Transcript Responding on the Fire Ground

9
Responding
on the Fire
Ground
9
Knowledge Objectives (1 of 3)
• Describe securing a water source after
arriving on scene.
• Describe the driver/operator’s responsibility
with proper hose layouts.
• Describe cab procedures when positioning
the fire apparatus at the fire ground.
• Describe the driver/operator’s responsibilities
prior to exiting the cab of the fire apparatus.
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Knowledge Objectives (2 of 3)
• Describe the driver/operator’s responsibilities
after exiting the fire apparatus.
• Describe the driver/operator’s responsibility
to make connections to a fire department
sprinkler and/or standpipe connection.
• Describe the driver/operator’s role in
troubleshooting problems on scene with the
fire apparatus or its equipment.
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Knowledge Objectives (3 of 3)
• Describe the driver/operator’s role in the
safe operation of the pump.
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Skills Objectives (1 of 2)
• Assemble a hose line from a hydrant to a
pump.
• Inspect a solid-stream nozzle.
• Inspect a fog nozzle.
• Engage the fire pump.
• Hand-lay a supply line.
• Connect a hose to a fire department
connection (FDC).
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Skills Objectives (2 of 2)
• Perform a changeover operation.
• Operate an auxiliary cooling system.
• Disengage the fire pump.
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Fire Hose, Appliances, and
Nozzles Overview (1 of 3)
• Functions of fire hose
– Supply hose (supply line) delivers water from
static source or hydrant to attack pumper
– Attack hose (attack line) discharges water
from attack pumper onto fire
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Fire Hose, Appliances, and
Nozzles Overview (2 of 3)
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Fire Hose, Appliances, and
Nozzles Overview (3 of 3)
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Sizes of Hose (1 of 4)
• Hose diameter ranges: 1”–6” (25–152 mm)
– Nominal hose size
– Smaller-diameter hose used as attack lines
– Larger-diameter hose used as supply lines
– Medium-diameter hose used as attack or
supply lines
• Small-diameter hose (SDH) diameter
ranges: 1”–2” (25–51 mm)
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Sizes of Hose (2 of 4)
© Samuel Acosta/ShutterStock, Inc.
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Sizes of Hose (3 of 4)
• Hose used most often to attack interior
residential structure fires is 1½” (38 mm)
or 1¾” (45 mm)
• Medium-diameter hose (MDH) has
diameter of 2½” (64 mm) or 3” (76 mm)
• Large-diameter hose (LDH) has diameter
of 3½+” (89+ mm)
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Sizes of Hose (4 of 4)
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Attack Hose (1 of 2)
• Designed for fire suppression
• Most departments use two sizes as attack
lines for fire suppression.
• 1½” (38 mm) and 1¾” (45 mm) attack
hose
– Primary attack lines for most fires
– Amount of water through hose is the primary
difference
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Attack Hose (2 of 2)
• 2½” (64 mm) attack hose
– Used as attack line for fires too large to be
controlled by 1½” (38 mm) and 1¾” (45 mm)
line
– Higher flows achieved with higher pressures
and larger nozzles
• Booster hose
– Carried on a reel
– Limited flow
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Supply Hose (1 of 4)
• Delivers water to attack pumper from
pressurized source
– Hydrant or other engine in relay operation
• Engines are loaded with at least one hose
that can be a supply line.
• 2½” (64 mm) hose used as supply line
comprises the same hose type used for
attack lines.
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Supply Hose (2 of 4)
• Large-diameter supply lines are more
efficient than 2½” (64 mm) hose for
moving larger volumes of water over
longer distances.
• Soft suction hose connects the pumper
directly to a large streamer outlet on the
hydrant.
• Hard suction hose drafts water from a
static source.
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Supply Hose (3 of 4)
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Supply Hose (4 of 4)
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Fire Hose Appliances (1 of 7)
• Devices used with fire hose for delivering
water
• Driver/operator should understand the
purpose of each and be able to use each
correctly.
