May 2017
FireNuggets, Inc
Partial example of PAFD pump chart showing bulk attack lines matched to hose bed.
Coupled with a well thought out pump chart and a few reps your engineers will be setup for success.
Our attack loads are finished in a 100’
minuteman or attack bundle and deployed using
the Nozzle Forward system. This, along with less
available hose bed space (ladders in the hose
bed), made a wide flat load difficult. We use a
vertical “stack load”. Each fold you see flush
with the end of the bed denotes 50’ of hose and
one stack.
Any variation of a bulk load must have a built in
system for quickly and visually determining how
long the stretch is. When the nozzle firefighter
calls for water and the engineer is breaking the
line, he or she will take a quick glance at how
much hose is missing from the bed. This is the
length of the stretch.
For Oakland’s modified flat load, they load each
layer from left to right, representing 50’ of hose
per layer. This allows for your right arm to be
placed through the folds and grab exactly 50’ of
hose. It also makes it is easy for the engineer to
count to the 50’ layers and determine what is
missing. Oakland’s load is finished with a 50’
horseshoe bundle which must be added into the
equation.
Stretching Long... The long stretch should
not be cause for concern or an afterthought in
By Firefighters, For Firefighters
your deployment plan. If your current plan is
“figure it out if or when it happens” it’s very
likely you will be surprised when it does. We had
several examples of pre-connects being
extended multiple times, or 200’ pre-connects
stretched when 220’ was needed. A healthy
dose of honesty of how your department’s
stretches are going is important. We timed our
longer stretches requiring a bundle and an
appliance and found moving to a bulk load cut
most of the times in half. Previously, we did not
carry bundles of both 1.75” and 2.5”. Now, we
have both hose sizes available for long stretches,
without getting creative.
An additional issue with not having an easy
long stretch option is engine placement. Your
1st due engine placement should not be defined
by your pre-connect’s length. If your engine
stretches a 150’ crosslay for most fires, you may
be forcing the issue and placing your engine at
the front door in order to avoid a long stretch.
Consider that it may work better to leave room
for a truck, spot at the hydrant or get your rear
hose bed pointed towards the building. Bulk
hose beds allow for engine placement to be
wherever is best for that fire. At the very least,
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