Observations
from the Pump Panel I was pumping at a private dwelling fire the other day and again found myself pondering things. While I watched operations unfolding and crews reacting to a well-involved ranch home, something caught my eye. Four lines had been pulled, and only one was in service, a 2½-inch. As operations progressed and additional lines (2½’s) were placed into service, two lines remained uncharged. They were the two initial 1¾-inch crosslays off the first-in engine. With the fire involving the attached garage and rear porch areas, I wondered why the crosslays were deployed as first lines when they were obviously underpowered for the task at hand. I must reiterate, 2½-inch lines were the initial handlines on the fire, so someone had made a decision, and the correct one in my opinion. After conducting several company drills over the past few months, I discovered that many firefighters do not perform a size-up prior to stretching a handline. In fact, the majority of the company had never considered it or been taught a proper stretch assessment. They understood the selection part as far as “big fire, big water," but did not understand the differences between working from a pre-connected line opposed to a static bed, as well as the difference of working off the rear of the engine as opposed to the mid-ship crosslays. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, of course, but I felt obligated to share some of the discussion that followed. First off, let’s examine the crosslays. There are days I wish I could eliminate it because it is the crutch of today’s engine company. Some firefighters believe (or are taught) that these fixed-length weapons will conquer any fire, and it is just not the case. It is true that if sized in both length and diameter, they should be able to handle most first-in fires in residential or suburban districts. But there is a time and place for them, just like every other tool we carry on the apparatus. The two lines deployed on the fire mentioned were pulled out of repetition, and that statement comes directly from the firefighters who pulled them. "It’s the line we always pull, so I pulled it." At some point in one’s career, the childish enthusiasm must wane and give way to the wisdom of age and experience. If the play ain’t gonna work, why bring it into the game? Next, let’s take a walk to the rear of the engine. Like most engines, ours are equipped with 1¾-inch pre-connects off the rear, as well as a pre-connected 2½-inch, a static bed of 2½-inch, and large-diameter supply line. Working from the rear bed gives some advantages to placement of later arriving apparatus, as well as a full selection of diameters and lengths of hose. It also allows the option of a reverse lay, a tactic that is underutilized by some departments, especially those working shorthanded. In examining the stretch assessment, there are two parts — the supply line (the distance from the apparatus to the entry point) and the working line (the line entering the building). Each is important, and each needs to be estimated correctly for the stretch to be effective, especially on long lays or reduced lines. The process remains the same for pre-connected lines; it should be figured for the average response within the engines first in district. Firefighters can use average setback distances, cars, power poles, etc. to help judge distances over large open areas such as those found in garden apartment complexes. Longer stretches such as these take practice to master, so practice them often. The working line can be estimated by adding the length and width of the building, adding 25 feet for the operating floor, and an additional 25 feet for every floor up or down. Additional lengths may need to be added in certain circumstances, such as a wraparound staircase, long aisle ways, or heavy amounts of retail display on the fire floor. These types of scenarios should be noted during inspections, tours, or false alarms to locations and discussed at the dinner table or training ground. If using a reduced line, the wye should be located at or near the entry point, with the working length extending from this point. On multistory buildings, the wye should remain below the fire floor for safety, remembering to add 25 feet to the working line for each story. I conduct drills on this topic every month. Most of the time, it isn’t necessary to leave the station. If you have an apparatus bay, a parking lot, a couple of entry points and a set of stairs, you can do this drill. Add a twist and have them pull it, tighten couplings and charge it, too. Change it up and have a standpipe drill. Better yet, when you’re out and about, pull up to a structure, vacant or not, and make an estimation! Talk about stretches when you’re with a med unit, out inspecting, or on a false alarm. Just get them thinking about the stretch and line selection so you don’t come up short the next time you catch a good job. As an engine company, it’s your primary job. As a wise man (my father) once told me, “Do it right, or do it over!" Taking the few extra seconds to estimate your stretch will help alleviate the biggest mistake an engine company can make, stretching short. © Copyright Firenuggets.com 2008 • Click here for Terms and Conditions of Use
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