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The hoses on the back are supply lines that connect the engine to the hydrant. While the "waterman", usually the firefighter that sits behind the driver, connets to the hydrant the driver (engineer) places the clamp on the hose. Then the waterman can immediately charge the supply line and return to the engine for another assignment. When the engineer is ready for water he unclamps the hose.
How many feet of suction hose would the typical truck carry?
Seems they would need enough to get to a back-yard pool, and that amount of hose would take up a lot of room on a truck.
Pop
We have two engines carrying suction hose. Both carry two 10' sections of hard suction hose. I don't know that ours have ever been used. If we're operating without a hydrant, we just call in another company or two and take turns emptying and refilling at the closest hydrant.
You would think but they find ways. You won't find them dipping into a swimming pool for a structure fire often. But remember each engine has 2 hoses. Not every engine will be draining a pool. Its more common on wild land fires and they will pull up behind the houses.
Also forgot to mention the portable holding tanks. They get used on those too. Kind of like an above ground pool, water tenders will dump water into them and an engine or helicopter will refill from it allowing the water tender to return to a hydrant for water.
You would think but they find ways. You won't find them dipping into a swimming pool for a structure fire often. But remember each engine has 2 hoses. Not every engine will be draining a pool. Its more common on wild land fires and they will pull up behind the houses.
Also forgot to mention the portable holding tanks. They get used on those too. Kind of like an above ground pool, water tenders will dump water into them and an engine or helicopter will refill from it allowing the water tender to return to a hydrant for water.
Yes. we use them holding tanks.
We have less water supply unlike the Structure guys so we have to be conservative on how we use water. Plus we got to worry about friction loss, etc. Yay..math.
It's always fun rolling up the hoses off of the mountain.