This blog is directed at the engineers. Do you know what those initials above mean? You should. Do you know what nozzles your department utilizes? Automatic? Manual? You should. Do you know what PDP you, as the engineer, should be supplying on each of those lines? You should!
I did a TON of math last shift. Although it gave me a headache, it was also like a cool breeze in the face. Because of our new Chief, I'm not afraid to propose this kind of stuff anymore. Yes, I'm still a little gun shy. Had the "I'm the god damn Fire Chief!" mentality for 21 years, so it's understandable. But halfway through it, Chief Mudryk was "YES YES YES!!! Go with it!" So, I did! And my research results surprised me!
Do you know what your crew is flowing at the end of the line that you are in control of? I bet you think you do, and I'd double the odds that you really don't know. Nothing personal. But you're probably wrong. If you got it right, I apologize! But, I'm here to tell you that my FD has been doing it WRONG as long as I can remember.
This blog is just an introductory. We'll get into the math, algebra, and physics later. And I hope a discussion! This is important stuff. For example, I discovered that even though my FD has our nozzles set at 125 GPM, we were flowing MUCH less. Like in the 92 GPM range! There have been times when we were down in the 45 GPM range! My friggin garden hose will flow 20 GPM! Think about that for a second.
Watering my flowers is NOT the same as protecting my crew when things go south. What the hell are you gonna do in a flashover, a SPLIT SECOND DECISION, with 45 GPM?
You're gonna die, and take your crew with you, that's what your gonna do.
We're gonna get in to GPM vs BTU in the next blog, and all kinds of other cool hydraulics. But it all boils down to doing the best we can do, taking your crew to Hell to do what they're trained to do, then bringing them home!
I'm excited about this one, look for the next blog later this week!
Stay safe out there gang, it's a jungle!
PDP - Pump Discharge Pressure
FL - Friction Loss
NP - Nozzle Pressure
GPM - Gallons Per Minute
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Give them the best chance!
I read an article the other day written by Brian Brush. Never met the man, he's in Colorado, I'm in Ohio. But I was fortunate enough to talk to him via Fire Engineering's webcast radio show a few months ago. Super nice guy, and he's a Warrior.
I guess the best way to go about blogging what's on my mind right now is to share the article first. It's short and sweet.
Go read this:
Fire Engineering, Brian Brush
OK. Welcome back! Kinda harsh reading, but it hits home don't it? I posted earlier in this blog about most of the time our citizens only call 911 once in their lives. Don't we owe it to them to give them the best chance? I think we do.
The big TONKA truck you ride on, your salary (if you get one), all the cool tools you get to play with, the fuel in the rig, the station itself, all of it. That costs a bundle! Where does the money come from? That person calling 911, for the first time of their life, at 03:00 in the morning. They pay for all of that shit.
And all they ask in return, is the best chance at getting out of their particular problem.
I've found myself in a sort of a funk lately. Getting up in the middle of the night because someone else has a problem, and bitching about it the whole way there. I know how to fix the problem (training!) why don't you? Why are you calling 911 because you smell something funny? Why are you calling 911 because your wife has "poop cramps"? Why are you calling 911 because you got really drunk and did something stupid? Then we get there, and find and fix the problem, and our citizen is overjoyed, and thanking us. Then I fell like a piece of shit for bitching on the way there. NOT cool!
The answer is simple. Because they don't know what else to do but call us, the problem solvers! And we owe it to them to show up and solve the problem. No matter how small or trivial it may seem to us. To them, it's HUGE, that's why they called 911! Not saying they are stupid, or substandard citizens, but saying we have more training and better tools. They have thought of absolutely everything they could have, and as a last resort they call us to fix the problem.
How friggin cool is that? That's an honor that shouldn't be taken lightly. Like I've been doing. Like Brian Brush was doing. Yes, the mutts get you down, and the job becomes a job. But we all need to take a step back sometimes and think about what it is we're doing, and why we're at the fire station instead of at home with our families.
We're there because we're Warriors. And we're the best chance they have.
Write that down!
I guess the best way to go about blogging what's on my mind right now is to share the article first. It's short and sweet.
Go read this:
Fire Engineering, Brian Brush
OK. Welcome back! Kinda harsh reading, but it hits home don't it? I posted earlier in this blog about most of the time our citizens only call 911 once in their lives. Don't we owe it to them to give them the best chance? I think we do.
The big TONKA truck you ride on, your salary (if you get one), all the cool tools you get to play with, the fuel in the rig, the station itself, all of it. That costs a bundle! Where does the money come from? That person calling 911, for the first time of their life, at 03:00 in the morning. They pay for all of that shit.
And all they ask in return, is the best chance at getting out of their particular problem.
I've found myself in a sort of a funk lately. Getting up in the middle of the night because someone else has a problem, and bitching about it the whole way there. I know how to fix the problem (training!) why don't you? Why are you calling 911 because you smell something funny? Why are you calling 911 because your wife has "poop cramps"? Why are you calling 911 because you got really drunk and did something stupid? Then we get there, and find and fix the problem, and our citizen is overjoyed, and thanking us. Then I fell like a piece of shit for bitching on the way there. NOT cool!
The answer is simple. Because they don't know what else to do but call us, the problem solvers! And we owe it to them to show up and solve the problem. No matter how small or trivial it may seem to us. To them, it's HUGE, that's why they called 911! Not saying they are stupid, or substandard citizens, but saying we have more training and better tools. They have thought of absolutely everything they could have, and as a last resort they call us to fix the problem.
How friggin cool is that? That's an honor that shouldn't be taken lightly. Like I've been doing. Like Brian Brush was doing. Yes, the mutts get you down, and the job becomes a job. But we all need to take a step back sometimes and think about what it is we're doing, and why we're at the fire station instead of at home with our families.
We're there because we're Warriors. And we're the best chance they have.
Write that down!
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