1. Positioning Apparatus Sugar Land Fire Department Driver/Operator-Pumper Academy Spring 2003

2. Positioning Apparatus

3. Size up the incident to determine the best place to park the apparatus If no fire conditions are evident, park near the main entrance of the occupancy. Remain with the vehicle and prepare to pull attack lines or make connections to the water supply, sprinkler or standpipe connections

4. Positioning Apparatus If fire conditions are evident, look for the best tactical position in which to place the apparatus based upon standard positioning considerations.

6. Positioning Considerations –Building condition –Intensity of the fire –Overhead obstructions –Falling glass and debris

9. Supporting FDCs –Position as close as possible to the sprinkler or standpipe FDC. –Most of the time, a fire hydrant is located very close to the FDC, allowing connection to both the hydrant and the FDC with relative ease –Position the apparatus at the water supply source when using a draft source

10. Supporting FDCs

11. Drafting Operations

16. Hydrant Connections

17. –Know the length of the apparatus intake hose in order to properly position the apparatus –Practice until you are able to judge the proper distance from the hydrant –Judge this distance from the hydrant, rather than from the curb. –Note whether the hydrant outlet faces the street or is parallel to the curb line.

18. Side Intake Connections –Stop the pumper with the pump intake a few feet short of being in line with the hydrant. –Minimize kinks in soft sleeve hose by putting two full twists in the hose when making the connection between the hydrant and the pumper NOTE: Do not twists hose equipped with stortz connectors

20. Connection to the 2 ½ Hydrant Outlets –Use this hose size when the maximum flow from a hydrant is not needed or when a large diameter intake hose is not available

21. Multiple Intake Connections Determine the pumper position by the soft sleeve requirements because it is the shorter (and greater capacity) hose

22. Advantages of 2 ½” hose –Easiest to set up –Comes in longer lengths –Allows more flexibility with regard to location of the pumper –Light enough to be easily handled by one person –Ease of handling decreases maneuvering time, allowing pumper to connect and begin supplying water with a minimum of delay

23. Disadvantage Limits the amount of water that can be supplied

24. Methods of Reducing Friction Loss Using 2 ½” Outlet Use 3” hoselines Bring the 2 ½” or 3” lines into the pump through the large intake connection using a bell reducer or a suction siamese fitting that allows connection of more than one 2 ½” or 3” hose

25. Advantages of Dual Pumping

26. Tandem Pumping –Used when pressures higher than a single engine is capable of supplying are required

27. Tandem v.s. Dual Pumping Dual Pumping—pumper are connected intake- to-intake Tandem Pumping –the two pumpers may be as much as 300 feet apart –Pumper directly attacked to the water supply source pumps water through its discharge outlet into the intake of the second engine.

28. Positioning Wildland Apparatus –Back engines in from last known turnaround, noting the locations of landmarks along the way –Park off roadway to avoid blocking other fire apparatus or evacuating vehicles. –Scrape away fuel to avoid parking in flammable vegetation –Park on lee side of the structure –Park near the structure

29. Positioning Wildland Apparatus –Keep cab doors closed and windows rolled up to keep out burning material –Place engine’s air conditioning system in recirculation mode –Do not park next to or under hazards such as Power lines Tress or snags LPG tanks Structures that might burn

30. Wildland Fire Attack –Driver at an appropriate speed –Have a spotter walk ahead of the vehicle to help locate and avoid obstacles –Make sure that spotters are equipped with reliable handlights, wear highly visible clothing, and stay within the driver’s field of view at all times –Protect apparatus from heat and flames when possible

31. Wildland Fire Attack –Consider potential hazards when selecting a stationary site for the apparatus –Deploy a short line to protect the apparatus –Always chalk the wheels when parked –Park the apparatus facing the exit direction –Avoid placing apparatus on steep hillsides –Do not position the vehicle on soft ground –Do not drive across bridges not rated for apparatus weight