– Wyes split one hose stream into two.
– Water thief is similar to a gated wye with
additional 2½” (64 mm) outlet.
– Siamese connection combines two lines into one.
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Fire Hose Appliances (2 of 7)
Courtesy of Akron Brass Company
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Fire Hose Appliances (3 of 7)
Courtesy of Akron Brass Company
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Fire Hose Appliances (4 of 7)
Courtesy of Akron Brass Company
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Fire Hose Appliances (5 of 7)
• Adapters connect hose couplings with the
same diameter but dissimilar threads.
• Reducers attach SDH to LDH.
• Hose jacket is placed over a section of hose
to stop a leak.
• Hose clamp temporarily stops water flow in a
hose line.
• Valves control water flow in a pipe or hose
line.
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Fire Hose Appliances (6 of 7)
© 2003, Berta A. Daniels
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Fire Hose Appliances (7 of 7)
Courtesy of Akron Brass Company
Courtesy of Akron Brass Company
Courtesy of Akron Brass Company
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Nozzles (1 of 6)
• Nozzles attach to the discharge end of
attack lines to give fire streams shape and
direction.
– Low-volume nozzles flow 40 GPM (150 L/min) or
less.
– Handline nozzles used on hose lines are 1½”–
2½” (38–64 mm) in diameter
– Master stream nozzles are used on deck guns,
portable monitors, and ladder pipes that flow.
– 350+ GPM (1325+ L/min)
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Nozzles (2 of 6)
• Low-volume and handline nozzles
incorporate a shut-off valve to control
water flow.
• Nozzle shut-offs enable fire fighters at the
nozzle to start or stop water flow.
• Smooth-bore nozzles
– Simplest has a shut-off valve and smoothbore tip that decreases stream diameter to
smaller than hose diameter
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Nozzles (3 of 6)
• Smooth-bore nozzle advantages
– Longer reach
– Capable of deeper penetration
– Operation at lower pressures
– Extinguishes fire with less air movement
• Disadvantages
– Streams do not absorb heat as readily
– Fire fighter cannot change the setting
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Nozzles (4 of 6)
• Fog-stream nozzles produce fine droplets
of water.
– Straight streams have center openings.
• Advantages over smooth-bore nozzles
– Can produce a variety of stream patterns
– Effectively absorb heat
– Move large volumes of air with water
– Can push fire into unaffected areas
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Nozzles (5 of 6)
• Piercing nozzles make holes in sheet metal,
aircraft, and building walls or ceilings to
extinguish fires behind surfaces.
• Cellar nozzles and Bresnan distributor nozzles
fight fires in cellars and other inaccessible
places.
• Water curtain nozzles deliver a flat screen of
water that forms a protective curtain on the
surface of an exposed building.
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Nozzles (6 of 6)
• Nozzle maintenance and inspection
– Inspect nozzles regularly, with all
equipment on every vehicle.
– Check nozzles after each use before
placing them back on the apparatus.
– Keep nozzles clean and clear of
debris.
– Inspect fingers on the face of fog
nozzles.
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Fire Hose Evolutions (1 of 6)
• Driver/operator’s responsibility is to secure
a water source upon arrival on scene.
– Fire hose evolutions are critical to
driver/operator’s success.
– Most departments set up equipment and
conduct regular training so fire fighters are
prepared to perform standard hose
evolutions.
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Fire Hose Evolutions (2 of 6)
• Driver/operator should know where pressure
lines should be supplied at.
– Ensure they are properly flaked out before being
charged with water pressure.
– Driver/operator needs to know how to deploy hose
lines and which size, length, and nozzle
configurations are required.
– Driver/operator needs all the information to supply the
attack line with the correct water flow for fire
extinguishment.
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Fire Hose Evolutions (3 of 6)
• Hose evolutions are divided into supply
and attack line operations.
