QUICK DRILLS
What’s in Your Compartment?
A drill to help members build familiarity on those lesser-used tools & equipment
Story & Photos by Homer Robertson

What do your grandmother and your fire department have in common?

Neither one has thrown anything away in the last 50 years. She kept all your stuff in the attic, and we pushed ours to the back of the compartment or built bigger trucks so it would all fit.

There are a couple of different factors that leads to this hoarding and pack-ratting. As firefighters, we’re always training, planning and preparing for the next big incident. All the equipment and tools are there because at some point in the past, we needed them, and we take that experience very seriously. The day we take a piece of equipment off the truck is the day we need it at the next incident.

Another reason we hoard tools and equipment: ISO ratings. The ISO gives credit for carrying specific equipment; as a result, many fire departments that use the ISO to improve their communities’ insurance ratings carry a large cache of equipment, whether or not they use it on a routine basis.

The ISO equipment list outlines equipment such as hose clamps, 2 ½" hydrant gates and hose jackets. If your department is using the ISO system to improve your community’s rating, be sure to look for equipment that will fit the needs of your department and still receive credit. The ISO will recognize equivalents for items. For example, although the ISO list calls for a foam nozzle, the ISO will accept an eductor, built-in foam system or a CAFS system. Where the ISO calls for a piercing nozzle, you can substitute a distributor nozzle.

The main point is that if we carry this equipment, we need to be able to use it proficiently. The less we use equipment, the farther back into a compartment it gets pushed or the higher on the truck it gets placed. It then falls into the “out of sight, out of mind” category. Every fire department has some of these “rarely used but still on the truck” pieces of equipment.

This month’s Quick Drill focuses on these less-used tools. If you’re not sure what equipment to use, following are a few examples of forgotten tools and equipment that I’ve used in drills in the past.

In-Line Eductors
At one time, eductors were the primary method of making foam on the fireground. These days, you see a lot fewer eductors, due to the fact that technology has driven the installation of built-in foam systems on many apparatus.

Most eductors are very rugged and dependable when properly cleaned and maintained. There are a lot of different types and brands, so take time to know the specificities of your unit. When covering eductors, be sure to address these important points:

1. GPM rating
2. Maximum hose lengths between nozzle and eductors
3. Pump pressures (most have very high friction loss, 75 psi or more)
4. Correct nozzle rating
5. Types and percent of foam that can be used
6. Care and maintenance

Piercing Applicator
This often-underused tool is still carried by many fire departments and oftentimes gets overlooked. It’s great for applying water and even foam to fires in those hard-to-reach void spaces and behind walls with no access points, as well as in concrete block structures and mobile homes. Piercing applicators may be making a comeback in popularity due to their use in lightweight construction. Teaching points include:

1. GPM rating
2. Hardened points and striking point
3. Materials that it can penetrate
4. Where to use it

Cellar Nozzles
This is an old-school piece of firefighting equipment that you still see on trucks and is still on the ISO equipment list. It comes in both 1 ½" and 2 ½" versions and will flow lots of water. Points to cover include:

1. Flow rates
2. Pump pressures
3. Uses
4. Other equipment that will be needed to make openings

Unused Equipment Drill
1. Look though your apparatus for tools and equipment that aren’t being used that often in your normal incidents.

2. Assign one piece to each member of your company and give them some time to research its history and use. Remember that researching and teaching others is a powerful way to learn something yourself. Give other members a chance to learn from teaching.

3. Allow members to give a brief presentation on their assigned tool.

4. Be as interactive as possible with each tool. Don’t just talk about its use. Get out and find a way to use it in training—and then be a thinking firefighter and remember to use it when appropriate at incidents.

5. A few months from now, reassign the equipment to other members to present. New information, uses and applications will likely be revealed each time.

Go Digging
Every fire department has something in its apparatus compartments that hasn’t been used on a routine basis, some for many years. Take some time to search through your rig’s compartments and dust off those unused pieces of equipment. These pieces are on the truck for a reason. Learn their history and more importantly, learn their use and applications.

Captain Homer Robertson has been involved in the fire service since 1978, starting as a volunteer with the Granbury (Texas) Fire Department, of which he is a life member. He has served with the Fort Worth Fire Department since 1985 and is currently in charge of the fire equipment division, which includes the apparatus fleet.


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