Chapter 12 - Water Shuttle Operations

What is the first step in determining the amount and types of apparatus needed for a water shuttle?

The fire flow

According to NFPA 1900, a tender must have a water tank of at least:

1000 gal (4000 L)

The must suitable fill site to meet fire flow requirements:

May not be the closest to the incident

Preplanning for large-scale water shuttle operations derives from

A community risk assessment

What is the preplanned route for travel for tenders for a jurisdiction or target hazard called?

Traffic plan

When operating at incidents located on a dead-end street, it may be advantageous to set up a dump site:

At the nearest intersection

The goal of the fill site is to load tenders:

As safely and efficiently as possible

After determining the exact fill spot, denote the stopping point for the D/O of the tender with a:

Traffic cone

When setting up a fill site, place the marker for the stopping point for the tender:

Adjacent to the driver’s side door

Under ICS, water shuttle operations are under the Operations section and is called the:

Water Supply Group

Tenders that use medium-diameter supply hose for filling should have:

At least two external fill connections piped to the tank

An evolution where a tender supplies a line and pumps water to the attack pumper is known as:

A rural hitch

A dump site method where a large tender is immediately adjacent to the attack pumper and acts as a drop tank is known as:

Nurse tender operations

Generally, when filling a portable tank at a dump site, pumping through a discharge is:

Less efficient than using a dump valve

NFPA 1900 requires all tenders to dump at a minimum average flow of 1000 gpm (4000 L/min) for the first ____ of tank capactity

90%

Single portable tank operations work for firefighting situations that require flow rates less than:

300 gpm (1200 L/min)

IFSTA recommends that any tank, regardless of type, should have a capacity of at least ___ more than the water tank on the apparatus that will supply it

500 gal (2000 L)

The dump site pumper can use a ___ to allow for continuous drafting to a point of about 2in (50mm)

Low-level strainer

Incidents that require a flow rate in excess of ___ are best served by a multiple portable tank operation

300 gpm (1200 L/min)

So that water may be transferred from one tank to another, multiple portable water tanks must be positioned in:

Series

What is an effective method used to move water between portable water tanks?

Use of jet siphon

For dump site operations requiring more than 3 tanks using jet siphons with flows over 500gpm (2000 L/min):

A second pumper may be used to draft and supply the jet siphon

If possible, fill tenders at a rate of:

1000 gpm (4000 L/min)

When positioning to draft at a static source, seek a position that:

Requires minimum lift to maximize the flow available

When operating at a fill site, position the tender so that:

A minimum amount of hose is required from the fill site

Fill times can be decreased when filling a tender using a medium diameter hose by:

Using multiple MDH hoselines

A tender D/O entering a fill site should:

Proceed until the driver’s door is parallel to the traffic cone or other marking device

A tender D/O will typically give a ___ prior to moving the apparatus

Horn signal

Once drafting operations are completed, and prior to returning the drafting site pumper to service:

Backflush the apparatus with water to lessen the chance of contamination

What is the water shuttle flow rate for a 3000 gal (12000 L) tender that makes a 1mi (1.5km) dump between fill sites in 12mins?

Flow = 0.9 x TS x TT

225 gpm (900 L/min)

Assuming an average travel speed of 35mph (55 km/h), what is the travel time for a tender that must complete a 5mi (8km) water shuttle operation?

Travel Time = 0.65 + (1.06 x distance)

9.13 minutes

What is the handling time for a 4000 gal (8000 L) tender that has a fill/dump rate of 2000 gpm (4000 L/min)? Assume a make-and-break time of 2mins at each site

Handling Time = Fill Site Time + Dump Site Time

8 minutes

Determine the flow rate for a 2500 gal (10000 L) tender with a fill/dump rate of 1000 gpm (4000 L/min) that must complete a shuttle run of 4mi (8km) in each direction. Assume maneuvering and make-and-break times total 1.5 minutes at each site.

Flow = (0.9 x tank size) + (travel time + handling time)

101.12 gpm (338.22 L/min)

Due to their weight, D/O’s of mobile water supply apparatus need to pay particular attention to the:

Brake systems

Prior to performing daily/weekly visual and operational checks on a mobile water supply apparatus, the D/O should:

Consult manufacturers’ specifications