SOG# 420-10 Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting

Vocabulary and tactical definitions based on Palm Beach County Fire Rescue's Rural Water Supply guidelines for structural firefighting incidents.

SOG# 420-10

The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (PBCFR) Standard Operating Guideline for Rural Water Supply for Structural Firefighting.

Hydrant Navigation System

A system used to provide the location and flow of fire hydrants, dry hydrants, and static water sources to help establish an adequate water supply.

PBCFR Brush Truck (Average Weight)

The average weight of these units is $28,500\,lbs$, which must be considered when crossing non-rated bridges.

PBCFR Engine (Average Weight)

The average weight of these units is $39,000\,lbs$, typically the heaviest apparatus used in rural water operations.

PBCFR Rescue Truck (Weight)

These units generally weigh less than $20,000\,lbs$ and may be one of the few apparatus able to access long, narrow driveways or non-rated bridges.

Water Supply Officer (WSO)

An officer assigned to oversee water supply operations who communicates directly with the Incident Commander (IC), often using a dedicated radio TAC channel.

Standard Rural Lot Width

A standard $1\,1/4$ acre lot used for estimating hose lays is approximately $200\,feet$ wide.

Typical Single Family Dwelling Water Needs

Estimated water requirement of $2,000$ to $10,000\,gallons$ to fully extinguish and overhaul a structure.

Modified Direct Pumping

A tactic recommended for first due response in rural areas that yields a water supply of $6,000\,gallons$ for initial fire attack from two Engines, two Brush Trucks, and one Tender.

Nurse Tender Operations

An operation where a Tender is positioned at the fire scene to supply the Attack Engine directly and is refilled by other apparatus via a water shuttle.

Relay Pumping Operations

The preferred method of water supply when a source is not nearby, utilizing a pumper at the water source to supply other pumpers through $5\,inch$ supply line.

Folding/Dump Tank Operations

An indirect water supply method where apparatus dump water into portable tanks holding $3,000$ to $3,500\,gallons$ to be drafted by a Supply Engine.

Tender Apparatus Capacity

Each unit carries $3,000\,gallons$ of water, along with extra foam and SCBA bottles for on-scene replenishment.

Float-a-pump Operations

A last-resort water supply method carried on Brush Trucks used in areas where draft sites are inaccessible to large apparatus.

Source Pumper

The apparatus placed at a reliable water source to initiate a relay; it should ideally be an Engine rather than a Brush unit due to pump capacity.