Governor Inslee is deeply saddened by the death of Marine Corporal Joshua E. Barron, 24, of Spokane, and directs that Washington State and United States flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff in his memory on Friday, June 5, 2015.  Corporal Barron died on May 17 from injuries sustained while aboard a MV-22B Osprey after it made a hard landing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
 
Flags should remain at half-staff until close of business or sunset on June 5 or first thing Monday morning, June 8, 2015...
 

Alan M. Petrillo

The Katonah (NY) Fire Department looked at the long-range needs of its fire district and determined it should incorporate an aerial device into its fleet. But, the angle of entry into its firehouse and low support cross beams inside meant the department needed a vehicle with a low travel height and also one with a restricted length.

Katonah had purchased a pumper from Smeal Fire Apparatus a few years before and again turned to Smeal to develop a low-profile quint that would work for its situation.

The result was a 75-foot aerial quint with an overall height of 10 feet, 9 inches and overall length of 39 feet, 1 inch that carries a Waterous 2,000-gallon-per-minute (gpm) two-stage pump, a 400-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon Class A foam tank, and a FoamPro 2000 foam system.

A low travel height and a restricted length were two major reasons the Katonah (NY) Fire Department chose Smeal Fire Apparatus to build a 75-foot quint aerial. (Photos courtesy of Smeal Fire Apparatus.)

Specific Requirements

Dean Pappas, Katonah's first assistant chief, says the department had such good results working with Smeal on its pumper that the department instinctively turned to Smeal to work out a solution to its aerial ladder issue. "We also wanted the quint to mirror our new pumper as much as possible," Pappas points out. "Smeal had built a low-travel-height quint for a department in Rhode Island and our dealer, New England Fire Equipment and Apparatus, brought it to our firehouse and put it through our double-length drive-through bay, so we knew our firehouse could handle it. None of the other manufacturers we talked with would guarantee their quint would fit if they built it for us."

Pappas says the Katonah truck committee sat down with Smeal representatives and presented the department's list of requirements for the quint. "We wanted the vehicle on a single axle with full pumping and attack capability," Pappas says. "We wanted as much water as possible, plus a foam tank, foam system, and plenty of hosebed space for large-diameter hose (LDH) supply line. We were shooting for a 500-gallon water tank, but it turned out not to be possible on a single axle with the length of the vehicle we required. So, we ended up with a 400-gallon water tank and a 20-gallon foam tank."

The Smeal 75-foot aerial quint has a Waterous 2,000-gpm two-stage pump, a 400-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon Class A foam tank, and a FoamPro 2000 foam system.

Atypical Height Need

Rich Peck, sales manager for New England Fire Equipment and Apparatus, says the maximum travel height requirement of 10 feet, 9 inches was considerably lower than that of a typical 75-foot quint aerial.

Portable pumps continue to have their specialized uses, especially when firefighters simply can't get a larger apparatus-based fire pump close enough to make a difference on a fire scene.

BY ALAN M. PETRILLO

Portable pump systems are being offered in a wide variety of types and models-from hand-carried versions to skid-loaded units-and firefighters are finding an array of uses.

Jim Darley, national sales manager for Darley Company's fire pump division, says Darley makes three different models of portable pumps, with all its pumps and engines being modular so they can be mixed and matched. "Our largest portable, the HE model that's used for water transfer, has a four-inch suction and can be coupled to an 18-horsepower (hp) or 23-hp engine," Darley says. "This is a direct-drive model and is great for volume flows for filling tankers, but it won't do more than 70 pounds per square inch (psi)."

Another direct-drive model that Darley Co. makes is the 2BE model, which Darley says is a multipurpose pump with a three-inch suction that can be driven by a 23-hp Briggs & Stratton engine, a 21-hp Honda engine, a 23-hp Vanguard engine, or a 24-hp Kubota diesel engine. "We use it on our skid units and sell it to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who are building skid units," he notes. "It's useful in flowing water through a one-inch booster line or a 1½-inch hoseline but also can be plumbed with a 2½-inch discharge."

Darley Co. makes the 2BE series portable pump that's often used in skid units. Shown here in the 2BE23V model; this pump is driven by a 23-horsepower Vanguard engine. (Photo courtesy of Darley Co.)

Darley points out that the 2BE model will generate in excess of 400 gallons per minute (gpm) at low pressures. "At 140 psi, it can do 100 gpm, and at 110 psi it can do 200 gpm, enough for two 1½-inch hoselines," he says.

Darley also makes the 1.5AGE, a gear-driven, engine-drive portable pump. "We put the gearbox between the pump and the engine, which allows the operator to not have to work the engine so hard," Darley points out. "If we use an engine capable of 3,600 revolutions per minute (rpm), and with a 2.7 gearbox ratio, we will have the pump impeller spinning in excess of 9,000 rpm. We can modify the impellers inside the pump casings to give higher volume or pressure depending on what is needed."

Other portable pumps Darley makes are the 2.5AGE, a gearbox and engine-driven pump with a 2½-inch pipe-threaded suction that is capable of higher flows than the 1.5AGE; the Hercules, a four-inch suction pump mounted on a Rotax 582 gasoline engine that also is available in a skid-mounting version or for mounting on a boat; the HE10.5 floating pump powered by a Briggs & Stratton 10½-hp engine; and the HE11H floating pump powered by an 11-hp Honda engine.

Gasoline or Diesel Power

Jerry Halpin, vice president of sales and marketing for CET Fire Pumps, says his company's most popular models are powered by both gasoline and diesel engines ranging from 20 to 60 hp. "A predominant number of those pumps are used for some kind of structural fire up to the point where you have to flow 1,000 gpm," Halpin says. "They mi