Engine Company Ops with Brunnerville, PA

This weekend TT instructors Nick Martin, Danny Doyle, and Chris Birch returned to Lancaster County, PA for an engine company operations class with the Brunnerville Fire Company.

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Traditions Training classes are customized to match the operations and challenges of the hosting fire department and this class was no different. Operating in a mostly rural area using primarily tanker operations, the Brunnerville Fire Company is challenged with getting hoselines into operation quickly and effectively in order to make a stop. This weekend we focused on the primary duty of the engine company: GETTING WATER ON THE FIRE.

Students learned and tried a variety of methods to extend hoselines over long distances, which is frequently nessecary in communities with narrow driveways and long setbacks. Some of the methods discussed were:

Pre-connected long lines (400′)
Leader-lines
Reverse lays
Extending lines with a “rack” or another attack line

Students discovered the pro’s and con’s of each and were quickly covering distances of 400-800′ in under 2-minutes with just 4 firefighters.

Danny Doyle (Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, E-8) shared some “lost-art” techniques for effectively using the 2 1/2″ line as an interior attack line. Again with minimal manpower, students learned tricks to effectively use this large, heavy line to “make the push” and get water on the fire.

Much time was spent on the “back-up firefighter”. Quickly and effectively flaking lines as well as moving the charged line around corners and obstacles are ESSENTIAL skills of any engine company. This FF’s committment to their job will MAKE or BREAK your operation. All instructors covered a variety of skills and techqniques to keep the line moving.

Sunday afternoon was spent running “box alarm” drills – simulated real-time responses to a structural fire. Scenarios were setup to mimic Brunnerville’s response times, manpower, arrival order, and challenges. Here students were challenged to implement their new skills by thinking on their own in response to challenges presented to them.

Thanks to the Officers & Members of the Brunnerville Fire Company, as well as the Lancaster County Public Safety Training Academy for another excellent weekend!

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