Bumper turret tips

[BlitzfireSolo]

Looking for those with experience with CAF application, especially through bumper turrets.

As many of you have seen, my department's new CAFS-equipped engine has a 500 gpm TFT Tornado bumper turret. When we spec'd the turret, the primary intention was for use as a 1st-floor level blitz/master stream that could be rapidly placed into operation at structural fires, in appropriate situations. The advantage was that the driver could have the stream flowing in seconds, before leaving the cab, and it did not require the time or manpower for a crew to deploy a blitz line.

Although not the primary justification, another purported use was on vehicle fires where there was a particular safety concern with approaching the vehicle, or where the crew would be immediately tied up (e.g. MVA w/one vehicle on fire, occupants entrapped in second vehicle. Crew goes to work extricating on vehicle #2, while driver extinguishes fire in vehicle #1).

The current question (debate?) is whether to use a smoothbore or a fog tip in this specific situation (not looking for general SB vs. fog drivel).

Pro auto tip logic is that the smoothbore will be too hard to accurately hit a vehicle fire (SB stream may go straight in one side and out the other), and the fog tip would be superior at cooling potentially dangerous areas of the vehicle such as bumpers and airbag-containing posts.

Pro smoothbore logic is that the primary application is for structural fires, so we should go with the tip that has the most reach and extinguishing power (plus option to make shaving cream, if desired), by not stripping the bubbles out of the CAF. For the secondary car fire application, a smoothbore would still be easy enough to deflect off of the dashboard, roof or door interior, filling up the car with foam, and, albeit with more effort, you could still use the stream to cool the outside of the car.

A general (relevant, and probably most important) question for any CAFS user: how much effectiveness (extinguishing power) do we loose by running the CAF through an auto tip, particularly with master streams? Both 'sides' seem to feel that the issue largely rests on this question - if you don't lose substantial CAF firefighting power by running the auto tip, then that's the more user-friendly tip (in this application). If you do lose substantial CAF firefighting power with the auto, then smoothbore is the only logical choice, due to structural applications.

[ChiefSquirrel]

When we spec'd the turret, the primary intention was for use as a 1st-floor level blitz/master stream that could be rapidly placed into operation at structural fires, in appropriate situations. The advantage was that the driver could have the stream flowing in seconds, before leaving the cab, and it did not require the time or manpower for a crew to deploy a blitz line.

I would worry about improper vehicle placement in this scenario and would be concerned that the operator would get caught up in positioning so he can use the turret and not for overall safety or water supply considerations. Given that, I think I would use the smoothbore, if for no other reason than the increased reach over a auto nozzle, thus allowing the vehicle to be placed further from the structure.