Fire vs.

Water Flow
What ’s the best size for an ““attack
What’s attack line?
line?””
What
What factors
factors are
are the
the highest
highest priority
priority on
on your
your
department?
department?
11/ ” ”
™ Maximum flow
1
1 ”
” ?
? 11 / 2
2
™Maximum flow
™ Maximum mobility
™Maximum mobility ??
™ Speed - How fast and how
™Speed-How fast and how much much
1133// ”
4 ?
4 ” ?
™ Ease of
™Ease of deployment
deployment andand pickup
pickup 22”” ?
™ Personnel available
™Personnel available ?
™ Water supply
™Water supply available
available 1 / ”” ??
22 / 22
1
 Pump Pressure for 125 GPM

452
452 psi
psi 1”
1”
150
150 feet
feet
156
156 psi
psi 1½”
1½”
150
150 feet
feet
136
136 psi
psi 1¾”
1¾”
150
150 feet
feet
105
105 psi
psi 2½”
2½”
150
150 feet
feet
(100
(100 psi
psi nozzle
nozzle pressure)
pressure)
Larger Attack Hose Lines Equal...
™ Higher initial
™Higher initial attack
attack flow
flow capability
capability
™ Less friction
™Less friction loss
loss
™ Longer hose
™Longer hose lay
lay capability
capability
™ Using more
™Using more ofof pumps
pumps capacity
capacity

Higher Flows Equal...

™ Quicker fire
™Quicker fire knockdown
knockdown
™ Personnel spend
™Personnel spend less
less time
time in
in ““combat”
combat”
™ More lives
™More lives saved
saved
™ More property
™More property saved
saved
 Fire
Fire Ground
Ground Hydraulics?
Hydraulics?

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P se
mpp Pre
PPuum
ssu
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r
1122
LLooss
00??
sspper P.S.I.?
P.S.I.?
er11000
0fftt..?
?
s s
s?? H
H o
o s
see DD iia
a m
m eette
e r
r??
L o
o s
n
n L DDeevic
tiio
o viceeLLos
vaa t osss??
l eev GGPPM
EE l M??
200?
200?
Nozzle pressure?
Nozzle pressure? 150?
150?
 The Preconnect...

The
The Preconnect
Preconnect is
is always
always the
the first
first line
line off
off
The
The first
first two
two lines
lines down
down fight
fight most
most of
of our
our fires
fires
Can
Can they
they handle
handle most
most anything
anything our
our department
department is
is ““normally”
normally”
going
going to
to fight?
fight?
The
The Pre-Con 150 Play
Pre-Con
150
150’’ of
of 11¾”
¾” @
@ 150
150 psi
psi == 150
150 GPM
GPM

Works
Works ““most”
most” of
of the
the time
time
It ’s the
It’s the easiest
easiest and
and most
most often
often
practiced
practiced

Simplifies
Simplifies pump
pump operation
operation (only
(only
one
one pressure
pressure works)
works)

But...
But... is
is it
it the
the right
right choice,
choice,
THIS
THIS time??
time??
How will we handle 90% of our fires?
I got it,
Chief!!
90%
90% of
of our
our fires
fires result
result
in
in 10%
10% of
of our
our losses
losses
however,
however,
10%
10% of
of our
our fires
fires result
result
in 90% of
in 90% of our
our losses!
losses!
Will
Will we
we count
count itit as
as
aa great
great “save”...
“save”...

...
... or
or aa futile
futile
training
training exercise?
exercise?
 ISO Ratings
Ratings

™Insurance Service Offices

™Insurance Offices
™Grading of
™Grading of fire
fire department’s
department’s capabilities
capabilities
and
and equipment
equipment
™For determining
™For determining fire
fire insurance
insurance premiums
premiums
™Not an
™Not an application
application rate
rate formula
formula
 NFPA Water Supply Formulas

™ For pre
™For -planning water
pre-planning water supply
supply
™ To determine
™To determine total
total quantity
quantity of
of water
water needed
needed
™ For aa single
™For single structure
structure
™ Or aa group
™Or group ofof buildings
buildings
™ Type of
™Type of construction
construction
™ Occupancy rating
™Occupancy rating
™ Exposures
™Exposures
™ Refer to
™Refer to NFPA
NFPA 1231
1231 Suburban
Suburban & & Rural
Rural Water
Water Supplies
Supplies
Iowa
Iowa State
State University
University Formula
Formula

LL == Length
Length
GPM = L x W x H WW == Width
Width
100 HH == Height
Height

™Fire knockdown
™Fire knockdown in 60
60 seconds
seconds or
or less
less
™Normally for
™Normally for enclosed
enclosed areas
areas
™Can be
™Can be used
used in
in pre-planning
pre-planning water
water
requirements
requirements for
for aa building
building or
or room
room
 National
National Fire
Fire Academy
Academy
Formula for Quick Size-up...
Size-up...
GPM = L x W LL == Length
Length
3 WW == Width
Width

™ Fire knockdown
™Fire knockdown in 30 30 seconds
seconds or
or less
less
™ Multiply GPM
™Multiply GPM by by number
number ofof floors
floors involved
involved
™ Can be
™Can be adjusted
adjusted for
for actual
actual %
% of
of involvement
involvement
™ Choose appropriate
™Choose appropriate size
size &
& number
number of of attack
attack
lines
lines based
based on
on GPM
GPM required
required &
& other
other
situational
situational factors
factors
 Formulas
Formulas &
& Fire
Fire Loading
Loading of
of Structures...
Structures...
Iowa
Iowa State
State University
University National
National Fire
Fire Academy
Academy
Formula
Formula Formula
Formula
™Developed in
™Developed in the
the 1950’s
1950’s ™Current information
™Current information
™Fire load
™Fire load mostly
mostly organic
organic ™Fire load
™Fire load contains
contains more
more
materials
materials synthetics
synthetics
™Ventilation tactics
™Ventilation tactics utilized
utilized ™Synthetics produce
™Synthetics produce more
more
less
less often
often BTU’s
BTU’s per
per pound
pound && increase
increase
smoke
smoke & & noxious
noxious gas
gas output
output
™Attack often
™Attack often from
from outside
outside due
due
to
to lack
lack of
of breathing
breathing apparatus,
apparatus, ™Ventilation and
™Ventilation and interior
interior attack
attack
protective
protective clothing,
clothing, && other
other tactics
tactics utilized
utilized
safety
safety equipment
equipment ™Increased water
™Increased water flow
flow required
required
due
due to
to increased
increased heat
heat output
output