To achieve Miami-Dade Fire/Rescue (MDFR) Operator-Pumper certification, applicants must first achieve State Of Florida Pump Operator Certification by successfully completing 80 hours of training. MDFR’s 40-hour certification training consists of classroom sessions and hands-on training. Operator candidates are evaluated on nine practical skill evolutions such as drafting and relay pumping. 

In this video, students must perform the fire department connection (FDC) evolution precisely as demonstrated and within the allotted time. Viewers unfamiliar with MDFR’s procedures may have the following questions:

Q. Why take the extra step of connecting a portable hydrant/water thief manifold in such a short supply line stretch?

A. The answer is partially for consistency; building muscle memory by performing the same task whenever establishing a water supply. In longer forward (hydrant to fire) hoselays, the manifold acts as a hose clamp; once connected, the hydrant position firefighter can “send the water” before the supply line is connected to the pump intake. Additionally, an engine arriving first due at a fire threatening exposures has the option of supplying itself by connecting three inch hose lines to the manifold’s 2 ½-inch outlets; sufficient water to protect exposures with hand lines, leaving the five-inch Storz outlet available for a later-arriving quint apparatus. 

Q. Similarly, why connect a four-way valve to the hydrant for such a short supply line stretch?

A. The answer is, again, for consistency and if the engine supplying the FDC cannot develop the system pressure demand another engine can connect to the four-way valve and pressurize the supply line above the hydrant’s residual pressure—in essence, a “tandem pumping” evolution. 

Q. Why connect and flow a 250 gpm nozzle? 

A. This procedure is a result of a fire in a nonsprinkled, high-rise condominium building. At the fire,  the operator pumping the FDC was not aware that that he was connected to a 6-inch “dead end” water main until companies were flowing from the standpipe system, resulting in a dangerous drop from static to residual intake pressure.

Q. Why pressurize the FDC to 150 psi?  

A. For consistency in this skill evaluation. At an actual fire, operators will connect to FDCs and be prepared to pump system demand pressure if the building’s fire pumps fail. If demand pressures are not posted at the FDC, another operator will enter the building’s pump room to determine that the pump is running and ascertain the pump’s churn pressure by finding the highest pressure on the fire pump’s specification plate and adding city water main pressure.   

NOTE: The only way to ensure that a standpipe system is properly pressurized is by flowing hoselines before advancing to the fire area.  

Q. Why remove the elbows?

A. To eliminate the possibility of an elbow failing under pressure. MDFR removes elbows and other appliances from old apparatus before it is sold. Consequently, old elbows could find their way on in-service apparatus. Similarly, do not connect hoselines supplying an FDC to discharges on the pump panel and do use a large diameter hose (LDH) discharge reduced to 2½-inch male thread with an aluminum 5-inch Storz X 2½-inch thread adapter. At pressures exceeding 250 psi, secure hoselines connected to discharges and FDCs with webbing or short length of rope.

Q. Why open the tank to pump valve?

A. Again, this is for consistency. Since the apparatus is connected to a pressurized water source, the one-way check valve in the tank to pump piping will remain closed unless there was loss of water in the supply hose. In a perfect world, an operator would remain at the pump panel at all times. In reality, pump operators are some of the busiest people on the fireground, frequently leaving the panel to bring equipment to firefighters.  If a pump’s automatic pressure control governor is set in the “pressure” mode and there is a loss of water in the supply line, the governor would automatically raise engine RPMs to maintain pump discharge pressure and the check valve in the tank to pump piping would open, allowing tank water to supply the pump. A pump operator who is away from the pump panel will hear the apparatus engine “throttle up,” alerting him that the supply line has failed—most often due to a small car caught on the large diameter hose.

Video script written by Lieutenant David Gates, Lead Apparatus Operator Instructor, and produced by Robert Hernandez.

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