Fire Engineering Training Community
Engine Company Operations-Engineer
I've created this group for all of us that have one of the most difficult jobs during any working fire. I hope that we can share ideas and/or difficulties from the job that we all may learn from.
Difficult Hose Lays
I work in an area of Atlanta that has large, and I mean LARGE homes with some driveways extending over 1500 feet from the road. The houses range from 5,000 to 30,000 sq. feet. Some of the driveways have bridges that cross over creeks or culverts but were not built to handle fire apparatus. the driveways are too small for our regular apparatus. We are beginning the process of designing a vehicle to address these structures.
There are several tactical scenarios which need to be addressed.
- enough hose for the hose lay
- enough water for supply
- enough attack lines
- enough pressure to support master streams if needed
- enough equipment to begin critical tasks
I would like to get your ideas about how we can accomplish these tasks with one apparatus.
As most of you know, as the first attack line goes, so goes the fire. If we screw up the first line we'll never recover and we'll lose the structure. We've looked at a Manifold Truck F-550 chasis. I'm sure there are other configurations that will work just as well.
Thanks for your input.
There are several tactical scenarios which need to be addressed.
- enough hose for the hose lay
- enough water for supply
- enough attack lines
- enough pressure to support master streams if needed
- enough equipment to begin critical tasks
I would like to get your ideas about how we can accomplish these tasks with one apparatus.
As most of you know, as the first attack line goes, so goes the fire. If we screw up the first line we'll never recover and we'll lose the structure. We've looked at a Manifold Truck F-550 chasis. I'm sure there are other configurations that will work just as well.
Thanks for your input.
Have the city mandate that homes that are inaccessible to fire apparatus in that manner be sprinklered!!! If they have a house that large they can afford a few thousand dollars to protect it with a sprinkler system.
This situation sounds like you need to go back to initiating your basic rural water supply tactics and strategies. The standpipe Larry suggested is a good idea and also if the have a pond suggest they put in a dry hydrant to allow you to pull a water supply from. In the case of getting apparatus over a culvert or bridge that is not rated for heavy you may want to spec out some light single cab engines like they use in wild land but put a hose reel in the bed and compliment it with NFPA required equipment. Then use it for special responses like this after you have identified all the addresses in the area that the engines would need to be special called.
Feb 6, 2010
Stephen Hill
Thanks for all the suggestions, we are trying different strategies to determine the best response using our current equipment. We currently have an F-250 pickup loaded with 1500' of 3" hose. We will be trying a 5" supply line next and determining if this will meet our needs.
Feb 8, 2010
Gotta love the "Political Red Tape" seems like a lot of politicians have it in for Public safety these days! Like Chief Lasky said something like: "We are not a funding blackhole"! How true is it that the city officials and taxpayers often forget that our funding is directly aimed at their safety and well being! Yet we are the first ones to be hit when it's time to trim the fat! Why not cut it somewhere else like say salary cuts for high earning officials?
Good luck with the red tape..it's like dangling a cape in front of a raging bull!
KEEP THE FAITH!
Feb 9, 2010