The Camas-Washougal Fire Department (CWFD) has been locked in a legal battle with the Department of Labor and Industries in 2018 that most departments across the state have heard about.  After fighting for a citation reversal for the better part of 10 months, our legal counsel is finally recommending we throw in the towel.  That decision will have to be made by our governing body later, but assuming we do give up our appeal fight, there are going to be significant and very expensive repercussions for small fire departments across Washington.  We estimate the costs of adhering to L&I’s staffing directive will be in the millions of dollars statewide. 

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) wanted to make you aware of new regulations concerning certain fire and emergency vehicles as well as new signage you may soon see on and near interstate bridges.

On Dec. 4, 2015, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act was signed into law. With the enactment of the FAST Act, state and local governments are now moving forward with implementation of the weight increases allowed for certain Emergency Vehicles (EV’s). The weight increases will pertain to the interstate system and one mile access to and from the interstate. (State Routes and county and city roads are not affected unless within the one mile access area)

City worker compensation insurance rates were hiked 17 percent this year and the deductible raised by $100,000 after large claims because of the on-duty death of Kent Police Officer Diego Moreno and an injury to another officer during the same July incident. Chris Hills, city Human Resources risk manager, updated the City Council’s Operations Committee on Jan.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2019 9:43:33 AM - SOURCE: Everett Herald - Metered Site

City worker compensation insurance rates were hiked 17 percent this year and the deductible raised by $100,000 after large claims because of the on-duty death of Kent Police Officer Diego Moreno and an injury to another officer during the same July incident. Chris Hills, city Human Resources risk manager, updated the City Council’s Operations Committee on Jan.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2019 9:43:33 AM - SOURCE: Everett Herald - Metered Site

Jerry Naylis, Pump Panel Pointers for Training and Operations Webcast presenter, has answered questions that we could not get to during the Q&A for the Webcast.

Question: Any way to get the most water from a 500 gpm pump.

Answer: The answer is it all depends. Is this an apparatus mounted pump or a portable pump?  And have you looked at the pump curve for that model pump?

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Question: We are a very rural department. We have a lake nearby. For suctioning from the lake, anything special so that we can deliver water more efficiently?

Answer: Obviously it would help if I knew more about your drafting set up. I am hoping that you have regular maintenance to keep the suction strainer clean. Waterborne vegetation will significantly reduce the water conveyed into the pump. The suction strainer should also be kept 24-inches below the surface if at all possible. Otherwise, you will create a whirlpool effect and pull air into the pump. The size and type of suction strainer will also impact the volume of water you are able to draft.

Question: I have a TFT 1,500-gpm automatic deck gun. It has different psi settings from 70 to 120. Without a flow meter on the truck, how do I know my gpm without trying to figure the pitot tube equation?

Answer: First you need to know what pressure the nozzle is set at. Then you need to know what pressure you are pumping into the nozzle and what the tip pressure is. I suggest that you go to the TFT Web site and look at the specs for this particular nozzle for the flow characteristic.

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Question: We are usually already flowing from tank once we receive hydrant water. Is there a way to tell how what gpm the hydrant is flowing besides shutting down discharges and using the percentage method with static and residual pressures?

Answer: The easiest way is to determine the tip pressure and calculate the flow using the formula acd²√p where a is the constant 29.83, c is the coefficient of discharge (suggest using 0.90), d is the diameter of the tip pressure squared, and p is the square root of the tip pressure.  This formula works for all smooth bore tips.  For fog nozzles, you can estimate 175 gpm for 1¾-inch lines and 250 gpm for 2½-inch lines. The total flow is what you are getting from the hydrant.

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