By Bill Adams

This article addresses 2½-inch fire pump hose connections on midship-mounted pumps, the part the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) plays when purchasers specify them, and their approximate costs.

1 This pumper does not have internally gated steamer inlets or a 2½-inch gated inlet controlled at the pump panel. It does have an electrically operated master discharge valve, so the department might add an external valve or a suction siamese when it gets the rig home. (Photos by Allan Smith, Spartan ER apparatus sales manager, Colden Enterprises.)

At trade and equipment shows, manufacturers, their dealers, and sales representatives (vendors) are constantly asked, “How much does it cost?” As mentioned in previous articles, vendors giving ballpark or approximate prices are not being ambivalent or deceptive. Often, multiple questions must be answered to provide definitive costs. Vendors and purchasers alike should exercise caution when pricing is discussed out of context. Context refers to all the circumstances or conditions that should be defined before a question is asked and an answer given. Simply put: You quote a homeowner a price to paint his small ranch house and you learn later it’s actually a large 2½-story home that he wants painted for the same price. Similar scenarios occur in the fire truck world.

2 This pump panel behind a roll-up door has three gated steamer inlets plus a separate 2½-inch gated suction. A Storz/2½-inch adapter is a lot less expensive than the 2½-inch gated suction.

Tradition

When 1,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pumpers were considered high-volume and 2½-inch fire hose was the mainstay, it was generally accepted that there was a 2½-inch discharge for each 250 gpm in pump capacity. A 500-gpm pump had two, 750-gpm pumps had three, and so on. Departments that commonly laid supply lines hydrant-to-fire (forward lay) often specified like numbers of 2½-inch gated suction inlets but seldom more than two per side. Little changed with the use of 3-inch hose with 2½-inch couplings. Even with the use of large-diameter hose (LDH) and multiple high-volume preconnects, some departments still specify the same number of pump-panel-mounted 2½-inch discharges and inlets they did 50 years ago. They could be expensive ornaments.

There is no intent to disparage departments that regularly use 2½-inch panel-mounted discharges and inlets. Their fireground operations are not being questioned, nor should they be. Departments that rely

By Bill Adams

This article addresses 2½-inch fire pump hose connections on midship-mounted pumps, the part the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) plays when purchasers specify them, and their approximate costs.

1 This pumper does not have internally gated steamer inlets or a 2½-inch gated inlet controlled at the pump panel. It does have an electrically operated master discharge valve, so the department might add an external valve or a suction siamese when it gets the rig home. (Photos by Allan Smith, Spartan ER apparatus sales manager, Colden Enterprises.)

At trade and equipment shows, manufacturers, their dealers, and sales representatives (vendors) are constantly asked, “How much does it cost?” As mentioned in previous articles, vendors giving ballpark or approximate prices are not being ambivalent or deceptive. Often, multiple questions must be answered to provide definitive costs. Vendors and purchasers alike should exercise caution when pricing is discussed out of context. Context refers to all the circumstances or conditions that should be defined before a question is asked and an answer given. Simply put: You quote a homeowner a price to paint his small ranch house and you learn later it’s actually a large 2½-story home that he wants painted for the same price. Similar scenarios occur in the fire truck world.

2 This pump panel behind a roll-up door has three gated steamer inlets plus a separate 2½-inch gated suction. A Storz/2½-inch adapter is a lot less expensive than the 2½-inch gated suction.

Tradition

When 1,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pumpers were considered high-volume and 2½-inch fire hose was the mainstay, it was generally accepted that there was a 2½-inch discharge for each 250 gpm in pump capacity. A 500-gpm pump had two, 750-gpm pumps had three, and so on. Departments that commonly laid supply lines hydrant-to-fire (forward lay) often specified like numbers of 2½-inch gated suction inlets but seldom more than two per side. Little changed with the use of 3-inch hose with 2½-inch couplings. Even with the use of large-diameter hose (LDH) and multiple high-volume preconnects, some departments still specify the same number of pump-panel-mounted 2½-inch discharges and inlets they did 50 years ago. They could be expensive ornaments.