– Supply line operations involve laying hose
lines and making connections between the
water supply source and the attack pumper.
– Attack line operations involve advancing hose
lines from the attack pumper to apply water
onto the fire.
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Fire Hose Evolutions (4 of 6)
• Supply line evolutions
– To deliver water from a
hydrant or an alternative
source to the attack pumper
• Forward hose lay
– Most often used by the firstarriving engine company at
the fire scene
– The hydrant closest to the fire
may supply a sufficient
amount of water by itself.
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Fire Hose Evolutions (5 of 6)
• Four-way hydrant valve
– Water flows from the
hydrant through the
valve to a supply line
which delivers water to
the attack pumper.
• Reverse hose lay
– Hose is laid out from the
fire to the hydrant.
– Opposite direction to
water flow
Courtesy of Jim Hylton
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Fire Hose Evolutions (6 of 6)
• Split hose lay
– Performed by two engine
companies, hose must be
laid in two different
directions
– Coordination by two-way
radio
• When an engine is located at
a hydrant, the supply hose
must deliver water from the
hydrant to the engine.
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Cab Procedures (1 of 5)
• Driver/operator should position the apparatus
according to department policies and
procedures and turn the front wheels toward
the curb on a 45-degree angle.
– If the apparatus moves, it will move toward the
curb and stop, making the scene safer.
– If there is no curb, same position for wheels so
apparatus is not pushed ahead or into the other
side of the street
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Cab Procedures (2 of 5)
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Cab Procedures (3 of 5)
• All unnecessary emergency lighting should be
off except what is needed for the protection of
personnel working in and around the apparatus
on scene.
• Leaving all lighting on can drain the apparatus’s
electrical system.
– Newer apparatus automatically change lighting to “on
scene” modes.
– Older apparatus require driver/operator to choose
which lights are used.
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Cab Procedures (4 of 5)
• Once on scene and before exiting the cab
– Exiting prematurely can waste valuable time and
cause driver/operator to overlook important function
– Place the transmission into neutral or park, based on
the apparatus.
– Apply the parking brake.
– Place the apparatus transmission from “road” to
“pump” position.
– Place the apparatus transmission into drive, letting
the motor power pump instead of the drivetrain.
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Cab Procedures (5 of 5)
• Exiting the cab
– Once the pump is engaged, the first task upon exiting
the cab is to chock the apparatus wheels.
– Circulate water into the pump.
– Remove air inside the centrifugal pump for proper
operation.
– Once there is no air inside the pump, open the “Tank
Refill” valve to let the water flow from the pump back
into the onboard tank.
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Securing a Water Source (1 of 3)
• One of the driver/operator’s primary
responsibility
– Before leaving the fire station to respond,
have the knowledge of water sources at or
near the scene.
– Use a map with hydrant locations on it.
– Be familiar with water sources within the
response area.
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Securing a Water Source (2 of 3)
• On arrival, the fire officer determines if the
driver/operator will lay the supply line to
the incident.
– If the fire officer calls for a supply line, follow
your department’s SOPs.
– If the engine company is the first on scene,
the fire officer may forgo the supply line and
go straight into the scene.
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Securing a Water Source (3 of 3)
• Sometimes the hydrant is located near the
building that is on fire.
– Position the apparatus to use the hose to
connect to the hydrant instead of using a
forward lay.
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Hand Lays (1 of 3)
• Considerations
– How far is the apparatus from the hydrant?
– What is the best hose to make the connection?
– How long will this take to complete?
• To determine how far the apparatus is from
the closest hydrant, use a reference map in
the apparatus or estimate the distance from
the pump intake to the hydrant.
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Hand Lays (2 of 3)
• Some departments carry reduced-length 3” (76
mm) or 2½” (64 mm) hose for refilling the
onboard tank from the hydrant.
• If the hydrant is 60’ (18 m) feet away, shorter
LDH lines are not an option.
