Engine 1-13: First Choice for Fires

Monkey with a Garden Hose

“Given enough time, a monkey with a garden hose can put out a fire.”

That was Tommy Hale’s way of explaining that when they run out of fuel, all fires go out on their own. My Firefighter I and II instructor also used the monkey analogy to stress the critical aspect of water supply.

In its simplest form, water supply is the process of taking a big water source and making it smaller, more concentrated and more manageable. While not as glamorous as being on the nozzle, it’s one the most fundamental and crucial operations on the fireground.

The Haddam Volunteer Fire Company maintains 11 emergency motor vehicles. Our Standard Operating Procedures call for apparatus to respond in a certain order, depending on the emergency. More times than not in a fire emergency, Engine 1-13 is the first to roll out.

Engine 1-13 carries 1,000 gallons of water and has a maximum flow rate of 1,500 gallons-per-minute. That represents a massive amount of water, not accounting for things like friction loss, the total pressure lost as water moves through a hose.


With a Little Help from My Friends

It’s a thing of pride to be first on-scene and telling the next-due engine to “pick up my line.” But arriving first is useless without an adequate, uninterrupted water supply to get the job done.

Even with water flowing through a smaller hose line, 1,000 gallons of water doesn’t last long. That’s why Engine 1-13 usually arrives with 2,500-gallon Tanker 2-13 to establish an initial water supply. From there, an uninterrupted flow typically depends on several tankers moving water.

Rural areas like Haddam lack a hydrant system, which makes water supply an issue that requires practice and pre-planning. For a major structure fire, portable drop tanks and water shuttles (moving water from a fill site to a dump site) usually requires calls to neighboring departments for more water. Water can be drawn from ponds, lakes and rivers – even swimming pools.

A drop tank is like an above-ground pool that sets up quickly and holds 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of water. Tankers equipped with high-capacity dump valves fill the portable tank set on the ground at the pumper.


Get Pumped!

The primary water tank on Engine 1-13 runs down the center in the rear of the truck. A 6-inch diameter hard suction hose sucks water from the water source.

Water stored in the Engine’s tank or taken from an outside source is then discharged through water lines (hoses). These lines are connected at points around the truck.

An impeller water pump, located just behind the jumpseat area where firefighters sit, is a rotor-like device with curved blades. The impeller spins at a high rate inside the pump. Water that comes into the pump hits the inner part of the impeller and is slung outward. Water pressure is created by centrifugal force from the spinning action of the impeller. A valve opens to allow water to hit the center or “eye” of the rotating impeller.

The pump panel is a series of levers and switches that control how much water is flowing and which lines are being discharged. Lines are color-coded to make it easy for the operator to know which lines to discharge.

After arriving at a fire scene and securing the Engine, the driver will climb to the top of the truck to begin pump operation. A series of multicolored lights on the pump panel called an indicator lets the operator know how much water is left in the tank.

The pump operator will first check to make sure the valve between the tank and pump is open. Next, the operator will check to see which lines have been pulled off the Engine.

A built-in electronic device called a mastermind automatically controls the pump and runs the pressure up or down to control most discharging. A built-in relief valve exists so if one person suddenly cuts off a line, the pressure from that line doesn't automatically get fed into another line.  

Know Your Hose

Each hose on Engine 1-13 has its own unique role in putting out a blaze. Hoses put out different amounts of water depending on length, diameter and the amount of pressure in the pump.

Upon arriving at a house fire, firefighters immediately pull off 200-foot lengths of 1-3/4-inch diameter hose known as “crosslays,” packed just under the pump panel. So firefighters don’t have to dig for them, they lay out in the open and are relatively light and easy to deploy. Crosslays can gush water at up to 150 gallons-per-minute. The nozzle controls water flow at the end.

A combination nozzle is capable of producing a straight or fog stream; a smooth bore nozzle produces a solid stream. There are slight differences between “straight” and “solid.” One of each is pre-connected to the crosslays on Engine 1-13.

On top of Engine 1-13 are 2,000 feet of 5-inch diameter, in 100-foot sections. This is the line that the firefighters hook up to fire hydrants or, as is more often the case in Haddam, a pump truck feeding water from a drop tank. Also located up top are 2.5-inch and 3-inch hoses that are deployed when standard hand lines aren’t sufficient.

For smaller nuisance fires, 100 feet of 1-3/4-inch booster line located in an easily accessible place at the front of the Engine is usually adequate. The unofficial name “trash line” relates to its use on dumpster fires.


Big Fire = Big Water

Located directly above the pump panel is the deluge gun, also called a deck gun or master stream device. It’s designed to put a lot of water on large fires, in excess of 1,000 gallons per minute.

If a large house fire can’t easily be controlled by hand lines and there is no apparent threat to life or surrounding property, the smart choice is to fight it defensively. An offensive, interior attack in a raging fire puts the lives of firefighters at unnecessary risk. This is when they call out the big guns, and operations switch to what’s known as a “surround and drown.”

“A master stream is the best and quickest way to darken down a big fire,” said Haddam Fire Chief Sam Baber. "Often a large defensive attack for a couple minutes will allow our guys on fire attack to get back in there.”

Extra sections of hose, strainers and hose appliances like hydrant wrenches, gated valves and assorted couplings are stored in various compartments.

Engine 1-13 also carries a 35-foot extension ladder, 14-foot roof ladder and a collapsible closet ladder. In various other compartments are items common to many apparatus like axes pike poles and medical bags – but Engine 1-13’s big features are the hose lines and water on its back.

Next time we’ll look at Haddam Fire’s smaller trucks and All-Terrain Gator. They provide a quick response to everything from medicals calls to remote brush fires.

Do You Have What It Takes? Find more information on the activities of the Haddam Volunteer Fire Co. and ways you can get involved at our website www.HaddamFire.com, or connect with us on Facebook.