There is no intent to disparage departments that regularly use 2½-inch panel-mounted discharges and inlets. Their fireground operations are not being questioned, nor should they be. Departments that rely

By Bill Adams

This article addresses 2½-inch fire pump hose connections on midship-mounted pumps, the part the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) plays when purchasers specify them, and their approximate costs.

1 This pumper does not have internally gated steamer inlets or a 2½-inch gated inlet controlled at the pump panel. It does have an electrically operated master discharge valve, so the department might add an external valve or a suction siamese when it gets the rig home. (Photos by Allan Smith, Spartan ER apparatus sales manager, Colden Enterprises.)

At trade and equipment shows, manufacturers, their dealers, and sales representatives (vendors) are constantly asked, “How much does it cost?” As mentioned in previous articles, vendors giving ballpark or approximate prices are not being ambivalent or deceptive. Often, multiple questions must be answered to provide definitive costs. Vendors and purchasers alike should exercise caution when pricing is discussed out of context. Context refers to all the circumstances or conditions that should be defined before a question is asked and an answer given. Simply put: You quote a homeowner a price to paint his small ranch house and you learn later it’s actually a large 2½-story home that he wants painted for the same price. Similar scenarios occur in the fire truck world.

2 This pump panel behind a roll-up door has three gated steamer inlets plus a separate 2½-inch gated suction. A Storz/2½-inch adapter is a lot less expensive than the 2½-inch gated suction.

Tradition

When 1,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) pumpers were considered high-volume and 2½-inch fire hose was the mainstay, it was generally accepted that there was a 2½-inch discharge for each 250 gpm in pump capacity. A 500-gpm pump had two, 750-gpm pumps had three, and so on. Departments that commonly laid supply lines hydrant-to-fire (forward lay) often specified like numbers of 2½-inch gated suction inlets but seldom more than two per side. Little changed with the use of 3-inch hose with 2½-inch couplings. Even with the use of large-diameter hose (LDH) and multiple high-volume preconnects, some departments still specify the same number of pump-panel-mounted 2½-inch discharges and inlets they did 50 years ago. They could be expensive ornaments.

There is no intent to disparage departments that regularly use 2½-inch panel-mounted discharges and inlets. Their fireground operations are not being questioned, nor should they be. Departments that rely

Anyone involved in the emergency response service should be familiar with the standards that are promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

Whether you are a firefighter, an emergency medical technician, a safety officer, a fire chief, or an emergency vehicle mechanic, NFPA standards have a significant effect on your job. What you may not realize is how simple it is for you to have an effect on the standards. Manufacturing representatives from the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers’ Association (FAMA) are involved in the development of relevant NFPA standards and encourage you to also get involved.

Apparatus- and Ambulance-Related Standards

While there are hundreds of NFPA standards, there is a subset that impacts apparatus and ambulances both in how they are designed and in how they are used. Here is the short list of standards and how each impacts emergency vehicles:

• NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program: Safety guidance on the way apparatus should be used.



• NFPA 1451, Standard for a Fire and Emergency Service Vehicle Operations Training Program: Descriptions of a training program for users of emergency vehicles. Annex B is a complete list of vehicle-related hazards that should be trained on.



• NFPA 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus: Performance standard and equipment list for fire apparatus.



• NFPA 1906, Standard for Wildland Fire Apparatus: Performance standard and equipment list for wildland fire apparatus.



• NFPA 1911, Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Emergency Vehicles: Detailed lists of items that should be inspected and tested on in-service emergency service vehicles.



• NFPA 1912, Standard for Fire Apparatus Refurbishing: Items that should be included in a refurbishment.



• NFPA 1917, Standard for Automotive Ambulances: Performance standard and equipment list for ambulances.



• NFPA 1962, Standard for the Care, Use, Inspection, Service Testing, and Replacement of Fire Hose, Couplings, Nozzles, and Fire Hose Appliances: Includes the safe means of testing fire hose using an apparatus pump.

Process Overview

With each standard produced by the NFPA, there is an assigned technical committee. The technical committee is typically made up of 30 members with one-third being users, one-third from enforcers or other interest groups, and one-third from manufacturers. Members are volunteers and pay their own travel expenses. Each committee reviews input from the public and casts votes on the proposed language. If the technical committee rejects or alters the language from the original input, it must provide a reason. Once the technical committee vot

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