Pumper Operations
Why do we need to be concerned about
being good pump operators?
 When we are good pump operators the
personnel working the hand lines are
getting the right pressures to fight the
fire and protecting us for legal reason.
 The truck is being used to its proper
flows and not exceeding the maximum
rating on the ULC label 100%75%50%
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Items we will be reviewing in this lesson
Types of gages found on a truck
 Knowing on how to put the pump into
operation
 Different types of pumps
 Different types of priming devices
 What is the main purpose of a pumper
 The immediate need for water
 Influence on the positioning the pumper
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Water supply sources
 Types of hookups to supply a pumper
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What is the Difference between pumping
and relay pumping
 Friction loss
 Flows of Nozzles
 Fire ground calculation for hydraulics
 The use of relief valve and how it works
 The differences between a relief valve and
a governor
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Discharge gages for the lines
KNOWING HOW TO PUT THE PUMP
INTO GEAR
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Stop the truck in the place that you need,
put in neutral, put the brakes on, take the
transmission out of gear and place the pump
in gear by way of a transfer valve, then put
the transmission into gear - i.e. 5th/4th gear
or drive depending on the unit and way it is
manufactured
Types of Gages found
Oil pressure
 Tach RPM - you should check it with the
cab to see if they match or close
 Engine coolant
 Water tank level
 Voltage
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Compound and Pressure Gauges
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Compound\Vacuum - this gage is found on
the pump panel and reads on the intake side
of the pump. This gage is capable of reading
a negative & positive pressure vacuum
Gages continued
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This gage when working shows you how
much water pressure being pulled at a draft
in negative pressure. Once you have a flow
of water coming in it shows you a Residual
pressure that is water for you to use. You
do not want to go below 140kpa residual
pressure as you may cause pump damage
or cavitation of the pump
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Pressure gage on the discharge side of the
pump shows you the water pressure on the
output side of the pump.
Different Types of Pumps
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Centrifugal Pumps
Positive Displacement Pumps ie: Piston
Pumps or Rotary Pumps
 The pumps on this depart are Centrifugal
 The Operation of a centrifugal is water
enters the the eye or center of the pump
and the impeller rotates with the vanes on
the impeller and forces the water out the
volute making pressure the faster it turns.
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Pumps continued
The volute casing is shaped smaller on one
side and then gets larger at the discharge
side - this is how it makes it pressure.
 Centrifugal Pumps can’t pump air so these
types of pumps need a priming device.
 We didn't talk about the other types of
pumps hear because we don’t have any of
them
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Priming Devices
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Successful drafting depends the ability to create a lower
pressure within the pump.
This results in water being forced up the intake hose into
the pump by atmospheric pressure. As stated earlier
centrifugal can’t pump air this is why we need primers.
When pulling a prime pull it for maximum 30sec a good
prime is 10-15 sec
With a RPM of 900-1200
Draft sites options 3,meters of lift vs. 6, meters of lift for
best water delivery to pump is 3,meters
Different types
Positive displacement, exhaust, vacuum
 Positive Displacement primers are rotary
gear or vane pumps driven by small electric
motor or other mechanical means from the
pump transfer gear case.
 Possible now are Air primers low
maintenance
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Exhaust Primers
Exhaust primers are found on portable
pumps - they work by diverting the exhaust
gases to a chamber where the velocity of
the gases pass through a venturi creating a
vacuum and discharging it to the
atmosphere.
 Exhaust primers must be kept in good
shape to work.
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Vacuum Primers
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Vacuum primers are the simplest type of primer it
use - the vacuum already present in the intake of
any gas powered motor.
These types of primers are not used as much
anymore
Danger of this was pulling water back into the
motor and killing the motor found on older trucks
Vacuum Primers Continued
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Vacuum primers create 2 dangers, 1st the
intake manifold contains explosive gases
that could be drawn into the pump and
cause damage. 2nd when prime has been
made, water could be drawn through the
pump into the intake manifold causing
engine damage
What is the Main purpose of a Pumper
Provide water at adequate pressure for
firefighting streams
 What is the immediate need for water
 Where are the water sources going to come
from
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Purpose of Pumper Continued
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Knowing how much water you have on the
truck and where to find other water sources
that can be used. If you need a water
supply from the other source lay the line to
the side of the road or driveway to allow
other units in.
Influence on positioning the Pumper
Should stop the unit short of the building on
fire and find the best spot to place the truck.
Such as keeping the truck upwind and away
from a collapse zone of a building.
 Exposures – watch for any to protect and
being able to deploy lines to look after this.
 This gives you ideas where you would place
equipment.
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Position Pumper Continued
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Watch for the terrain you might have to
work in - look for hard packed ground. If
fighting any brush or grass fire, try to get
into the burned area with the equipment as
the fire will not burn back on you. Then
work from inside to out to put this type of
fire out. Watch the ground and remember
what the weather has been before.
Water Sources
Water Supply Sources
 Water Supply Tankers
 Pressurized sources, hydrants,
 Static sources, lakes, ponds,creeks,portable
tanks,pools,
 On the fire ground the pumper could be fed
by the way of supply line running up the
side of the laneway from water tankers
road
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Or another pumper could be placed at the
water source and the water pushed up the
supply lines to the pumper at the scene.
