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Pump Operations
Should the pump operator stay at the engine or wander around the scene? I'm asking because one of our people has a habbit of setting the engine and walking of. We are a volunteer department and have two engines with the computer operated pump. Supposedly set your pressure and watch. We lost prime momentarily the other day and he was at the rear of the engine away from the panel(top mount). Seems that if you are not at the pump when something happens you stand a good chance of either screwing up a pump or getting someone hurt. This is why we have the top mount so the operator can watch the fireground.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Matthew Brough on
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First of all let me start out by saying I HATE COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS! Set and forget is the wrong attitude to have with these. And the whole computerized mumbo jumbo lets people feel more comfortable and they get lax one the operations part.
Now, on our department ( we only respond to town and we have VERY good hydrant systems) we do allow the operator, if he/she is experienced enough on the truck, to leave the panel and be a gofer to an extent. You have to stay pretty close to the truck. We usually don't run the risk of running out of water, because once we start pulling from the hydrant we shut the tank off and run strictly off the hydrant. Now, that being said, we have used the 97, our first out engine, so much that I can tell what it is doing by just listening to the sound of the pump and the engine.
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Permalink Reply by Chris on
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We have computer operated pumps as well on our engines and ladders but our engineers are required to be at the pump or around the truck at all times.
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Permalink Reply by Capt. Jeff Lee on
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Never, never, never leave that panel !! Especially if you have a crew inside making an attack. It only takes a split second for something to go wrong and that crew inside is toast. If someone working arond the truck needs something, then ask the Engineer where it is, but don't expect them to leave that panel. I can tell you, Being on the crew that is always the first attack in, If we lose water deep in the ugly and one of my crew gets hurt because the Engineer was not at the panel, somebody's gonna want to whoop that ass!!!
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Permalink Reply by Smoke Eater on
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I have always been taught by my dad who was one of the best pump operators I've seen that you drive it you pump it and you don't leave that panel for anything. If I drive the engine on even an MVA I will not leave that pump cause you never know what will happen.
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Permalink Reply by Billy B Casteel JR on
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The engineer should never leave the panel. The engineer is the life line for the crew on the end of that nozzle. If the engineer walk away and something goes wrong with the pump the crew inside fighting the fire could and can get bruned. As a person on the nozzle alot I have all my trust in my engineer that she or he will not leave that panel.
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Permalink Reply by Doug on
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In our department the pump operator does not ever leave site from the pump panel unless he or she is releaved from another pump person.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Owens on
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Our Engine operators do not stay by the apparatus. Once they establish a water supply and set the pump they put on there gear and are active in firefighting operations. They throw ladders hump hose into the building and assist with outside operations.
The reason for this is that we have a minimum staffing level of 3 driver officer and firefighter. When you are faced with this then everyone must be a soldier including officer and driver. You have to be ready to go to work at a moments notice. Our drivers have made several rescues off of balconies and 2nd story windows.
We equip or engines with water level lights on both sides of the pumper and visible to everyone on the fire ground. We also have the "vector" system which has an audio function and indicates your water level or if any problems arise.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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If the engine is equipped with a rear intake, then the engineer will be waiting a long time for his water supply. Rear intakes are a standard item on my department's new engines, and the pump operators routinely leave the pump panel to make the supply line hookup.
"Never" is a long, long time.
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Permalink Reply by Dewayne and Diana Bean on
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stay at the engine even if its computer operated its not fail proof so why risk it if you have the manpower.
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Permalink Reply by Patrick B. Kropp on
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He should stay with his rig. Our SOP's state the engine driver has only 2 duties.
1) Drive the rig to the scene.
2) Operate the pump and maintain optimal pressure readings.
In other words stay the Hell by your rig !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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So I will ask this question then....If you driver is at the rig and a victim or brother firefighter presents himself at a window....what would you expect your driver to do???? Not trolling to start a fight just asking.
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Permalink Reply by Dennis Brown on
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The operator should never leave the pump a lil story from when i was a new driver we had a call house fire my first pump opps and i had every thing going good so i walk away to help put a ladder up and a line broke and the guys inside lost water so for the few min i walk away this happen by time i got back to the truck shutdown and to replace hose the guys where with out water for i say 10 min in a good worker so this scared the crap out of me if i was by the truck i could have done it faster so i say never leave the pump
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