First-In Pumper Options For More Efficient Attack
DEPARTMENTS
The Volunteers Corner
A prime responsibility of the first-in engine company officer is to position and operate his apparatus so that it can be used to its maximum potential.
It’s not only negligent, it’s downright unprofessional to position a pumper without considering the need for pumping capacity, the optimum time for first water that is dictated by fire conditions, and the usefulness of the first-in pumper to later arriving companies. We hasten to point out that the first-in engine company officer must be totally familiar with the operations associated with the considerations mentioned because he will have about 4½ seconds to make his decision. This is where that type of hindsight better known as experience pays off in the best possible decisions made from the facts immediately available.
The first decision that affects the positioning of a pumper is based on how much water will be required to extinguish the fire. Obviously, this has to be a pretty loose estimate, but that is adequate. The question the engine company officer has to answer is: “Can we expect to extinguish this fire with our booster tank water?” A “yes” answer is applicable when little or no smoke is showing and no flames are visible. Under these conditions, the first-in pumper can be positioned just beyond the fire building. This procedure allows the officer to see three sides of the building—unless structures abut the fire building—and leaves space for aerial apparatus.
Laying a line: Your department SOP should state whether the first-in engine company should lay a line going in under these conditions. Some SOPs require the first-in engine company to lay a line whenever smoke is showing while others require it at every structural alarm regardless of what is showing.
If a line is laid, it may be for inline pumping—parallel 2½ or 3-inch supply lines or large-diameter hose attached to the hydrant to supply the pump—or lines dropped at the hydrant to be supplied when the second-in pumper hooks up to the hydrant.
If conditions indicate more than a booster tank operation, then the first-in officer has two options. If the fire appears to be moderate in extent, he can position his pumper as before, get water on the fire in the least amount of time by using water from the booster tank and depending on inline pumping or a short relay from the second-in pumper at the hydrant for a continuous water supply. It is important to know that the second engine is responding and how soon it will arrive.
The other option is to stretch lines from the fire to a hydrant. Because so many fires are extinguished with a single 1½ or 1¾ -inch line, this is the option that is most frequently overlooked when it is needed. A good engine company officer recognizes the fire that requires a large rate of water flow and he positions his pumper at a hydrant or at draft in areas without a water system.
Assist incoming units: When the first-in pumper goes to a water source, it should drop parallel lines whenever the distance allows it. The next engine company can start to operate this line while its pumper is stretching other lines, or if the situation calls for the use of a deluge set, two lines will be immediately available for the gun.
When any pumper hooks up to a hydrant, a large suction hose should be connected to the steamer outlet and a 2½ or 3-inch hose should be connected to one of the 2 ½ -inch outlets at the same time. A gate valve should be placed on the second 2 ½-inch outlet so that a third hose can be taken off the hydrant if advisable. This provides the pumper with the full potential flow of the hydrant, and it makes it possible for this pumper to supply lines of incoming engine companies. In this way, lines get into action sooner and they will be shorter. After all, why buy a 1500-gpm pumper if you never pump more than one 250-gpm line?
The idea is to make it easy for later-arriving engine companies to build their operations on the foundation established by the first-in engine.
Rural operations: In areas without a hydrant system, the first-in pumper will go directly to the fire and either attack the fire or protect exposures if the amount of fire is too great for the amount of tank water carried. If a pumper relay is to be established, then the first-in officer must position his pumper so that at least one—and sometimes two—portable tanks can be set up to receive water from tankers. If the tankers will find it impossible to get close to the attack pumper, then that pumper should drop parallel feeder lines at the main road so the tankers can pump their water through them to supply the attack pumper.
Again, the first-in officer’s evaluation of the situation affects the operations of incoming companies.
If a pumper relay is to be used, then the first-in officer should drop his line as far from the fire building as advisable and stretch to the fire. This will eliminate the need for the second pumper to back down a lengthy farm entrance lane and speed the stretching of a large-diameter hose line to the drafting site.
If a drafting site is within the hose bed capability of the first-in pumper and the fire is beyond the incipient stage, then the first-in officer should have the option to stretch to the drafting site and put at least one hand line into operation. This decision is affected by the estimated arrival time of the second pumper or pumper-tanker.
