrape some of the paint off the valve stem. Next, turn the valve a little to the right and a little to the left a few times to free it up from the position it has been in for awhile. Once you have loosened up the valve, try to turn it completely closed. If you don’t spend an extra minute or two here, there is a good chance you can strip the wheel handle or snap it off entirely. If you do snap it off, attach a vise grip to the stem to shut the valve down. (In some instances, you can loosen the nut at the base of the valve a little to assist in turning the stem.)
In some cases you may find the newer quarter-turn water valve. This has a lever-looking handle: When in the open position, the handle is in line or parallel with the pipe; when closed (a quarter of a turn), the handle is perpendicular to the pipe. It’s easy to remember that this valve operates with the same principles as the quarter-turn butterfly (two-wing) gas valve. When operating this valve, close it slowly; don’t force it. There could be significant pressure in the water line, depending on its size; a handle could snap off if forced. Plus, doing this slowly prevents a water hammer in the line, which could put undue strain on another part of the system.
At some larger water leak incidents, we may need to locate a valve for a specific line of apartments or the building’s main feed line to stop the water from flowing. The main valve is normally on the front wall of the foundation nearest the street (or it may be on another wall, in a curb box, or buried in the lawn).
When you arrive at a water valve, size it up like any tactical operation. First, is the valve a water valve or a gas valve (many large gas valves resemble water valves; they may also be chained open, similar to an OS&Y valve)? Look for condensation on the pipe to indicate it is a water line and not a gas line. Another indication is that copper or poly-pipe tubing is used for water lines and black pipe is used for gas lines.
While shutting off the flow of water to the leak, shut down the affected area’s electrical circuit breakers. This prevents any of the electrical outlets or electrical components from sparking, arcing, and smoking. In addition, perform salvage operations in the affected areas (which may also be the floors below), and remove any other hazardous conditions such as a hanging ceiling or large accumulations of water above the ceiling. (Remember, when operating in a bathroom in a multiple dwelling, ALWAYS position yourself in the door frame prior to pulling or making a hole in the ceiling. The tub on the floor above could be cast iron and set in concrete, and any previous water damage, decay, rot, or structural damage from fire extension to the joist could cause a collapse.) Another tactic for relieving the water buildup in this room is to make a small hole in the ceiling above the tub, toilet, or sink for the water to drain into. In addition, whenever checking a ceiling’s stability, use the butt end of the hook to see if it’s solid and secured to the joist. Using the pointed end usually pierces the ceiling, and you can get false findings.
Although we depend on water valves to work, there are instances when they are defective and the leak is persistent and a nuisance. At one water leak incident, the officer asked the tenant for a potato. The officer wanted me to push the potato onto the end of the pipe. He hoped the potato would act like a plug and stop the persistent drip and solve the problem. Unfortunately, because of the language barrier, there was some confusion about the request. When the tenant came back into the room and said “potato” and handed us a box of instant mashed potatoes, we both felt a bit foolish!
MICHAEL N. CIAMPO is a 25-year veteran of the fire service and a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York. Previously, he served with the District of Columbia Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is the lead instructor for the FDIC Truck Essentials H.O.T. program. He wrote the Ladder chapter and co-authored the Ventilation chapter for Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II (Fire Engineering, 2009) and is featured in “Training Minutes” truck company videos on www.FireEngineering.com.
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