Types of hookups
Drafting with a suction hose from a static
source
 Hooking a 2-1\2 or 4 inch supply line to a
pressured source i:e hydrant,
 Or as mentioned just before - from water
tankers hauling water to the fire by the way
of lines or dumping into a portatank.
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The difference between tandem and
dual pumping is:

Dual pumping is when more than one truck
can pump off the same hydrant because it
is strong and high flow of water. The
advantages - shorter hose lays - better use
of the water available. Dual units are
usually close together and intake to intake
bring water into the first truck and then out
to the 2 truck intake port.
Tandem Pumping
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Relay pumping is when one truck is at the
hydrant and feeds the other truck with the
lines a distance away, so the way this works
is the 1st truck takes the hydrant into its
intake and pushes it through the pump and
discharges through its discharge outlets to
the 2nd truck or so on from there. If
greater pressure is needed in a long lay you
could have another truck involved.
Friction Loss:
All hose has friction loss and the numbers
we will show you are easy for figuring out
the friction loss in the line lays. We will
show you the friction loss numbers for 11\2 - 38mm and 2-1\2 – 65mm inch hose
on the next pages coming up.
 All handline nozzles have a setting of
700kpa to be added to your friction loss
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So a hose flowing 500-L\m
________30m \100ft_______________
The friction loss is 270 per 1-1\2 hose per
30 m or 100ft
 So for the right pump pressures on the
panel should be with the nozzles that are
flowing 700 n p. To figure this out for the
flow above, would be 700 n p + 270 fl =
970 kpa.
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The Guideline for 38mm\1-1\2 hose is
500L\M @270,
375L\M @170
250L\M@70,
125L\M @20.
The guideline for 65mm\2-1\2 hose is
950L\M @ 90,
750L\M @ 60,
550L\M @ 30
450L\M@ 20
You will need to have to remember these for later
we will help you with this
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So a hose of 38mm flowing @ N.P of 700
flowing 500L\M and lay of 45m the pressure
needed on the P.P = 1105
 So a 65mm hose flowing @ N.P of 700 flowing
950L\M and lay of 60m the pressure needed
on the P.P = 880
 We all will work through this on paper at the
end of this learning part and you all will be
given a card with the friction loss on it.
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One thing to remember is that for every
meter of height change we must + or -10kpa
Most of our nozzle that are on the trucks
right now, flow 700Kpa. We do have some
older steel nozzles found on units and that
have select flows on them.
 In the most part when you plan out your
friction loss go with the higher flow.
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Fire Ground Hydraulics Calculation
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F.T
60m of 38mm
 PP needed is 1040
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F.T
120m of 65mm
 PP needed is 1060
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375L\M
700 N.P
950L\M
700 N.P
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F.T
90m of 38mm
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PP needed is 910
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75m of 65mm
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with an elevation of 20meters
 PP needed is 1125
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250L\M
700 N.P
950l\m
700n.p
90m of 65mm
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PP needed is 1240
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75m of 38mm
30m of 38mm
on both 500L\M
700N.P
500L\M
with a drop in elevation of 25 m 700N.P
 PP needed is 1125
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Relief Valve and what it does
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The feature of a relief valve is it sensitivity
to pressure change and its ability to relieve
excessive pressure within the pump
discharge. Protecting the firefighter
hanging on the end of the hose lay if
someone should shut down a line; the relief
valve notices the change of pressure and
opens.
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The most common relief valve are spring
controlled and set by a turn handle
You have to set valve to the Pump Pressure
that is the highest you will be pumping at.
 To set the relief valve turn the handle all the
way to the left to the lowest setting and
then turn it back right until the light goes
out and then back a 1\4 turn - your truck is
now protected
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Relief valve continued
So a pump pressure of 1000 kpa - the relief
valve is set to this - if you add another line
and the pressure is going to be greater than
1000 kpa.
 You will have to reset the relief valve to
operate at the higher pressure or you will
not be able to get it on the panel as the
valve will operate at the set pressure from
before
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Relief Valve continued
It would be a good idea to leave the relief
valve preset around 13 turns as the truck
will be protected in around 1000-1300kpa
of the unit.
 As the Pump operator has lots to think
about in the first few minutes of pulling on
a scene
 This shall be set as soon as the 1st line is
flowing
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The difference between a Relief Valve
and a Pressure Governor are
The pressure governor is regulated by the
engine throttle; it has a brain that notices
the flow and the engine speed and controls
the operation
 As with the relief valve the operator has to
set it and listen for any changes and reset if
any lines are added or taken away.
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Relief and Pressure Continued
And the governor looks after this for the
operator once it has all been preset by
department or the factory.
 Or the department has had preset values
put in the pressure governor for there hose
lays they most use at scenes
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Pressure Governors
To use a PG
 When in draft mode set it in RPM and
get your draft as you need some engine
RPM to get your prime
 Once you have your water and flowing
change the PG to the Press mode you
will have protection for your lines
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This has been just an outline in being a
good pump operator.
We will also practice this out on the fire
ground using the things learned in this
lesson
 Happy and Safe Pump Operation
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