Cort Smith's Page

Profile Information

Lives in:: Edmond, OK

Department:: Oklahoma City Fire Department

Title/rank:: Lieutenant

Years of public service:: 10

Agency structure:: Paid fire department

Topics you provide training for:: Pump Operations
Hydraulics
New Recruit Training

Areas of expertise:: Hydraulics
Recruit Training

Bio:: I am a lieutenant with over ten years experience. I spend my time driving an engine in the downtown area and as such, have spent the bulk of my time trying to master hydraulics, with a special emphasis on 2 1/2" hose flowing and advancement and high-rise pumping. Additionally, I am a rescue technician in ropes, trench, structural collapse, confined space, swift-water and diving. Apart from working at my station, I also train new recruits and new drivers. I am very active in the F.O.O.L.S. and currently serve as our chapter president.

Cort Smith's Blog

High-Rise Pumping: Multiple Zones

In my last post, I talked about establishing your pump discharge pressure (PDP) for a high-rise. In that post, I used the Devon Tower as an example. Standing at 844 feet in height, per the formula (height x .434 + 100), that structure would require 470 psi to get 100 psi to the roof. Structures that require these extremely high pressures have some added considerations, one of which is the presence of separate vertical zones.

Why Different Zones?

Per NFPA 14, the NFPA…

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Posted on February 14, 2019 at 12:11am

High-Rise Pumping: Establishing Your PDP

For years, departments have relied on pump charts for establishing pump discharge pressures (PDP) on high-rise fires. And generally, these charts are based on 125 plus five psi per floor in elevation loss. Using these charts may work very well on many mid-rise structures, however on taller and more modern high-rises, there may be a better way.

Discard The Pump Card?

Pump charts based on five psi per floor in…

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Posted on February 7, 2019 at 12:03am — 1 Comment

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