Pump Operator 101 Simulation

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Douglas Watson on June 3, 2008 at 10:29pm

Jonathan,

So far, the response from the few I have shown is great. Once the folks get familiar with the pump panel layout, they really express intrest and want to pull levers and switch between tank & hydrant water, watching how the gauges recact. It looks like you've got it acting like a real pump. In future versions, I'd like to see things like drafting, relay pumping, multiple intake and discharge lines....the sky is the limit! This will be a great tool that the Drivers can use as a refresher without damaging equipment or wasting fuel! I am going to use it with my next class begining next month.

Permalink Reply by Andy DiRuzza on June 5, 2008 at 10:08pm

This is an interesting simulation that I really enjoyed. The only issue that I saw was that you have to pump from the tank to pass the test. I was taught that once you secure your water source you keep the tank as emergency only. You then shut off your Tank to pump, and Tank Fill and use the hydrant as the source of water. This leaves the tank as option B if the main malfunctions.

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Kaye on June 6, 2008 at 1:09am

Thanks for the feedback!

I am not a pump operator, but I think you can do that -- the idea with these simulations is that they can be adapted by the instructor. The test has some basics, but you can instruct your students to do more. It will say that the student is done, but the student can keep working.

Once you have secured your water source and opened the intake valve, you can close the tank-to-pump, and then once you re-fill your tank, you can close the tank fill valve (once the intake valve is open, the tank begins re-filling, otherwise, if the intake valve is not open, and the line is charged, water is drawn from the tank). So even if the instructions officially don't require it, you can make your students practice your protocol.

Permalink Reply by Douglas Watson on June 6, 2008 at 5:36am

Jonathan, Still lots of great reviews! Andy presents a good point...pump operators sometimes have a hydrant & don't need tank water. Since what we developed was the most basic of scenarios, I'd like to see future scenarios that allows the user to connect to a hydrant first.

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Kaye on June 6, 2008 at 5:43am

I understand now Andy's comment. I do appreciate the compliment!

We can see where the community wants to take this, and expand the configuration of tests and exercises. Please keep the comments coming!

Permalink Reply by Aaron Robbins on June 9, 2008 at 9:36pm

I would like to see more of these

Permalink Reply by Bob Franklin on June 22, 2008 at 4:09pm

On the question whether to close the tank to pump valve after water supply is established, all apparatus built after 1970 was required to have a clapper valve in the tank to pump line. When the water supply is established, the clapper will close automatically. You can leave the tank to pump valve open, then in the event that incoming water supply is lost, the clapper valve will open returning supply from the tank. It is important to fill the on board water tank as soon as possible. If you leave to tank fill open this will allow water to fill the tank, but also will allow water to circulate to prevent the pump from overheating. Any excess water will be discharge by the tank over flow piping.

You must keep water circulating, even from a water sourse to prevent the pump from overheating. To circulate water leave the tank fill open half or simply open another discharge 1/4 and dump the excess water. I have found in my 30+ years as a pump mechanic, that most overheating damage occurs when operating from a incomong water source rather than from on-board operations. When we are taking incoming water, we forget that we still must circulate water to prevent over heating of the pump

Permalink Reply by Tom Bickford on July 16, 2008 at 8:37pm

This is a great simulation, Both my wife and I found it extremely helpful, since having two kids makes it hard to get to the fire station to train with the engines as often as we'd like to do it.

'd like to see a simulation for drafting operations, since I live in a town that has more areas outside the hydrant district than in it. Drafting also provides for dozens of things to go wrong from opening a discharge too fast to having marsh grass clog the suction strainer and the standard problem of overheating the pump if you don't flow water.

When drafting on a dirt banking, I prefer flowing water through a nozzle or short line off a pump discharge or even the deck gun so I can control where the water is falling and avoid washing out the banking under the pumper.

Permalink Reply by Mike on July 17, 2008 at 7:07pm

I can understand having to go around the engine before leaving the station for a D/E trainee, but I would like to be able to only use the hydraulic portion. In future editions, I would like to see multiple lines with differing pressures, to better simulate actual fire scenes. Other than those nits to pick, great teaching tool.

Permalink Reply by Jonathan Kaye on July 17, 2008 at 7:51pm

Thanks Tom, Mike, Aaron, Bob, and everyone. We really appreciate the feedback and we'll see how we can incorporate it in future sims.

Regarding Mike's comment about multiple lines, don't forget that Sim #1 (It's Your Call) has a pump operator drill at the end of it in which the student runs two lines, and there is a mini-tutorial about calculating pressures. Unfortunately, you have to get through the first part (surveying the scene) to reach the second part.

I know Capt. Watson and I have been talking about future editions, and though the next set of sims have been predetermined (we're going to do some positive pressure scenarios), I'm sure we'll be adding to operator training in the not-so-distant future.

Thanks again for letting us know how we can make the training even better!

Permalink Reply by Mike on August 7, 2008 at 1:33pm

I really enjoyed this sim, but had some of the same gripes as the other folks and I would be very intrested in using some of the other pump operator sims you put out. Thanks for doing the work