The first department I has on we would set up a fill site with enough lines to fill up to 3 tankers at one time. A typical 1500 gpm pump may flow 2200 gpm from draft. Being from the Mabas Division 101. Back when we had a cork factory on fire we flowed sustained 6000 gpm. At times we were flowing 8000 gpm, the hard thing was refueling the Engines at the fill sites. Fill sites seem to always have tankers 2 and 3 deep refilling having one almost full one about 1/2 full and one backing in to fill. On a five alarm plus two interdivionals. We had equipment north to south from Milwaukee to Chicago. This took 4 fill sites one artesian well flowing 1000gpm 4 Fill sites on a lake each with a Engine Qmax Hale 1500 GPM pumps. And 2 Firefighters and a Engineer. As you are filling one at maximum gpm let the extra pump gpm fill a second tanker backing in a 3rd and connecting it up. Keeping one at the empty tanker and one at the nearly full. As the nearly full finishes filling. That firefighter shuts off the filling lines and then opens fully the 1/2 full tanker and half opens the valve to the empty tanker. Then both firefighters can release the full tankers lines and pull them back 10 to 15 feet. And then the process starts all over again. Of course all our tankers had a 3 inch and a 4 inch intake. Most had 3 way 10" dumps on the rear and were 3500 gallons. Also all our portable tanks were interconnected with the drain sleeves using Fol-da- Tanks drain sleeve connectors. Water supply needs its own channel, fill locations use a 5way manifold with only 2 2.5 gated outlets and 3 5" gated outlets. 50 ft 5" sections make this easier. Also having a rehab mobile pickup or van to bring support supplies such as Gatorade and food to fill sites helps keep things moving quickly. When running multiple fill sites it is needed to assign tankers to fill sites. These fill sites need to be fairly large and can be set up alongside a roadway, large boat launch, but not a dead end street only forcing tankers to back up short distance is the second best a truck length or 2. A straight pull up and drive out is best. Using a road way always keep one lane open. Marking the stopping points with reflective traffic cones. We couldn't have asked for a better time to have a ISO certification done that day.
If I understand HVP to mean High Volume Pump accurately, then the reason is that there is not a static water source to pump from, normally. Having a "tanker" (it is actually referred to as a Water Tender here in the Western US, as a Tanker means an aircraft filled with Retardant or Water) allows you to bring the water to the Emergency so as to supply the Engine Company on scene. You can either hook the Tender right up to the Engine, or you can dump in to static ponds. A High Volume Pump is equipped on some Tenders, and also, at least in the Departments that I volunteer for, we have old school Military Pumps that we can plumb into the lake. They are extreme, for sure. They are diesel powered and have four, 6" discharge ports. And yes, they are able to run them simultaneously. I hope that answered you question adequately. If I missed you meaning, please follow up! I love discussing Fire Department Tactics and Strategy!
GREAT Video! It has helped my studies for AO Promotion. Thank You
The first department I has on we would set up a fill site with enough lines to fill up to 3 tankers at one time. A typical 1500 gpm pump may flow 2200 gpm from draft. Being from the Mabas Division 101. Back when we had a cork factory on fire we flowed sustained 6000 gpm. At times we were flowing 8000 gpm, the hard thing was refueling the Engines at the fill sites. Fill sites seem to always have tankers 2 and 3 deep refilling having one almost full one about 1/2 full and one backing in to fill. On a five alarm plus two interdivionals. We had equipment north to south from Milwaukee to Chicago. This took 4 fill sites one artesian well flowing 1000gpm 4 Fill sites on a lake each with a Engine Qmax Hale 1500 GPM pumps. And 2 Firefighters and a Engineer.
As you are filling one at maximum gpm let the extra pump gpm fill a second tanker backing in a 3rd and connecting it up. Keeping one at the empty tanker and one at the nearly full. As the nearly full finishes filling. That firefighter shuts off the filling lines and then opens fully the 1/2 full tanker and half opens the valve to the empty tanker. Then both firefighters can release the full tankers lines and pull them back 10 to 15 feet. And then the process starts all over again. Of course all our tankers had a 3 inch and a 4 inch intake. Most had 3 way 10" dumps on the rear and were 3500 gallons. Also all our portable tanks were interconnected with the drain sleeves using Fol-da- Tanks drain sleeve connectors. Water supply needs its own channel, fill locations use a 5way manifold with only 2 2.5 gated outlets and 3 5" gated outlets. 50 ft 5" sections make this easier. Also having a rehab mobile pickup or van to bring support supplies such as Gatorade and food to fill sites helps keep things moving quickly. When running multiple fill sites it is needed to assign tankers to fill sites. These fill sites need to be fairly large and can be set up alongside a roadway, large boat launch, but not a dead end street only forcing tankers to back up short distance is the second best a truck length or 2. A straight pull up and drive out is best. Using a road way always keep one lane open. Marking the stopping points with reflective traffic cones. We couldn't have asked for a better time to have a ISO certification done that day.
Why do US fire departments use tankers so much, would not a HVP save considerably in manpower requirements?
If I understand HVP to mean High Volume Pump accurately, then the reason is that there is not a static water source to pump from, normally. Having a "tanker" (it is actually referred to as a Water Tender here in the Western US, as a Tanker means an aircraft filled with Retardant or Water) allows you to bring the water to the Emergency so as to supply the Engine Company on scene. You can either hook the Tender right up to the Engine, or you can dump in to static ponds. A High Volume Pump is equipped on some Tenders, and also, at least in the Departments that I volunteer for, we have old school Military Pumps that we can plumb into the lake. They are extreme, for sure. They are diesel powered and have four, 6" discharge ports. And yes, they are able to run them simultaneously. I hope that answered you question adequately. If I missed you meaning, please follow up! I love discussing Fire Department Tactics and Strategy!