Hoffman Estates Fire Department Brush 24 (BT24) Operations Guidelines PDF

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: Equipment Guidelines – 023 January 1, 2022 NI...

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: Equipment Guidelines – 023 January 1, 2022 NIMS COMPLIANT SOG Title: Brush 24 (BT24) Operations Revision: 1 APPROVED BY: NUMBER OF PAGES: Re-evaluation Date: Alan Wax January 1, 2026 Fire Chief 8 PURPOSE The purpose of this Brush truck is to assist in extinguishment of wildland fires and the safe transportation of personnel. This UTV can also be used for many other types of emergency incidents not limited to wildland fires. POLICY It is the policy of this Department that all members will operate Brush 24 in a safe and efficient manner, as spelled out by these Standard Operating Guidelines. PROCEDURE A. Storage and transportation of Brush 24 (BT24) 1. When in quarters, Brush 24 (BT24) will be secured on its trailer and checked out weekly. If requested by CAD, Brush 24 (BT24) secured to its trailer, will be connected to CAR4 or appropriate tow vehicle, and respond according to Response Guideline-17 Brush Fire. B. Dry pump & tank 1. When in quarters the pump and tank will be kept dry. 2. If the water pump is used for inspection, training or an incident, the water tank must be filled and the water pump must be primed. 3. Brush 24 (BT24) is NOT to be used for any kind of hose testing. 4. The vehicle and water pump will be inspected and tested on every Thursday of the month. 1 C. Operation of the water pump 1. Check gas and oil levels 2. Fill tank with water (67 gallons) and foam if needed (3 gallons) (Blue fill tower is for WATER) (Green Fill Tower is for FOAM) 3. Open primer valve 4. Open tank to pump valve 5. Open recirculate-fill valve 6. Insure all other valves are CLOSED 7. Push primer button to flood piping for approximately 30 seconds. The primer is only used to prime the pump valve. 8. Close primer valve ONLY, and start the pump 9. Turn the engine switch to the “ON” position or turn the key to the start position. The pump is ready to run. 10. Never recirculate over 50 PSI back into tank 11. Open desired discharge valve 12. Close recirculate valve 13. You are now able to open foam agent valve, (If needed) 14. **“Never allow foam to recirculate back into the tank”** 15. Before shutting down the open foam agent valve, close foam valve, (If used) and flush with clear water. You are able to shut down the pump system. D. Attaching the trailer: 1. Raise the front of the trailer with the tongue jack. 2. Back the tow vehicle until the coupler is over the hitch ball (always use back-up personnel to back-up any vehicle). 3. Lower the trailer until coupler completely covers the hitch ball using the tongue jack. 4. Lock the coupler into place. 2  5. Insure trailer is locked on the tow ball by raising the front of the trailer (slightly) using the tongue jack. 6. To stow the tongue jack, crank the tongue jack up, until it stops. Pull the pivot release pin, and pivot the tongue jack into the traveling position. 7. Cross the safety chains under the tongue and attach them to the tow vehicle. 8. Connect the trailer wiring harness to the tow vehicle. 9. Check trailer lights for proper operation 10. Check Brush 24 (BT24) tie downs are secured to its trailer, confirm transmission is in PARK, keys are in the ignition, all windows are closed, and any loose items are secured. E. Shifting to all wheel drive AWD: 1. Engage the AWD before getting into conditions where front wheel drive may be needed. If the rear wheels are spinning, release the throttle before switching to AWD. 2. Press the top of the switch to engage AWD 3. The 4X4 indicator illuminates in the rider information center to indicate that the vehicle is in AWD 4. When the AWD switch is on, the front gearcase will automatically engage any time the rear wheels lose traction. 5. When the rear wheels regain traction, the front gearcase will automatically disengage. 6. There is no limit to the length of time the vehicle may remain in AWD. 7. **WARNING** Switching to AWD while the rear wheels are spinning may cause severe drive shaft and clutch damage. Always switch to AWD while the rear wheels have traction or are at rest. F. Disengaging the all-wheel drive AWD 1. Slow the vehicle to nearly stopped before Disengaging the AWD 2. Move the AWD switch to the center or bottom position to disengage AWD. 3. If the switch is turned off while the front hubs are driving, they will not release until the rear 3  wheels regain traction. 4. In some situations, the front gear case may remain locked after turning the AWD switch off. If this occurs, you may notice increased steering effort and some vehicle speed restriction. Perform the following procedure to unlock the front gear case. 5. To disengage AWD, do the following: a. Stop the vehicle. b. Operate in reverse for at least 10 feet (3 m). c. Stop completely. d. Shift into low gear and drive forward. G. Locking the Differential 2WD 1. Bring the vehicle to a stop before engaging the differential. 2. Move the rocker switch to the center position to lock the differential and operate in two wheel drive (2WD). 3. Locking the differential in slippery or low traction conditions helps improve traction. 4. When the rear differential is locked, both rear wheels rotate at the same speed. H. Unlocking the Differential 1WD/Turf mode 1. Slow the vehicle to nearly stopped before unlocking the differential. 2. When operating in TURF mode, the inside rear wheel will rotate independently from the outside wheel during turns. 3. Operate in TURF mode only as needed to protect smooth, level surfaces from tire damage. 4. DO NOT operate in TURF mode when climbing or descending hills, when side hilling, or when operating on uneven, loose, or slippery terrain such as sand, gravel, ice, snow, obstacles, and water crossings. Always operate in AWD on these types of terrain. 