Palm Beach County Fire Rescue SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply PDF

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG# 420-10 RURAL WATER SUPPLY FOR STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING Effective Date: 7/13/2020 Revised Da...

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG# 420-10 RURAL WATER SUPPLY FOR STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING Effective Date: 7/13/2020 Revised Date: 2/22/2022 PURPOSE: To provide a guideline for water supply operations in the rural areas of Palm Beach County. The goal of rural water supply operations is to provide an uninterrupted water supply to meet the demands of fire ground operations. AUTHORITY: Fire Rescue Administrator SCOPE: This standard operating guideline shall apply to all Emergency Operations personnel. PROCEDURE: These guidelines provide a basic framework for most incidents. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue recognizes that Company and Chief Officers have the training and experience to make modifications to this guideline based on the nature and extent of the incident. RURAL WATER SUPPLY CONSIDERATIONS: 1. The initial OIC should determine the most appropriate means for establishing an adequate water supply in rural areas. 2. In situations where hydrant water supply is well beyond the reach of supply hose lays, locate a suitable static water source as close to the fire scene as possible. 3. Whenever possible, use an engine as the source pumper rather than brush apparatus due to pump capacity size. 4. In areas with limited access, it may be necessary to use brush apparatus to establish a drafting water supply. Note: The maximum pump capacity on brush trucks is limited and varies from one unit to another. 5. If a brush truck is being used as the source pumper, whenever possible use the largest capacity brush truck. 6. During drought conditions, many potential static sources may not be suitable for drafting due to low water levels. NON-RATED BRIDGES/LIMITED ACCESS AREAS: 1. Use discretion on crossing non-rated bridges. The average weight of PBCFR brush trucks is 28,500 lbs. PBCFR rescue trucks generally weigh less than 20,000 lbs. SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting Page 1 of 8  2. Due to weight restrictions, brush trucks or rescue units may be the only apparatus able to cross some homemade or non-rated bridges. 3. Brush trucks in rural areas carry 800 to 1000 feet of 3” hose, 200 feet of 1 ¾” structural attack hose, and two SCBAs for the purpose of initiating structural firefighting operations. 4. When using brush apparatus as the attack pumper, lay a 3” supply line from the bridge to the fire scene for supply. 5. Use the largest capacity brush truck as the attack pumper whenever possible. 6. Place a supply engine on the street side of the bridge. 7. All later arriving engines and tenders remain on the street side of the bridge, and perform a water shuttle operation, refilling the supply engine. 8. If there is a reliable draft site nearby, put a relay pumping operation into place as soon as possible. 9. Consider hand laying a second supply line to the attack pumper if necessary. LOCATING A STATIC WATER SOURCE: 1. Consider requesting assistance from the Communication Center or the Fire Operations Officer (FOO) to help locate the nearest water source using the Hydrant Navigation System or satellite mapping imagery. 2. The Hydrant Navigation System provides the location and flow of fire hydrants, and the location of dry hydrants and static water sources. STRUCTURE FIRE RESPONSE IN RURAL AREAS: All stations that respond to structure fires in the rural areas of Palm Beach County shall respond the brush truck (excluding 600 series brush units) along with the engine during the initial response for the following purposes: 1) To provide supplemental water supply 2) To provide access to structures that cannot be reached using engines, tenders or aerial apparatus. 3) To provide reconnaissance of the fireground in limited-access areas. 4) To provide initial fire attack for structure fires in limited-access areas. 5) To provide access to static water sources located in limited-access areas. 6) To initiate brush fire attack in exposed wooded areas near working structure fires. WATER SUPPLY OFFICER: 1. Consider assigning a Water Supply Officer (WSO) to establish and oversee water supply operations. 2. The WSO should be an officer who is well versed in rural water supply operations and tactics. 3. Consider assigning a separate radio TAC channel dedicated to water supply operations. 4. The WSO should be the only one involved in water supply operations that communicates with the IC. SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting Page 2 of 8 OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS: 1. Request additional tenders as needed.. 2. Master stream devices and/or aerial apparatus should not be utilized until a secure water source can be established, and a relay pumping operation is put into place. 3. Position all apparatus and supply lines so as to not block the roadway for future access of incoming apparatus, especially during water shuttle operations. 4. When estimating hose lays in rural areas, a standard 1 ¼ acre lot is approximately 200’ feet wide. 5. A typical single family dwelling requires an average fire flow of 250 to 500 GPM for a room and contents fire. 6. A typical single family dwelling requires an average of 2,000 to 10,000 gallons of water to extinguish for a room and contents fire. WATER SUPPLY OPERATIONS: When considering rural water supply operations, there is no one single solution for every fire scene. Each incident is unique, and will dictate which tactics are appropriate. The four means of providing a continuous water supply for firefighting operations in rural areas of Palm Beach County are: 1) Modified Direct Pumping operations 2) Nurse Tender operations 3) Relay Pumping operations 4) Folding/Dump Tank operations Important considerations when deciding which means of water supply to use: 1) What fire flow is needed, and for how long? 2) Where is the nearest reliable water source? 3) Which delivery method should be used? 4) What resources are needed to deliver the flow rate? 5) Can a relay be put into place for continuous water supply? 6) Are there any access issues? MODIFIED DIRECT PUMPING OPERATIONS: In rural areas of Palm Beach County, it is common to perform a Modified Direct Pumping operation. Direct Pumping utilizes all on scene apparatus that carry water to supplement the attack pumper directly. 