Cancel the Engine

Scott Lyons from FDNY Tower Ladder 79 sent this photo of a set-up on carried on his rig. Keep in mind a FDNY Tower ladder has no pump or water on it. Now before we get into the “pumps and hoses have no place on the truck company” debate, settle down and read on.
Imagine returning from a run (in your rig with no pump or tank) and coming across a car fire or rubbish fire. How silly would it look if we dumped two water cans and a few extinguishers and the fire still continued to grow as the Truck crew just stood there waiting for the Engine? Not only the public perception, but we don’t need to hear it from the Engine guys…

They have used this setup on a few car fires quite effectively. The package is one length of 2 1/2 with a 2 1/2 hydrant gate and a 2 1/2 shut off and stacked tip arrangement. Scott points out that they have additional lengths of 2 1/2 and 1 3/4 on the rig per department orders giving them the ability to reach just about anything on the street. All it takes is connecting to the hydrant and making the stretch. Since the smooth bore tips only need 50 psi, most municipal water systems could easily create a usable stream directly off the hydrant. Obviously the gate can be used to back the pressure off if needed.
This idea may not work in every ones area, but it’s just another option. Besides, nothing sounds better than transmitting “Truck can handle, cancel the Engine.”