4 I. Driving off road 1. Drive slowly and cautiously 2. When driving off road, maintain steering wheel control at all times especially when in rough terrain, since sudden changes in the terrain can result in abrupt steering wheel motion. 3. Do not grip the steering wheel spoke, grip the steering wheel from the outside. 4. Drive cautiously to avoid damage to the underside of the vehicle from concealed rocks and stumps. 5. All four wheels must remain in contact with the ground to keep control of the vehicle. 6. Avoid driving the vehicle into deep mud, sand, and swampy areas. 7. Consider the use of a spotter when driving into areas mentioned above. 8. If you need to traverse water, avoid anything deeper than the bottom of the floorboards. 9. After leaving the water, always dry the brakes by applying light pressure to the brakes re- peatedly until braking action is normal. 10. Always drive straight up and/or down an incline. 11. Driving on hills and inclines increases the danger of loss of traction. 12. Avoid driving crosshill or turning on steep slopes or hills. 13. If you must drive on an incline, determine the route beforehand. 14. Do not drive over a crest of a hill without first stopping to see what the conditions are on the other side. 15. When driving up or down a hill or slope consider the use on AWD - this will reduce strain on the engine and aid in keeping wheel speed down, preventing the potential for slippage. 16. Descend a hill in the same gear used to climb and avoid excessive braking. J. Winch Operation 1. Always inspect the vehicle, winch, winch cable and winch controls for any signs of damage or parts in need of repair or replacement before each use. Pay particular attention to the first 3 feet (1 meter) of winch cable if the winch is being used. Promptly report any worn or damaged cable. 5 2. Always apply your vehicle's park mechanism to hold the vehicle in place during winching. Use wheel chocks if needed. 3. If possible, keep the winch cable aligned with the centerline of the winching vehicle. This will help the spooling of the winch cable and reduce the load on the fairlead. 4. Release the winch clutch using the side selector and pull out the winch cable. If using the remote winch controls, press and hold the left side of the switch to spool line out of the winch. 5. Pulling out as much cable as possible maximizes the winch's pulling capacity. Always be sure that at least five (5) full turns of winch cable are wrapped around the winch drum at all times. The friction provided by this wrapped cable allows the drum to pull on the winch cable and move the load. 6. In order to absorb energy that could be released by a winch cable failure, always place a "damper" on mid-point of the winch cable. A damper can be heavy jacket, tarp, or other soft, dense object. A damper can absorb much of the energy released if a winch cable breaks when winching. 7. Avoid being directly in line with the winch cable whenever possible. Also, never permit others to stand near or in line with the winch cable during winch operation. 8. Never hook the winch cable back onto itself. This will damage the winch cable and may result in winch cable failure. 9. Never use straps, chains or other rigging items that are damaged or worn. 10. The winch motor may become hot during winch use. If you winch for more than 45 seconds, or if the winch stalls during operation, stop winching and permit the winch to cool down for 10 minutes before using it again. 11. When winching the apparatus, a driver MUST remain in the vehicle. 12. Secure the tow strap to a stationary object: a. A tree (minimum trunk diameter of 8 inches) b. An apparatus (if close enough) 13. Extend winch cable and attach to the tow strap 14. Place the transmission in gear for the direction being winched. 6  15. As the apparatus begins to move from being stuck, keep the wheels moving but not spinning, and maintain tension on the winch cable until the apparatus moves under its own power 16. Once the apparatus is unstuck, stow the winch and associated equipment 17. When returning the apparatus to service, the winch cable must be wound under tension for storage. An example of loading under tension would be Have an assistant pull the winch cable tightly with about 100 lbs. (45 kg) of tension using the hook strap. Slowly winch the cable in while your assistant moves the end of the winch cable back and forth horizontally to evenly distribute the winch cable on the drum. K. Towing loads 1. Never load more than 150 lbs. (68.1 kg) tongue weight on the towing bracket. 2. When towing a disabled vehicle, place the disabled vehicle's transmission in neutral. Do not operate the vehicle faster than 10 MPH (16 km/h) when towing. 3. Towing a trailer increases braking distance. Do not operate the vehicle faster than 10 MPH (16 km/h) when towing. 4. Do not tow more than the recommended weight for the vehicle. 5. Attach a trailer to the trailer hitch bracket only. Do not attach a trailer to any other location, which could result in loss of control of the vehicle. 6. The total load (operator, accessories, cargo and weight on hitch) must not exceed the maximum weight capacity of the vehicle (1350 pounds.) L. PATIENT TRANSPORT SAFETY NOTICE: **ALWAYS EMPTY WATER TANK PRIOR TO PATIENT TRANSPORT!** 1. When loading patient onto vehicle, insure ALL straps are secure. Check all (4) Maxstraps securing stokes basket to skid. Insure that all straps securing patient are tight and locked. Do not operate the vehicle faster than walking speed when transporting patients using the stokes basket. 7 SAFETY NOTICE: 1. The maximum weight capacity including weight of operator, passengers, cargo, and accessories is 1350 pounds. The GVWR for this vehicle is 3740 pounds. EXCEPTIONS REFERENCES Polaris Ranger 2018 owner’s manual (Ranger Crew XP1000); RKO Enterprises Fire and rescue combo kit owner’s manual for Polaris 1000 Crew cab model; Waterax Versax-6/9 quick guide DEFINITIONS AWD – All wheel drive GVWR – Gross vehicle weight rating 2WD – Two wheel drive 1WD – One wheel drive End of Document 8