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Dry or Wet Line?
Does your dept. advance a dry or wet line into the fire building from the front door?
What are your thoughts on the two, advantages and disadvantages?
What are your thoughts on the two, advantages and disadvantages?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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My current department (NSW Rural Fire Service) always charges the line first. In Australia, fire-fighter safety is king, saving lives and property, less so. We are a more rural department, so water supply, backup, and staffing are never guaranteed. I still feel we err too far on the side of caution.
In my old department, (Prince George's County MD) it was up to the officer, we would usually advance a flat line to the nearest safe (out of the smoke and heat) place, charge it, then advance. A lot of our jobs were in walk-up apartments, so we'd drag a flat line up the stairs, and charge it while the bar-man forced the door. It was important to wait for the line to charge before forcing the door!
The benefit of advancing a flat line as far as possible was it dramatically sped up the attack. Wrestling a 1 3/4 line up three stories before you arrive at the front door takes forever. I think we could get away with the more aggressive approach because this was an urban department with easy water supply and a ton of backup right behind you.
For the record: we only advanced it to where it was safe. We'd never take it into a hot spot, or an area of heavy smoke without charging it. Fires on the first floor often meant going in with a wet line from the very beginning.
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Permalink Reply by blair4630 on
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Pretty much what you said in your first post. Depends on where the fire is. What I'm talking about is dragging a charged line around furniture, stairs, doorways, if you're going to the 2nd floor and to the back, to use the example you posted.
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We primarily use preconnects as well, also 200 ft. Read what I posted above to jack, and also, when youi pull up in the street in front of a residence, that can be alot to flake out just to drag it all into the residence.
As far as things change in a hurry, you're right, I"m not going to debate that. That is definetely a disadvanatage to a dry line.
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Permalink Reply by Michael C. Harrison on
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Dry as far as possible
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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That makes sense, Jack.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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This discussion is an old one, even for FFN.
There is no "right" answer to this question. The answer depends upon the occupancy, size, number of floors, fire size, fire location, speed of fire spread, visibility, manpower, water supply, availability of PPV/PPA, availability of thermal imaging cameras, time for additional engines to arrive, fuel type and size, crew experience, response time, possibility of victims, possible victim locations, terrain, special hazards...the list is endless.
If I have a couch fire right next to the front door in a 900-sq. ft. single family dwelling, I'm going in wet...if the truckies don't beat me in with a can job.
If I have a well-involved high rise, I'm going in dry to a floor or two below the fire.
If I have a room and contents on the 2nd floor of an unprotected Type I apartment building, I'm probably going dry to the landing, then wet down the hall.
All in all, as the nursing home resident said...It DEPENDS.
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Permalink Reply by John Rulli Jr. on
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I have to agree with ben on this one
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Permalink Reply by Derek R. on
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Our coverage consists of mainly one or 2 story homes. So far, we go dry to the entrance, then charge and bleed then make entrance. Mind you, like Jack said, if it's confirmed room and contents on second floor at the back, and our only entrance is through the front, then it's dry to the second floor, then advance the hall charged to the room.
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Permalink Reply by Ron King (Fire Chief) on
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We always have wet lines. Let out the air and be sure we have water.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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I agree with both Jack and Ben, too many variables and it depends upon what you encounter. I would also prefer to haul a dry line to where you got to go and call for water. I've been in a few fires that was more smoke than fire and don't see a reason to damage property with a charged line to find out the turkey is now gonna be a bit dry from the oven. Been in apartment fires with smoke showing, lines pulled and knocked the fire down with a 5# dry chem extinguisher. As mentioned there are just too many scenarios and there really is no wrong answer, some depts have policy, some don't, personal preferance is a dry line to the fire.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Brooke on
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Wet.Pain in the rear to advance but,safer.
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