1. Used for short duration fires such as room and contents, garage fires, shed fires. 2. Recommended for the first due response on confirmed structure fires in rural areas with limited water supply. 3. The attack engine is supplied by more than one unit at a time through multiple supply lines. SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting Page 3 of 8  4. Yields a water supply of 6000 gallons for initial fire attack from water carried on two engines, two brush trucks, and a single tender. 5. For long narrow driveways or limited access areas, the attack engine should lay a supply line from the street in toward the fire scene. 6. Position tenders in an area that is free and clear of other apparatus for easier access. 7. Transition to a relay pumping operation if you anticipate the incident will last for an extended period of time. A. Tactics for Modified Direct Pumping Operations: 1) First Due Engine and Brush Truck: Position the engine for fire attack and initiate fire attack operations using onboard water tank. Position the brush truck within 50’ of the attack engine, and supply tank water from the brush truck. The brush truck stages on scene when the water tank is empty. 2) Second Due Engine and Brush Truck: Both the second due engine and brush truck supply the attack engine from their onboard water tanks to support fire attack operations. When empty, the second due engine refills and shuttles water back to the scene. The second due brush truck stages on scene and out of the way. SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting Page 4 of 8 3) First Due Tender: Supplement the first due and second due units from onboard water tank as needed. When empty, the tenders participate in water shuttle operations. 4) Second due Tender: Supplement the first arriving tender as needed. The second due tender will assist in the water shuttle operation as needed. a Dispatch will automatically assign a second tender when one is required (due to call type) or requested for supplemental water supply. 5) Third Due Engine and Brush Truck: Scout potential draft sites in the area. The FOO and/or Communication Center may be of assistance with this. Establish a draft as the source pumper for water shuttle or relay pumping operations. Third and Fourth Due Units 6) Fourth Due & Later Arriving Engines, Tenders and Brush Trucks: Participate in a water shuttle operation from the source to the scene. a.) Later arriving units may be used to set up a relay pumping operation, if applicable. The sooner you can transition to a relay pumping operation the better. See Relay Pumping Operations below. SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting Page 5 of 8 NURSE TENDER OPERATIONS: A nurse tender is a tender that is positioned at the fire scene and supplies water directly to the attack engine. The nurse tender is refilled by other apparatus using a water shuttle operation. Nurse tender operations are recommended on short duration fires. If there is any potential for the incident to expand, a nurse tender should not be used. If the tender arrives with the first due units, consider nurse tender operations. Used for short duration fires such as room and contents, garage fires, shed fires. Engines, brush trucks, and other tenders perform a water shuttle to refill the nurse tender’s water tank. Transition to a relay pumping operation if you anticipate the incident will last for an extended period of time. RELAY PUMPING OPERATIONS: Relay pumping is the preferred method of water supply when a water source is not readily available near the fire scene. It utilizes a pumper placed at a reliable water source to supply other pumpers within a relay. Each unit relays water to the next apparatus to supply water to the attack engine at the fire scene. The sooner you can transition to a relay pumping operation the better. Place the pumper with the largest capacity at the water source. 5” supply line should be laid from the water source to the fire scene. Lay supply lines off to the side of the road to allow access for later arriving units. May require multiple units within the relay. If a long relay is necessary, each apparatus should lay its entire hose bed and perform as a relay pumper. SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting Page 6 of 8  If drafting is the water source, consider keeping Tender apparatus on scene as a back-up water supply. FOLDING/DUMP TANK OPERATIONS: Folding/dump tank operations involve an indirect water supply where apparatus dump or fill water into a portable folding dump tank from which the attack engine is supplied. Indicated when the water source is so far from the fire scene that setting up a relay pumping operation would be impractical. Folding/dump tank operations have the following limitations: Each folding/dump tank holds 3000 to 3500 gallons of water. Setting up these operations can be time consuming and manpower intensive. The folding/dump tank requires a large, level and unobstructed area. If placed improperly, the folding/dump tank may block access for incoming apparatus. A supply engine should be positioned at the folding/dump tank to establish a draft and relay water to the attack engine. Requires a minimum of 2 tenders, in addition to engines and brush trucks shuttling water from the source to the folding/dump tank. Folding/dump tank operations cannot be used to supply master streams or aerial apparatus. Incidents that require flow rates in excess of 300 GPM require multiple folding/dump tanks. CONSIDERATIONS FOR TENDER APPARATUS: Each tender carries 3000 gallons of water. Tender apparatus carry extra foam and SCBA bottles for on-scene replenishment. Due to its large size it may be advantageous for the tender to back down a roadway. FLOAT-A-PUMP OPERATIONS: In areas where a draft site is inaccessible, the use of float-a-pumps may be necessary as a last resort for water supply. Float-a-pump operations have the following limitations: Carried on PBCFR Brush Trucks. Capacities vary from unit to unit. It is recommended that a minimum of two high volume float-a-pumps be used to relay water. Place the source pumper as close as possible to the float-a-pumps. SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting Page 7 of 8  Float-a-pumps must be monitored at all times, to maintain fuel levels, and ensure that the strainer remains free of clogs. Float-a-pump Operations Supersession History 1. SOG 420-10, issued 7/13/2020 2. SOG 420-10, revised 02/22/2022 SOG 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting Page 8 of 8