• To determine how long a hand lay will take:
– Distance from apparatus to hydrant
– Hose choice
– Obstacles to deploy the hose
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Hand Lays (3 of 3)
• Consider double-tapping the hydrant when
obtaining a water source.
• Practice helps the driver/operator build
confidence and become more proficient in
securing a water source.
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Standpipe/Sprinkler Connecting
(1 of 4)
• Connecting supply hose lines to standpipe
and sprinkler systems
– Standpipe systems provide water supply for
attack lines that will be operated inside the
building
– Types of standpipe systems
• Dry system
• Wet system
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Standpipe/Sprinkler Connecting
(2 of 4)
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Standpipe/Sprinkler Connecting
(3 of 4)
• Pressure requirements for standpipe
systems depend on the height of water
use in the building.
• Private fire protection systems in the
building are due to building characteristics
within the response area, height, and
construction materials used in the building.
• FDC can be free standing or wall
mounted.
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Standpipe/Sprinkler Connecting
(4 of 4)
• Each female connection should have a clapper
valve inside the Siamese connection that swings
closed on any connection not in use.
• If the exterior FDC connection is damaged so
that a connection cannot be made, hook it up to
the standpipe on the building’s first floor.
• Connect the engine to the sprinkler/standpipe;
your SOPs may specify when to supply the
standpipe.
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Performing a Changeover (1 of 6)
• When arriving at a scene, the
driver/operator may need to supply attack
lines from an onboard tank, then have a
supply line laid to the pump from another
apparatus or a hand-laid supply line.
– Supplying attack lines from an onboard tank is
limited by the water in the tank.
– Tank water lasts only so long; supply line is
needed to sustain a fire attack for longer time.
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Performing a Changeover (2 of 6)
• During changeover, driver/operator
switches from onboard tank to external
source
– Goal: to make changeover before running out
of water in tank, with least pressure
fluctuation for crew on nozzle
– Over-pressurizing the attack line causes fire
fighters to lose control, causing an unsafe
situation.
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Performing a Changeover (3 of 6)
• Driver/operator needs
to supply attack lines
with correct pressure
constantly to ensure
safe operation
– Pressure relief valve,
pressure governor
– Transfer valve is needed
with multistage pump
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Performing a Changeover (4 of 6)
• Factors to consider before
changeover
– How much water is currently
in the tank?
– What flow rate (GPM) and
pressure (psi) are used by the
crew on the attack line?
– What is the incoming pressure
from the supply line?
– What is the setting of the
pressure control device?
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Performing a Changeover (5 of 6)
• When beginning changeover, watch the attack
crew’s pressure gauge.
– Fluctuation should not exceed 10 psi (69 kPa).
– Slowly open the valve from the external water source,
introducing water into the pump.
– Once the valve is fully open, close the tank-to-pump
valve.
– If the pressure-relieving device is set for lower than
the incoming supply pressure, increase the setting on
the valve above the incoming pressure from the
supply line.
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Performing a Changeover (6 of 6)
• Once changeover is accomplished,
recheck all gauges for proper settings.
– If no additional lines are needed, refill the
onboard tank.
– Open the tank fill valve just enough to let
water into the tank, but not enough to permit
pressure fluctuations for the attack lines.
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Duties on Scene
• Driver/operator has duties and responsibilities
on scene other than pumping water or foam.
– Once pumping operation is underway, monitor
gauges on the pump panel.
– During pumping operations, if engine temperature
increases, take steps to reduce it.
• Driver/operator’s final duty on the fire ground is
to disengage the fire pump.
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Summary
• Fire hoses are used for two purposes: supply
and attack.
• Hose appliances
• Nozzles are attached to the discharge end of
attack lines to give fire streams shape and
direction.
• Driver/operator’s responsibility is to secure the
water source upon arrival on scene.
• Fire hose evolutions is critical to the success of
a firefighting operation.