WHERE FIRE FIGHTERS GO FOR THE FACTS

Ten Reasons Why You Should Use CAFS While compressed-air foam systems have their roots in wildland fire operations, the technology has proved to be a revolutionary breakthrough in structural firefighting. What follows is a thumbnail sketch of the advantages found in deploying CAFS for the structure fire attack. Improved initial-attack capability. Using CAFS, the fire-stopping effectiveness of first-arriving fire scene resources — equipment, personnel and water supply — increases up …

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Retrofitting Existing Apparatus with Compressed Air In today’s economy, many departments are postponing new apparatus purchases and are instead keeping their existing apparatus in service. A large number of these apparatus were built without foam capability, but many may be candidates for foam or compressed-air foam system (CAFS) retrofits. A retrofit to add Class A foam capability would involve adding a foam proportioner to the unit; for CAFS, an air …

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WATEROUS CAFS RETROFIT LEADS TO NEW CAFS PURCHASE A Waterous compressed air foam system (CAFS) retrofit of a 1998 MR Mack pumper two years ago convinced members of the Budd Lake (N.J.) Fire Department that compressed air foam should become an essential part of its fire suppression operations. This spring the department took delivery of a 2008 Seagrave pumper equipped with another Waterous CAFS unit. “When we decided to get …

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THE ANATOMY OF A FIRE PUMP As I considered a topic for this article, it occurred to me that there has been little discussion on the anatomy of a fire pump, and I believe it is important to spend more time discussing this with our firefighters. Understanding the anatomy of a fire pump can be a key to maintaining a long-lasting, strong-running pump for many years. The “centrifugal pump”, a …

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THE HEART OF THE FIRE PUMP: THE IMPELLER The fire pump is sometimes referred to as the ‘heart’ of the fire truck.  For without a pump, a fire truck is just a transport vehicle that can bring firefighters and equipment to the scene, but is incapable of extinguishing any fire.  In order to get the wet stuff on the red stuff, a fire pump is needed. If the heart of …

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EAST COAST FIRE DEPARTMENTS NAME WATEROUS AS SOLE PUMP MANUFACTURER Philly, Boston and Portland, Maine, departments make commitment to one factory Three east coast fire departments have selected Waterous as their dedicated pump manufacturer. The Philadelphia Fire Department, Boston Fire Department and Portland (Maine) Fire Department decided that finding the right manufacturer and creating pump uniformity within their fleets provides numerous benefits, which is why they officially selected Waterous as …

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THE PUMP TRANSMISSION – PUTTING THE POWER TO THE PUMP In the last installment of the “Anatomy of a Fire Pump,” Jay Rought wrote the article “The Pump Body – The Unsung Hero”.  In it Jay explains “the pump casing would be the “body” in relation to the impeller being the “heart”.  Just as the human body contains the heart and supports it by supplying passageways for the heart to …

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DON’T LET YOUR PUMP GET YOU HEATED – OVERHEAT PROTECTION When it comes to fighting fire, one of the most important tools is the fire pump.  Sure you could find other ways to put out a fire, but centrifugal fire pumps make the job a lot easier.  As an apparatus operator, your tasks are numerous, and as in any other operation on the fireground, your first priority must be the …

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