Water Shuttle Operations

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Water Shuttle Operations

• Sugar Land Fire Department
• Driver/OperatorPumper Academy
• Spring 2003

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Pumpers

• Minimum of two used in shuttle one at fill site
  and one at dump site.
• Must have a minimum pump capacity of 1,000gpm to
  conform to NFPA 1901

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Tenders/Tankers

• Must have tank-to-pump line capable of supplying
  the pump 500 gpm until at least 80 of the tank
  is empty
• Must be equipped with at least one external
  connection to allow filling at the rate of 1,000
  gpm
• Must have a discharge capable of discharging 90
  of the tank volume at an average rate of 1,000gpm
• May empty the tank with a gravity or a
  jet-assisted dump

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Gravity v.s. Jet-Assisted
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Gravity v.s. Jet-Assisted
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Disadvantage of Jet-assisted

• The apparatus must have a fire pump
• The pump must be engaged before dumping water
• Water can be discharged if the pump is not
  operating, but at a lower rate than it would in a
  gravity dump.
• The apparatus purchase cost is increased

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Setting up a Water Shuttle

• Location of the dump site
• Location of the fill site

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Positioning Fill Site Apparatus

• If possible, use a pumper to fill tenders,
  regardless of whether a hydrant or static water
  supply is used.
• Fill tenders at a rate of 1,000 gpm
• Use LDH on the hydrant steamer connection.
• If necessary, use multiple MDH in addition to the
  LDH if the hydrant is on a strong main.
• When positioning for drafting, seek a spot that
  requires a minimum amount of lift or hard intake
  hose.

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Positioning Fill Site Apparatus

• If the static water supply is inaccessible and
  portable pumps are used, locate them no further
  than 100 feet from the pumper
• Regardless of whether a hydrant or static water
  source is used, ensure that a small discharge
  line continuously flows from the fill site
  pumper.

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The Fill Site

• Determine where the tender driver/operator should
  park on arrival
• Mark where the tender should stop with a traffic
  cone opposite the driver/operators side door
  window.
• Make sure that each hoseline used should have a
  gate valve.
• Lay out hose according to the tenders fill
  valves.
• Install a gate valve between the last and second
  to last sections of each hoseline
• Install Stortz adapters on hoses as necessary
• Assign a radio-equipped firefighter to supervise
  the manifold if used.

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Fill Methods

• Fixed or portable overhead pipes at the static
  water source
• Permanent or portable manifolds

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Operating Shutting Down

• Keep the fill site pumper in gear with tender
  fill lines charged at all times.
• Continuously flow a waste line from fill site
  pumper to prevent loss of prime or pump
  overheating
• Assign makeand-break personnel one firefighter
  to handle each laid out tender fill line, make
  fill connection when tender arrives, and
  disconnect hose when tank is full.
• Ensure that tender drivers remain in their
  apparatus cabs

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Operating Shutting Down

• Monitor the ground conditions and adjust fill
  site location if site becomes too soft because of
  spilled water.
• Once the incident commander orders the shuttle
  shut down, make sure all tenders are full before
  releasing them, unless the site is supplied by a
  static water source.
• Release apparatus based farthest from the scene
  first
• Once all tenders have been refilled and/or
  released, shut down the fill site pumper and
  prepare it for return to service.
• If water came from a static source, flush all
  pumps and equipment before storing.

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Tender Discharge Methods

• Using a pump on the tender
• Using a dump valve
• Simultaneous pumping and dumping

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Portable Tank Operations

• Single Portable Tank Operations
• Multiple Portable Tank Operations
• Shutting Down the Dump Site

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