Now that the wildfire season is winding down, training is emphasizing fighting house fires. For those wondering what we learn at drills, here is a sample:
Upon arriving at the home, we must first determine where tenders will be positioned to supply water when they arrive. Then the structure apparatus drives from that spot toward the house, which might be some distance away, laying a 4” supply line as it goes. The tenders hook up to the supply line when they arrive. A Siamese (3-pronged) fitting allows more than one tender at a time to be hooked up, which is important for continuous supply of water when the first tender leaves for a refill.
The driver turns the structure apparatus around, then backs towards the home a safe distance away, sets the wheel chocks, starts the pump, then clamps and attaches the upper end of the supply line. The hose clamp is released to flow water when needed. Based on the size of the home and the extent of the fire, firefighters pull the either a 1-3/4” or 2-1/2” diameter hose to get water from the structure apparatus to the fire.
As soon as possible, one firefighter does a size-up of the situation by circling the house, turning off power and propane, identifying the actual location of the fire in the house, and looking for safety issues. By this point a determination has been made regarding the need to request mutual aid from adjacent districts. (Lyle provides automatic aid and would be well on the way by now.)
Firefighters now prepare to safely enter the building (which I hope to cover in a future article).