F I R E L O G I S T I C S A N D M AT H E D U C AT I O N

A Rumpke Public Outreach Program

 Welcome
&
Introductions
Identify emergency exits
to all participants.

Identify location of
restroom facilities.

Cover any other

related site information.
What will we accomplish today!
What we do in the Fire Service!
This is our OFFICE!
This is our Work!
 Why
Numbers?
Why Numbers?
• Numbers tell us valuable information:
– How much water we need.
– The amount of water we are flowing.
– The truck pressure required to meet our
flow requirements.
– The time we have flowed water and the
total gallons used.
– How to adjust for elevation, plus or minus.
Nozzle Types
• Hand line nozzles fall into two basic
types:
– Smooth bore – straight stream, no
adjustment or settings.
– Variable stream – choice of straight stream
or fog pattern.
• The firefighter can usually choose what
type based on fire location and size.
Nozzle Force
• Nozzle pressures can cause problems:
– Not enough pressure can prevent an
effective fire attack or get the firefighters
burned.
– Too much pressure can injure the
firefighters from excessive nozzle force.
• The best balance is the correct pressure
at the nozzle.
Why Numbers?
• Applying the correct values or numbers
equals success:
– Applying the correct numbers into the
formulas predicts a successful and
manageable nozzle pressure.
– This allows the firefighters to move the
hose line in a building to successfully
attack and extinguish the fire.
 Elevation
Pressure
Gain & Loss
Elevation Pressure Gain & Loss
Pressure Loss: Aerial Piped
Waterway
Pump Discharge Pressure:
Fog Nozzle
Pressure Loss: Four Hoselines
(Unequal Lengths)
Common Hose Sizes
Common Nozzle Diameters
Friction Loss Coefficient
Single Hoselines
Variables for Calculating
Total Pressure Loss
• Volume of water flowing per minute;
• Length & diameter of the hoseline;
• Any major appliances attached to
hoseline;
• Pressure loss or gain created by
elevation;
Total Pressure Loss
Appliance Pressure Loss

• 0 psi friction loss for flows less

than 350 gpm;
• 10 psi friction loss for flows
greater than 350 gpm;
• 25 psi friction loss in all master
stream appliances.
Types of Appliances
 Calculating
Friction Loss
Student Activity 1
 What does
friction loss
mean to you?
Is it important
and why?
 FL = CQ2 L

Where:
FL = Friction loss in psi
C = Friction loss coefficient
Q = Flow rate in hundreds of
gpm (Flow÷100)
L = Hose length in hundreds of
feet (Length÷100)
1. If 150 gpm is flowing from
a nozzle, what is the
friction loss for 200 feet of
2-inch hose?

Please write your answer on the

student worksheet as we
work through the problem.
Problem 1
FL = CQ2L
(Q=150÷100) (L=200÷100)
FL = 8 × 1.52 × 2
FL = 8 × 2.25 × 2
FL = 18 × 2
FL = 36 psi
2. If 400 gpm is flowing
from a nozzle, what is the
friction loss for 300 feet
of 4-inch hose?

Please write your answer

on the student worksheet
as we work through the
problem.
Problem 2
FL = CQ2L
(Q=400÷100) (L=300÷100)
FL = 0.2 × 42 × 3
FL = 0.2 × 16 × 3
FL = 3.2 × 3
FL = 9.6 or 10 psi
3. If 200 gpm is flowing from
a nozzle, what is the
friction loss for 150 feet of
2-inch hose?

Please write your answer on the

student worksheet as we work
through the problem.
Problem 3
FL = CQ2L
(Q=200÷100) (L=150÷100)
FL = 8 × 22 × 1.5
FL = 8 × 4 × 1.5
FL = 32 × 1.5
FL = 48 psi
 Calculating
Elevation Pressure
Student Activity 2
 EP = 0.5 × H
Where:
EP = Elevation Pressure in psi
0.5 = A constant
H = Height in feet
EP = 5 × (No. Stories – 1)

Where:
Pressure in psi EP = Elevation
5 = A constant
 4. A hoseline operating on the
12th floor of a structure fire is
connected to the building’s
standpipe system.

What is the elevation pressure

at the base of the standpipe
system?

Please write your answer on the student

worksheet as we work through the
problem.
 Problem 4
EP = 5 × (No. Stories – 1)
EP = 5 × 11
EP = 55
 5. What would be the elevation
pressure loss at the pump
for a pumper at the bottom
of a 250-foot hill supplying a
hoseline at the top of the
hill?

Please write your answer on the student

worksheet as we work through the
problem.
 Problem 5
EP = 0.5 × H
EP = 0.5H
EP = 0.5 × 250
EP = 125
 6. What would be the
elevation pressure gain at
the pump for a pumper
atop of a 150-foot hill
supplying a hoseline at
the base of the hill?

Please write your answer on the student

worksheet as we work through the
problem.
 Problem 6
EP = 0.5 × H
EP = 0.5H
EP = 0.5 × 150
EP = 75
Calculating Total Pressure
Loss in Single Hoseline
Layouts
Student Activity 3
 TPL = FL ± EP
Where:
FL = Friction loss
FL = CQ2L
± = Add (+) or Subtract (–)
EP = Elevation pressure in psi
EP = 5 × (No. Stories – 1)
EP = 0.5H
 7. A pumper is supplying 150-
feet of 1¾-inch hose with
150 gpm flowing. What is
the total pressure loss in the
hose assembly?

Please write your answer on the student

worksheet as we work through the
problem.
 Problem 7
TPL = FL ± EP
TPL = 52.3 ± 0
FL = 52.3 = 15.5 × 1.52 × 1.5
TPL = 52.3 or 52
 8. Using the information from
Problem 7, what is the total
pressure loss if the fire
situation is located on the
4th floor of a building?

Please write your answer on the student

worksheet as we work through the
problem.
 Problem 8
TPL = FL ± EP
TPL = 52.3 ± 15
FL = 52.3 = 15.5 × 1.52 × 1.5
EP = 15 = 5 x 3
TPL = 67.3 or 67
 F I R E L O G I S T I C S A N D M AT H E D U C AT I O N
A Rumpke Public Outreach Program

Congratulations!
We’re ready to apply the math to move some
water!
 F I R E L O G I S T I C S A N D M AT H E D U C AT I O N
A Rumpke Public Outreach Program

•Closing Comments
I hope this course was:
Interesting
Challenging
Fun; and
Applied math in a different and helpful
perspective!