By Mark Hatalla

I became a member of the fire service in 1977, retired in 2010, and continue to work with the Atlanta (GA) Fire Rescue Department Training Academy. Captain (ret.) Danny Byess and I designed an industrial pumper to replace the existing foam unit that was originally built in 1973 and rebuilt in 2000 for Atlanta.

As we designed the industrial pumper, we discovered a big training curve. Atlanta, like many fire departments, does not establish high-volume water supplies [greater than 2,000 gallons per minute (gpm)] often or use multiple engines to supply one high-volume pump like the industrial pumper (pump capacity greater than 5,000 gpm).

Establishing a high-volume water supply requires the coordination of pump operators and an understanding of calculating the total gpm being supplied by calculating relay pumping backward or reverse relay pumping. Normally when we relay pump, we get the required gpm from the attack engine, and the supply engine makes the calculations and supplies the water at the correct pressure. There may be more than one engine in a line where each engine is relaying water.

The left column reflects how much water is flowing (gpm). The top row represents how the water is flowing (hose combination). The intersection of the column and row is how far the water is flowing (friction loss per 100 feet).

Relay Pumping Calculations

High-volume water supply involves multiple engines relaying water with multiple supply lines [three or four large-diameter hoselines (LDH)] into one apparatus like an industrial pumper for high-volume flows. To determine the total amount of water being supplied, reverse relay pumping calculations must be made for each LDH supply line connected to the intake manifold of the industrial pumper.

To determine the calculations for relay pumping:

1. Determine the gpm required (from the attack engine).
2. Calculate the friction loss in the hose per 100 feet (by size of the hose).
3. Multiply the friction loss per 100 feet by the length of the hose (supply line).
4. Add intake pressure for the attack engine [IFSTA 20 pounds per square inch (psi)].
5. The result is the pump discharge pressure (PDP).

To determine the calculations for reverse relay pumping:

1. Determine the discharge pressure (from the supply engine).
2. Subtract the intake pressure for the attack engine (IFSTA 20 psi).
3. This is the total friction loss in the supply line (maximum of 10 percent of hose test pressure).
4. Divide the total friction loss by the length of the supply line (per 100 feet).
5. By using a pump chart (Table 1), determine the gpm by the hose size and the friction loss per 100 feet.
6. The result is the amount of water being supplied from the supply engine.

