Hydrant operation

[ACfire1]

Is this the right operation for catching a hydrant? Im still tryin to get the technique down, so tell me if this is or isn't the proper way to do it, or if there's a faster way.

1. Grab the supply hose and the hydrant bag off of the engine
2. Position to open the hydrant facing or closest to the fire
2. Place the hydrant wrench on top of the hydrant in position to open it
3. Loop a portion of the hose around the hydrant
4. Open the hydrant to flush the water out
5. Close the hydrant
6. Connect the hose to the hydrant
7. Open the hydrant to charge the line

To close it,

1. Turn off hydrant
2. Bleed air from the hose
3. Disconnect hose
4. Walk it dry


Let me know if this is the right way.

[Bones42]

1. Grab the supply hose and the hydrant bag off of the engine
3. Loop a portion of the hose around the hydrant

Do these first, then the rest. It allows the engine to leave the hydrant and continue on to the scene quicker.


PS - we teach our guys to stand opposite the steamer connection on the hydrant when opening it. That keeps them out of the way if the hose decides to blow off due to bad threads etc. Got a good reminder last month when it happened at a drill. Luckily, the guys knew to stand in the safer area.

[truckmonkey42]

I have my guys flow the hydrant before we pull any hose off at all. We have had instances where people have laid a line and then found out the hydrant was bad. Usually did not work out too well.

[krazykarl]

In addidtion to what you have already mentioned, we had to cup our hand over the 2 1/2" port immediately after the supply line was disconnected and hydrant turned off to feel the suction caused by the water leaving the hydrant barrel. This was to prevent freezing water busting the hydrant. You warm weather guys probably don't have to worry about this additional step....

[XRaysJL]

How to do it?

Before I start, let me first say that every instructor is different. To quote my instructor: "There can be 1,000 ways to do the same thing......everyone of them can be correct.".

Unless you are going for national certification, the MAIN things the instructors / evaluators will be looking for is that you do the assigned task with to key points:
#1 = You do it safely. You violate no safety issues regarding a task.
#2 = You complete the task. It could be step:1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 4. (Depending on the step).

If you learn the safety issues regarding each task, you will do fine.

[ftfdverbenec770]

6.5 wait for D\O to give you the word to charge the line.

dont want to have a bowl of noddles in the hose bed.

[doughesson]

clarity

How we did it in Kentucky: (at least on my volunteer department)
After grabbing the end of the hose and hydrant bag(married up so it shouldn't be lost),and looping the hose around the hydrant and giving the driver the high sign to roll off,we'd remove the steamer and the 2 1/2" connection opposite the fire side of the hydrant before flushing it out.
After that,we'd put the Storz fitting onto the steamer outlet,put a gated 2 1/2 valve onto the same size connection and alert the driver/engineer that the hydrant was dressed and ready to flow water on his command.
As we should all well know,flushing the hydrant before flowing water to the engine is to prevent rust,twigs,small dead animals,etc from being cuahgt in the impellers.
You forget once and you'll never be allowed to forget again.BTDT.

[hwoods]

And.............

Our operation is:

1. 1st Engine stops just past Hydrant.
2. 2nd Engine stops short of Hydrant.
3. Driver of 2nd Engine pulls layout section off First Engine, signals them to go ahead.
4. Driver connects line to 2nd Engine discharge, charges it on word from 1st Engine Driver.
5. Driver hooks up to Hydrant and turns it on while his 500 Gal. Tank water is going to 1st Engine.
6. Driver eases into Hydrant water going down the line to 1st engine, and pulls a small amount off to refill his tank over a 5 minute spread.

We always have an Engine on the hydrant, we do not charge a line direct off the Hydrant.

[doughesson]

Our operation is:
We always have an Engine on the hydrant, we do not charge a line direct off the Hydrant.

Our policy was to get water on the fire,while someone was hooking the supply line to the hydrant.And he best be quick about it with an 850 gallon tank going 1,500 gpm,if we blitzed the fire first with the deck gun.
When the hose lines are in use,there's plenty of time as the engineer tells me to refill the tank with the excess.

[Bones42]

HWoods, a question...while the crew from the 2nd engine is sitting there waiting for the first engine to pull away, do they walk up to the scene and use lines from the 1st engine? And if the 2nd engine is still 2 minutes out, does the 1st engine still sit there and wait? (or does that never happen?)

[ACfire1]

I have my guys flow the hydrant before we pull any hose off at all. We have had instances where people have laid a line and then found out the hydrant was bad. Usually did not work out too well.

Yeah I did forget about that. That is what they told us as well, open the hydrant before pulling hose.

[FFFRED]

Yeah I did forget about that. That is what they told us as well, open the hydrant before pulling hose.

I agree as well...always check to see that the steamer cap is off all the 2 1/2 outlets are tightly capped and it flows along with getting rid of any debris in the barel before committing yourself. Every few months there is a story on FH.com where this happens and it doesn't look good to anyone.

Otherwise it seems pretty simple...also you might want to note which way (clockwise or counter-clockwise) your operating nut turns to open the hydrant...just so someone doesn't overtighten and thus break the hydrant altogether.

FTM-PTB

[numbir39]

How we teach it, (and I say we because each department probably does it different), is

Wrap - the hose around the hydrant for a forward lay
Cap - take the cap(s) off
Flush - The hydrant
Gate - put the gate on, if your dept requires it
Hose - attach the hose to the hydrant

Wait - for the pump operator to tell you to charge the line

If you say it fast, Wrap Cap Flush Gate Hose Wait... you can remember it easier.

This works for us, and is easy to remember.

Stay Safe

[mcaldwell]

We do it a little differently to speed the process.

1. grab bag/hose
2. Wrap (from road around hydrant opposite side from engine to prevent a snag from whipping into the sidewalk/crowd)- signal engine to pull ahead
3. Mount gate valve(s), which are packed closed on a supply line/open in the bag
4. Open and flush hydrant, using gate valve to shut off water flow
5. Wait for signal from engine to charge line
6. Charge line by re-opening gate valve

I don't like closing a hydrant once you have opened it (i.e. after the flush). Takes too long, when all you have to do is use the gate valves properly.

Just works for us.

[mdcook]

Make sure you have water first

In my village, our water department was ordered by the village board to paint the top nut blue if it works and black if it doesn't. This was in response to the public complaining that when the water department put bags over the hydrants, the voters noticed that there was not a working hydrant near any of our schools. Well that got some people's attention and some money was found to fix at least one hydrant near each school and the village board then ordered the painting of the top nuts.
The problem for us is that we have those yellow low energy street lights and at night the black and the blue look the same, so we always flow water first before we pull a supply line. The execption to this is that there are few hydrants near our high risk buildings (schools, nursing homes, chemical plant) that we practice on a few times each year, so we know they work. Also, for some reason, we know that the hydrants nearest to our firefighters houses work, too.
So, to save yourself a lot of extra work, unless you know the hydrant you're at, get water first, then pull the line and go for it.