Water 💦 Supply is the Foundation of providing a Fire 🔥 Stream. You need it to create the Stream of Success towards full extinguishment. The Real Significance is in the quantity required by a given Fire 🔥 and much Energy/BTUs it’s giving off. To keep it simple we have, Tank Water 💦 & Hydrant Water. Some think 🤔 Tank Water 💦 is the one that is the most limiting and least reliable. Reality is that hydrant water 💦 is much more limiting and definitely unknown based on so many factored.

Size and Location of mains supporting the hydrant. Size and length of Fire 🔥 Hose used to deliver the hydrant water 💦 to a Fire Pump that will create the Fire 🔥 Stream. How we connect to the hydrant and Operate it for maximum results. As basic as catching and using a hydrant is, there seems to more issues with getting the best results when utilizing hydrants based on trying to think it’s real simple. Reality is, more detail in training firefighters on hydrant use must be done. I have personally been to a large number of fires where good firefighters didn’t TAP INTO THE HYDRANTS, total supply capabilities.

Firefighters must understand how many turns a given brand of hydrant requires ti fully open the BAIL!! A nozzle flows water 💦 when the nozzle nail is only 1/3 open and a hydrant provides water 💦 even when turned only 1/3 the turn’s required to fully open it. The difference is in understanding and ability to see the water 💦 supplies end result. The Fire 🔥 Stream is the end result and when it’s created discharging out of a nozzle, we have the vision to see it’s quality and some what it’s quantity.

When a hydrant charges a line, it’s either charged and hard, or it’s not. SO CONFIRM ALL FIREFIGHTERS 🚒 KNOW THAT WE MUST TURN ON ALL HYDRANTS COMPLETELY. This means turn it till you can’t turn it anymore and back off a half a turn. Get out and check hydrants while counting the turns it takes ti fully open your hydrants.

Train on: Hooking an LDH Supply line to a hydrant that only has 2.5” discharge ports or simulate that the steamer is welded or locked shut. Cover where to put the ball or gate valve if you only have one of them and what all the adapters are for in the bag. What to do if the hydrant wrench is bent and you can’t turn it all the way down to fit an old hydrant that is worn down on top of the bonnet.

We had a fire 🔥 that the firefighter had to use 5” spanned wrenches as spacers to get a tight enough fit to turn it on. It was critical based on a fully involved building with exposures under serious wind conditions. Look at the FIRST PICTURE AT THE TOP OF THIS ARTICLE AND MAKE IT A COFFEE ☕️ TABLE DISCUSSION. Then get out on the FLOOR & dump the hydrant bag out for a detailed discussion of maximizing the BAG.

Talk about back stretching for an Emergency Water 💦 Supply and when to use 3” based on speed and distance one firefighter can accomplish this tactics.

ALL HYDRANTS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL and we must make the most of what they do have to offer. Have a Great Day!