Read more 249 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Jan 6, 2017 Firefighter Safety   Richard Marinucci Throughout my career, I have heard many times that firefighters are the most valuable resources when providing fire services. This has come from politicians, city managers and mayors, fire chiefs, union officials, and firefighters. While there are some who could be accused of paying this “lip service,” there seems to be much more interest in protecting firefighters and putting resources toward this endeavor. In some ways one could say that firefighter safety is “en vogue.” This cannot be just a trend and must become part of the permanent culture of the fire service. There are many reasons for this change in attitude, and much can be attributed to fire service leadership. Regardless, there needs to be more done, and efforts need to continue. There continue to be too many cases where preventable injuries or fatalities occur. For more improvements to take place, organizations need to take a systems approach to protecting firefighters. This must include firefighter health, the best equipment, sound and continuous training, competent supervision, and comprehensive policies. Firefighter HeaLth A review of injury and fatality causes provides valuable information that should provide direction regarding protecting firefighters. Clearly there is a health and wellness issue. There is much more information being provided every day that bolsters the need for more fit firefighters-mentally and physically. A climate of wellness must be fostered, and departments and individual members must embrace this. There is not enough space to address this issue in this article, but the importance of this in organizations sincerely interested in addressing safety cannot be overstated. Individuals and departments must be totally committed to effect significant change. All of the other elements needed to establish a climate of protecting firefighters depend on the commitment and attitude of the people in the organization-from top to bottom. Training Training and education, if done properly and frequently (daily), can do the most to protect firefighters. The more people know about their trade, the better they are at performing the tasks. There must be practice to develop unconscious competence and continual study to learn about advancements in the profession. While firefighting is dangerous for various reasons, there are other occupations that are very risky. In many of those, there is a commitment to preparation through study and training to minimize the risks. Today’s fire service has more information available than ever before, and it can access it easily. The job is not as simple as it may have once been because of many technological advances in society. As such, those wishing to be the most successful must commit to continual education and training. While on the topic of training, having competent and capable safety officers is an important element of a systems approach to protecting firefighters. Being an incident safety officer (ISO) is so much more than serving as the “bunker police.” ISOs need to prepare to view the big picture during an emergency and also must develop the tact and diplomacy needed to influence proper behavior. They must be totally competent in their knowledge so they can establish “street credibility” within their organizations. Health and safety officers (HSOs) must also know their job inside and out. They have the responsibility to develop, implement, and manage programs for the welfare of the firefighters on their department. Both the ISO and HSO have challenging jobs, but if they are prope Read more 309 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Jan 6, 2017 Firefighter Safety   Richard Marinucci Throughout my career, I have heard many times that firefighters are the most valuable resources when providing fire services. This has come from politicians, city managers and mayors, fire chiefs, union officials, and firefighters. While there are some who could be accused of paying this “lip service,” there seems to be much more interest in protecting firefighters and putting resources toward this endeavor. In some ways one could say that firefighter safety is “en vogue.” This cannot be just a trend and must become part of the permanent culture of the fire service. There are many reasons for this change in attitude, and much can be attributed to fire service leadership. Regardless, there needs to be more done, and efforts need to continue. There continue to be too many cases where preventable injuries or fatalities occur. For more improvements to take place, organizations need to take a systems approach to protecting firefighters. This must include firefighter health, the best equipment, sound and continuous training, competent supervision, and comprehensive policies. Firefighter HeaLth A review of injury and fatality causes provides valuable information that should provide direction regarding protecting firefighters. Clearly there is a health and wellness issue. There is much more information being provided every day that bolsters the need for more fit firefighters-mentally and physically. A climate of wellness must be fostered, and departments and individual members must embrace this. There is not enough space to address this issue in this article, but the importance of this in organizations sincerely interested in addressing safety cannot be overstated. Individuals and departments must be totally committed to effect significant change. All of the other elements needed to establish a climate of protecting firefighters depend on the commitment and attitude of the people in the organization-from top to bottom. Training Training and education, if done properly and frequently (daily), can do the most to protect firefighters. The more people know about their trade, the better they are at performing the tasks. There must be practice to develop unconscious competence and continual study to learn about advancements in the profession. While firefighting is dangerous for various reasons, there are other occupations that are very risky. In many of those, there is a commitment to preparation through study and training to minimize the risks. Today’s fire service has more information available than ever before, and it can access it easily. The job is not as simple as it may have once been because of many technological advances in society. As such, those wishing to be the most successful must commit to continual education and training. While on the topic of training, having competent and capable safety officers is an important element of a systems approach to protecting firefighters. Being an incident safety officer (ISO) is so much more than serving as the “bunker police.” ISOs need to prepare to view the big picture during an emergency and also must develop the tact and diplomacy needed to influence proper behavior. They must be totally competent in their knowledge so they can establish “street credibility” within their organizations. Health and safety officers (HSOs) must also know their job inside and out. They have the responsibility to develop, implement, and manage programs for the welfare of the firefighters on their department. Both the ISO and HSO have challenging jobs, but if they are prope Read more 299 0 Article rating: No rating Posted: Jan 6, 2017 Firefighter Safety   Richard Marinucci Throughout my career, I have heard many times that firefighters are the most valuable resources when providing fire services. This has come from politicians, city managers and mayors, fire chiefs, union officials, and firefighters. While there are some who could be accused of paying this “lip service,” there seems to be much more interest in protecting firefighters and putting resources toward this endeavor. In some ways one could say that firefighter safety is “en vogue.” This cannot be just a trend and must become part of the permanent culture of the fire service. There are many reasons for this change in attitude, and much can be attributed to fire service leadership. Regardless, there needs to be more done, and efforts need to continue. There continue to be too many cases where preventable injuries or fatalities occur. For more improvements to take place, organizations need to take a systems approach to protecting firefighters. This must include firefighter health, the best equipment, sound and continuous training, competent supervision, and comprehensive policies. Firefighter HeaLth A review of injury and fatality causes provides valuable information that should provide direction regarding protecting firefighters. Clearly there is a health and wellness issue. There is much more information being provided every day that bolsters the need for more fit firefighters-mentally and physically. A climate of wellness must be fostered, and departments and individual members must embrace this. There is not enough space to address this issue in this article, but the importance of this in organizations sincerely interested in addressing safety cannot be overstated. Individuals and departments must be totally committed to effect significant change. All of the other elements needed to establish a climate of protecting firefighters depend on the commitment and attitude of the people in the organization-from top to bottom. Training Training and education, if done properly and frequently (daily), can do the most to protect firefighters. The more people know about their trade, the better they are at performing the tasks. There must be practice to develop unconscious competence and continual study to learn about advancements in the profession. While firefighting is dangerous for various reasons, there are other occupations that are very risky. In many of those, there is a commitment to preparation through study and training to minimize the risks. Today’s fire service has more information available than ever before, and it can access it easily. The job is not as simple as it may have once been because of many technological advances in society. As such, those wishing to be the most successful must commit to continual education and training. While on the topic of training, having competent and capable safety officers is an important element of a systems approach to protecting firefighters. Being an incident safety officer (ISO) is so much more than serving as the “bunker police.” ISOs need to prepare to view the big picture during an emergency and also must develop the tact and diplomacy needed to influence proper behavior. They must be totally competent in their knowledge so they can establish “street credibility” within their organizations. Health and safety officers (HSOs) must also know their job inside and out. They have the responsibility to develop, implement, and manage programs for the welfare of the firefighters on their department. Both the ISO and HSO have challenging jobs, but if they are prope Read more 240 0 Article rating: No rating RSS FirstPrevious3546354735483549355035513552355335543555NextLast Theme picker Section Quick Links   Fire Mechanics Documents EVT Discussion Forum Fire Mechanic Photo Gallery Training & Testing 2019 Scholarship Logo Wear Store Upcoming Events Theme picker Sponsors Fire Mechanics Section Board Chair Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Chair Elliot Courage North Whatcom Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Vice Chair Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Vice Chair Mike Smith  Pierce County Fire District #5 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Secretary Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Secretary Greg Bach South Snohomish County Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #1 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #1 Doug Jones South Kitsap Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #2 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #2 Paul Spencer  Fire Fleet Maintenance LLC Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #3 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #3 Jim Morris Mountain View Fire Department Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #4 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #4 Arnie Kuchta Clark County Fire District 6 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #6 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #6 Brett Annear Kitsap County Fire District 18 Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Director #5 Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Director #5 Jay Jacks Camano Island Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating Legislative Representative Posted: Oct 21, 2015 Legislative Representative TBD TBD Read more 3278 0 Article rating: No rating Immediate Past Chair Posted: Oct 20, 2015 Immediate Past Chair Brian Fortner Graham Fire & Rescue Read more 0 0 Article rating: No rating RSS Theme picker 2020 CAR SHOW Terms Of Use | Privacy Statement - Copyright 2024 by Washington Fire Chiefs Home Members About Us News Calendar Resources Documents Sections County Fire Chiefs FRWC WSAFM