MCFRS Water Supply

These short articles about incident water supply are intended to assist in the process of correcting an identified negative organizational drift with respect to incident water supplies. The MCFRS philosophy with regards to fire suppression in structures is based on the idea of Fast Water/Coordinated Ventilation. The MCFRS approach to water supply is based on all water supplies being rapid, reliable, and expandable. All water supply operations must be configured to support these mandates.

Correct Terms

The correct term for a hydrant outlet (butt) is “pumper outlet nozzle” for an opening 3.5” or greater and “hose outlet nozzle” for an opening 3” or smaller. I am okay referring to our hydrant outlets as “steamer outlet” and and “2-½” outlet” since all of our fire hydrants are the same in the three municipal systems.

Heavy Water Hookups

Every time a fire hydrant is used a heavy water hookup must also be used. This includes situations where an engine takes their “own hydrant.” According to the Incident Response Policy’s Water Supply Operations (WSO) Appendix,“All hydrant hookups will use a heavy water hook up,” meaning that the steamer outlet and at least one end 2-½” outlet will be “dressed” and immediately available for use. Further, all hose connected to a hydrant shall be the largest available: 5” sleeve is preferred to 4” for the steamer outlet, 4” is preferred to 3” for the 2-½ outlets.

Using the Pre-Connected Soft Sleeve

In order to meet the mandate of rapid, reliable, and expandable, the soft sleeve on each engine must be pre-connected and the location of tools, equipment, and fittings optimized for operating as the supply engine. Given the limitations of the policy with regards to taking one’s own hydrant, it is anticipated that this will happen less frequently. It is therefore important that the soft sleeve operation be optimized for rapidly executing the supply pumper function.

Given the mandate to use the largest available hose, it is not appropriate to use “short shots” of 4” hose as the primary water supply tool for engines taking water from fire hydrants. Further, the practice of engines connecting a supply line that they have laid out to the soft sleeve instead of to an intake is sub-optimal and should be avoided.

Laying Out

MCFRS is a forward lay fire department and we want the first due engine to initiate a forward lay regardless of how long the driveway is. It is easier to complete a lay that falls short than it is to start one from scratch. Other key points:

• For engines with split beds they should use all of their supply line when they have to. A 2,000 foot lay out without a pumper in the middle is sub-optimal but it should still be able to meet the 500 GPM threshold under most conditions.

• If the water supply needs to be expanded it is faster to put a pumper in the middle of a long line than it is to reverse engineer a supply.

• The first engine has to be conscious of water supply evolutions even when they won’t be initiating the layout. They should consider:

  • Marking their direction at forks in the driveway,

  • Designating where layouts should begin or finding other ways to ensure that water supply is managed in a way that is rapid, reliable and expandable.

• Apparatus that does not carry water must stay out of the way.

  • Crews moving up the driveway must assist by moving supply line over to the side.

  • There are not many highrises in the rural setting so while ladder positioning is important it is not as important as the water supply.

  • Command vehicles should leave keys in the ignition. As the water supply evolves your out of the way position may suddenly become in the way.

Not Laying Out

According to the Water Supply Appendix (WSA), The first due engine may elect to not lay a line in the rural setting when any of the following conditions are met:

1. The first due engine and the attack tanker are expected to arrive at about the same time.

2. The laying of that line will impede the ability of the second engine and/or tanker to access the scene.

3. There is uncertainty about how to access the scene, including situations where the structure is not visible from the roadway.

Please don’t be confused. WE WANT THE FIRST DUE ENGINE TO LAYOUT. However, we realize that there are times when this is not the best option and allow exception in the three cases listed above.

The WSA goes on to say, “If the first due engine does not initiate a water supply, they must provide direction via radio to the second due engine to do so. If the first due engine does not layout the second due engine must initiate the lay out with a clappered siamese.”

The second water supply at a structure fire is designed to provide an independent water supply for units operating in the rear (or opposite the first arriving units). However, it must never be forgotten that the fire attack hinges on the first attack line and the first water supply. According to the Water Supply Appendix, “Developing a second water supply, when required by policy, must not detract from or impede the development of the initial water supply.”

The importance of the first water supply also means that units arriving on the scene who encounter a humat wrapped hydrant are obligated by common sense to, at the very least, hook the humat up, confirm that the receiving engine is ready, and charged the line before moving on to another task. The more serious the incident e.g., the bigger the fire, the more reports of people trapped, etc… the more important it is to ENSURE THE WATER SUPPLY FOR FIRE ATTACK.