Historically, back in the day, the days before you and I, well most likely before you, defiantly before my time, when a second line was needed to attack the fire, it was stretched off a second engine. This insured you truly had a back-up line off a separate pump and separate secured water source. Over time a large part of the fire service started transitioning from smaller supplies lines and reversing out, into LDH and securing water supply via a forward lay. With this transition came the reliance on one large supply line, supplying one pump.

When the hydrant is strong, the lay is short and there are no problems with the primary pumping apparatus. Things are good! The problem comes into play when the fire is large and/or requires a larger fire flow through numerous attack lines. It seems some of us stretch attack lines off one apparatus until that apparatus runs out of pre-connected hose lines. Then we move to the static bed and start utilizing the pump panel discharges. This can create a serious over load on the one pump, single water supply, and way beyond the span of control for any driver engineer. Yes, I said, “Span of Control.” We consider span of control during our management day in and day out to include command and control of fires. So, why not consider the span of control for driver operators’ trying to manage attack lines at a structural fire. Proper accountability of attack lines and managing proper psi/flow are serious issues. I can say anymore than three for me would just be gambling. It is done everyday in this country but does not make it tactically safe. Accountability should also be considered within the drivers’ responsibility.  Accountability of attack lines, who is assigned to them and where the line is engaged. One, two, and maybe three and a trained driver operator should be able to manage.

With the booster back up, the supply line is secured by the second arriving engine and a feeder line is supplied from the second engine to the first engine. With this set-up both the first and second engine companies to arrive have a secure water supply. It also builds in an additional booster tank if the supply line was to fail, “Civilian drives over LDH and ruptures it.” This gives you the ability to also have additional attacks lines managed by a second driver to assist with the driver attack line span of control.

The feeder line is the attack/supply line that gives a secure water source to the primary attack engine. I am torn between calling it a supply vs. attack. Why? The line could actually become the single source feeding the attack lines off the primary engine if it were to fail. This feeder line then would be pumping water to one large expensive manifold, “engine/pump that has failed”.  If the primary pump fails you just pump the feeder line to the highest pressure of attack line off the primary engine. You would be just pumping through. You could say this has not happened. Go to enough fires or stay in the business long enough and it will happen at the worst possible time. I have been at fires where the second engine operator increased pressure to the feeder line immediately to give the interior crew operating on an attack line off the first engine more pressure. You say where was the primary operator? The primary pump operator was doing what the fire service does everyday; more with less. Drivers more and more in the suburbs are required to do more than just pump. We have these theories about what everyone should be doing on the fire ground. Theory does not put FIRES OUT! The booster back-up creates a team of two firefighters/driver operators working together to insure adequate water is delivered to the fire. This team creates safety with everything their required to do.

I recommend on most fires using a 75-foot three-inch feeder line. Three-inch makes it easy for one person to throw/bowl straight to the first arriving engine. It fits in most pump panel trays and will give you upwards of 1500GPM. Yes, I said it, "1500 GALLONS PER MINUTE." Somewhere a long the way we, the fire service, starting thinking anything other than LDH could not push big water. If lines smaller than LDH can not push big water then how did they do it before LDH. What does a 2’ tip at 80 psi flow? How about a 3”open butt at 80 psi? There is your answer. I came into the fire service where in my region we were still using 2.5” and 3” hose to supply the fire scene. I feel lucky to have experienced this and remember that this is still an option where LDH is just not tactically efficient. You say not tactically efficient. Rapid deployment, stretching into court yards and making rapid hook ups can sometimes not be done with the LDH. I would rather get the line in place a little quicker and with the limited manpower and let the pump do a little more work. I am all about low pump pressures, but, not at the expense of burning down buildings and/or over-taxing firefighters. My fellow long time advisor through training articles Captain Bill Gustin, Miami Dade has said it for years, “One firefighter per 100’ of LDH when stretching. If the rig is laying it; no problem, but, when firefighters are required to stretch/drag it becomes a manpower and time issue. If at any time the three inch is not sending enough water and you still have residual water, make an additional feeder hook-up.

The 75’ is to give the second arriving engine a measurement on where to position. If the first arriving Engine operator deploys the 75’ three inch feeder line from their auxiliary intake it allows the second arriving engine to park in a position that is close enough but not too close as to block rear excess to ladders and equipment. When the second apparatus arrives and the driver dismounts they can immediately hook the feeder line to their side discharge and send tank water. This instantly gives an additional tank of booster water and places a second pump into the operation. Redundancy and options are also created. This gives additional time to make the break and hook up the supply line. We have had fires where the driver has issues breaking the LDH coupling and the first engine is running low. The driver has to go back and then give their tank to buy more time. This is what created the always give your tank/booster back up tactic to insure time for making the break and hook up of the LDH. We have also instated always clamping the supply until the hooks up are complete. This allows the hydrant person to charge and send water as soon as they have made their connections. I used to despise being told to wait on charging hydrant because the connections had not been completed at the scene. If they would have clamped it I could have charged it and proceeded onto the scene and assisted with finalizing the supply hook ups.

In addition, I recommend bringing your supply in curb side. Curb side is the side closest to the shoulder of the road way. This allows more room for additional apparatus to get through and possible reverse out or gets a Ladder Company in front of the building. 

Booster Back-Up is setting up for the options and planning on mechanical failure so as to not get caught off guard.