Water on Tap
I have old habits. One is using water to put out fires. It must be a novel concept because it seems that many in the wildland firefighting community are more interested in conserving water than using more of it.
Of course, there will be times when bringing more water to the fire isn't practical, but there have been times when greater accomplishments could have been achieved if the water had been easily accessible to the engines. More water sooner can help get control of (and ultimately suppress) the fire sooner, possibly reducing overall costs while putting firefighting units back in service and available to initial-attack new fires.
All fire engines have a common denominator that limits their capability — the availability of water. Most wildland engines are able to pump greater quantities of water than is required under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group's National Mobilization Engine Typing Standard. Engines typically have enough hose, nozzles and appliances for almost any application. Their crews are well trained and experienced. But take away the water and engines are reduced to a vehicle for a small hand crew.
Besides fixed water sources such as lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and fire hydrants, where do the engines get the water? The answer is tenders, support tenders or tactical tenders — and more of them. Most major wildfires have numerous water tenders assigned, with crews that often are staged, bored to death and hoping to get into the fight.
More than a few of these are tactical tenders that carry 1,000 to 2,000 gallons of water or more with 25gpm or larger pumps at 150psi. If they are municipal or county fire department tenders, they commonly have crews that are cross-trained for both structure and wildland firefighting. Fire department water tenders almost always meet this general design, while the typical construction contractor tender may not.
Unfortunately, we don't use these resources very effectively. Tactical tenders can be employed in the hot zone far more often, in far greater numbers and with vastly improved effectiveness, especially in the interface where the structure firefighting experience of their crews can bring an added dimension. Fire department tenders commonly have larger pump capacities, fully baffled tanks (uncommon on construction company tenders) and foam systems, whether injection or eduction. They have the pumping capability and water volume of multiple Type 6 engines.
Tactical tenders are able to pump hoselays, fill tanks and pumpkins, "nurse" engines, increase the fire-fighting punch of wildland engines, and double as structure engines in combination with wildland engines. And using tenders could mean fewer total vehicles, which means lower overall firefighting costs.
Another direct application of tactical tenders is that they are, for all practical purposes, structure engines with a built-in water supply. Add additional hose fittings and firefighters (two Type 6 engines) and you very well may be able to protect several structures using fewer units. Compare that to the hourly cost of an equivalent number of engines.
On a recent 300-acre fire, the refill point had a fill and return time of one hour. During the first operational period, we used barely 3,000 gallons of water. On the second day, the tender operator was asked to come up the hill, fill a 2,000-gallon portable tank near the heel of the fire and go for a water refill. The second day, the refill and return time was cut by greater than half. The six engines fought the fire, and we used nearly 8,000 gallons of water. The shift would have been even more productive had the tender crew been fireline-qualified with appropriate training, experience and Red Cards so that the tender could nurse the engines on the fireline.
A single tactical tender can sustain a hoselay several times longer than the typical wildland engine before it will require more water. Tactical tenders can, in most cases, pump the sufficient pressure that might be needed in long or uphill hoselays. The inherent advantages are that the truck can remain in place without the need for constant refilling, and firefighters can aggressively use water because of its availability.
On one initial-attack fire, a Type 1 tactical tender was used (instead of two Type 6 engines) to pump a long, perimeter trunk line with several laterals for two plus hours. The engine crews were amazed by the effectiveness of one 3,000-gallon tactical tender. The other engines combined had a total of 1,250 gallons of water, but because we had the tender, we literally were able to surround and drown. Mop-up is a lot easier with water.
The addition of a portable tank or large pumpkin at the tender provides even more benefit because the tenders can draft from these and supply several hoselays and handlines or supply several engines. One Type 1 tactical tender and a crew of two — the new NWCG standard — joined to a five- to seven-person squad and a pair of wildland engines creates a formidable firefighting task force.
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