Plainville Fire District Hosts Rural Water Supply Operations Seminar

"Send me water!" Every firefighter on the end of a hoseline expects a ready and plentiful supply of water – the answer to basic fire suppression. The mechanics of getting the water from the source to the nozzle can be a major concern in the absence of a municipal water system; it may even be a concern in the face of aging water system infrastructures.

Departments from a three-county area in central New York met to learn, discuss, improve and, ultimately, test their water delivery methods and skills at a two-day seminar on rural water supply operations held at the Plainville Fire District from September 21-22, 2013.

The goal of the event was to "provide a review of water supply operations in a non-hydranted area so that all participants are able to improve their own performance when delivering water via tankers," according to GBW Associates, which provided instruction.

Description of the different type of tank vehicles most often utilized in rural water supply operations.
Explanation of the different modes of "water-on wheels" operations.
Description of the ISO tank vehicle delivery rate test.
Key points of setting up an off-loading site (dump site) – practical exercise.
Key points of setting up a fill site – practical exercise.
Key points of setting up travel routes and traffic management – practical exercise.
Description of the principles and practices of drafting – practical exercise.

Twenty-one departments provided fire service personnel of all ranks along with apparatus for the event. "This is a great way to meet the guys we get to work with on the fire scene," commented one of the participating members. Departments from Baldwinsville, Belgium-Cold Springs, Cato, Caughdenoy, Conquest, Elbridge, Granby Center, Hannibal, Ira, Jordan, King Ferry, Lakeside, Lysander, Memphis, Nedrow, Otisco, Phoenix, Plainville, Sennett, Victory, and Weedsport participated.

GBW Instructors Alan Butsch and Tom Coe facilitated the seminar, which culminated in an ISO two-hour water supply delivery test. Plainville Fire District Chief Mike Stock was pleased to report that all 21 departments will receive their ISO rating after the two-hour test.

The results found over 1,300-gpm average in the two-hour period with a sustained water flow of 2,250 gpm; total water moved – 130,000 gallons. Plainville area residents watching the training were amazed at the coordination between the tanker drivers, pump operations, and the dump site operations. "We never get to see our fire department operating like this. Makes you feel comfortable they are dedicated to making sure they are prepared," remarked a resident observing the operations. Area residents were more than just observers. Two of the fill sites utilized were on private property – one at a stream and the other at a private pond of an area farmer. Stock credits the willingness of the residents to work "as a team" citing, "Some people can volunteer their time, others can volunteer other services."

Stock stated, "The successful outcome of this program was due to everyone working together. Emergency management at the county was supportive of the effort; the State Police and county sheriff assisted; local, county, and state DOT were involved; then, of course, the department chiefs, commissioners, and leadership understood the need to get together and make this happen." Stock also commented on the ability to communicate between departments from the three different counties. "This was the first time many of us from Cayuga, Onondaga, and Oswego counties got the chance to utilize the new integrated radio communication system – and it worked flawlessly."

The weekend-long event was co-sponsored by the Lysander Public Safety Committee, a coalition of nine emergency service departments, including Plainville, located in or adjacent to the town of Lysander in Onondaga County.