32. Wildland Fire Attack –Do not attempt to ford streams with apparatus that is not designed to do so. –Avoid driving apparatus on the shoulders of railroad roadbeds –Keep hoselines as short as possible when te apparatus is used in a mobile attack –Except when operating in the burned area, reserve a small portion of water in the vehicle’s tank to protect the apparatus and crew

33. Wildland Fire Attack –When progressing along the fire’s edge, ensure complete extinguishment –Do not leave parked engines unattended –Communicate/coordinate effectively with the rest of the fireground organization –Leave the headlights on whenever the engine is running

34. Wildland Fire Attack –If the fire is spreading rapidly upslope, draw engine and crews back to the flanks rather than attempt a frontal attack. –Use crews in areas of burned fuel whenever possible. –If using the apparatus to attack from the unburned side, leave sufficient clearing distances from the fire line to allow for loss of water or mechanical failure

35. Wildland Fire Attack –Be aware of fire conditions –Consider the location of operating crews when moving apparatus –Do not drive into smoke where crews may be operating

36. Positioning Support Apparatus –Positioning of rescue/squad apparatus is not as critical as that of pumping and aerial apparatus –Park rescue/squad apparatus as close to the scene as possible, without blocking access to other apparatus –Make sure that the rescue/squad apparatus has a clear exit path from the scene in the event that it is needed at a second incident. –If the rescue/squad apparatus is going to be used for scene lighting or SCBA refilling, park it strategically for those purposes

37. Command Vehicles –Provide for maximum visibility of the incident; attempt to have a clear view of two sides –Driveways, parking lots, yards, and cross streets all make good locations for command vehicles –Provide for maximum visibility of the area surrounding the incident –Place in a position that is easy to locate for other responders operating on the scene

38. Command Vehicles –Position somewhere outside of the immediate danger zone. –Avoid blocking the movement of other fire apparatus or interfering with incident operations –Display some type of light or sign that readily identifies the vehicle as the command post.

39. Cascade System

40. Breathing Air Compressors

41. Air Supply Apparatus –Mobile breathing air supply apparatus Independent apparatus used in large jurisdictions strictly for refilling/replacing SCBA cylinders May carry large quantities of extra SCBA cylinders May be equipped with large cascade systems, breathing air compressors, or both May be equipped with long hose reels that allow cylinders to be refilled at a remote location

42. Air Supply Apparatus –Breathing air supply apparatus (BASA) are positioned much the same as positioning of rescue vehicles –BASA should be positioned close to the scene –BASA should not block scene access –BASA should be positioned to allow hose to be appropriately deployed if the hose reel is going to be used for remote filling

43. Air Supply Apparatus –If equipped with breathing air compressors to refill SCBA cylinders, BASA should locate upwind of the fire in clear air space –BASA must be positioned according to jurisdiction SOPs.

44. Meat Wagons/Blood Buckets –Commonly respond to fire and hazardous materials incidents to treat and transport injured civilians and/or responders –May be basic or advanced life support utility vehicles –Should be parked close to the scene but not blocking access for other fire and emergency vehicles

45. Meat Wagons/Blood Buckets –Should locate in the vicinity of established triage and treatment area –Should be parked in a position that allows the vehicle to easily leave the scene to transport a victim if necessary –If on standby mode, should locate in the area where firefighter rehabilitation is being conducted

46. Apparatus Staging Procedures –Used to prevent late arriving apparatus from being blocked form a better position by earlier arriving apparatus –Facilitating the orderly positioning of apparatus –Allowing the incident commander to fully utilize the potential of each unit and crew

47. Apparatus Staging Procedures

49. Positioning at highway operations

53. HazMat –Never drive directly into the scene without first attempting to identify the material that is involved –Always stop well short of the incident scene until the nature of the hazard is understood –Do not park over manholes –Try to obtain information on the wind speed and direction while enroute

54. HazMat –Position the apparatus in the cold zone –When responding to bomb threats avoid parking in a customary location

55. Railroads