What is the firefighter called who drives and operates the engine company apparatus in your department? Some departments call them driver/operators, while others refer to them as motor pump operators. Engineer is a common term in some departments and others use the term engine company chauffeur (ECC). For this article we'll use the term ECC.
Which firefighter is selected to perform the ECC duties also varies greatly. In larger paid departments the ECC is often a promotion which may require a written and/or practical test. Extra pay and benefits often accompany this promotion and the test is open to all qualified firefighters. Some departments designate ECCs based on seniority in the department or unit and these positions may or may not receive extra pay. In volunteer departments there is often a list or group of qualified ECCs, any one of them authorized to step into the ECC position when responding to an alarm.
Some companies find it difficult to entice a member to become an ECC because it is viewed as an inactive position by the other firefighters in the unit. The phrase "hook up and look up" is often used to describe the duties of the ECC. This might be what it looks like to the average person observing a fire operation but those of us who fight fires know that the ECC is responsible for the rapid completion of many tasks during the initial stages of a firefighting operation.
Most of the operations undertaken by the ECC are geared toward the swift and dependable delivery of water to the attack hoseline. Any delay or interruption of the water supply to the engine company's hoseline can result in fire extension, danger to the nozzle team or firefighters operating above the fire, or both.
What exactly does an engine company chauffeur have to know? Let's look at a list of duties and topics that must be mastered by this important member of the team:
- Apparatus operation and response.
- Response area familiarity.
- Hydrant locations and capabilities.
- Apparatus positioning priorities.
- Hydrant connection methods.
- Transfer of power from transmission to pump.
- Supply line positioning.
- Hydrant pumps, plugs and problems.
- Knowledge of types and amounts of hose on apparatus.
- Friction-loss and fire-flow formulas.
- Nozzle types carried and their capabilities.
- Radio terminology, signals and procedures.
- Emergency procedures for burst hose and hydrant problems.
- Location and use of equipment and tools on apparatus.
- Setup and supply for foam operation.
- Master stream operations.
- Pump panel nomenclature.
We will discuss the first four items on the list for this article. The remaining topics will be covered in future issues.
Apparatus Operation & Response
Although it is important for all firefighters to have a basic understanding of the operational capabilities of their unit's apparatus, the ECC must possess an in-depth knowledge of all of the apparatus features and capabilities. Any member should be able to get an understandable explanation of just about anything to do with the unit's apparatus from an ECC.
Simple items such as how to open the different types of compartment doors, how to remove the portable ladder from its brackets, how to remove the hydrant connections from their trays or shelves, and how to activate and direct apparatus-mounted spotlights must be able to be explained or performed without having to first think about or figure them out. When a pressurized water extinguisher is being refilled and needs to be charged with air pressure, the ECC should know where the air hose is and how it connects to the apparatus air discharge outlet. These items and the many other day-to-day activities conducted using the apparatus should be second nature to the ECC.
Much has been written about how we should be operating our emergency vehicles and the hazards we subject ourselves and others to when we do not follow some of the basic rules of the emergency vehicle road. The reason there has been so much discussion on this topic is the ever-increasing number of emergency vehicle mishaps and subsequent legal and personal tragedies associated with them. The ECC must realize the grave consequences of mishandling a fire apparatus and should make sure that proper training is provided to him prior to taking an apparatus on an emergency response.
Proper training in some departments is a week or two of structured schooling on various topics including vehicle and traffic law, liability, physics of vehicle motion and weight, and department rules and regulations. Other departments provide "in-service" training to on-duty personnel which may be limited to giving a firefighter the opportunity to drive and operate the apparatus while training or returning from alarms.
If you have chosen or been chosen to drive your department's fire apparatus to alarms, you must make sure that you are given the proper training. Most local and state fire training centers offer these courses, as do private training services and the insurance companies that cover fire departments. Where you get this training is not important but you MUST get it.
Response Area Familiarity
In addition to being knowledgeable about the technical operation of the engine apparatus and the dangers and responsibilities of a safe response, the ECC must be thoroughly familiar with the response area of the company. Knowing the location of every street and avenue that a unit may respond to, the direction of traffic flow and what streets intersect others is as vital as knowing how to put an apparatus into pumps.
Depending on the size of the municipality and the number of companies that protect it, a response area could be 15 square blocks or 15 square miles. Regardless of the size of the area, the ECC of the first-responding engine company has a responsibility to arrive as quickly and safely as possible at the reported location of the alarm. Having to stop to consult a map before leaving the firehouse could cause a delay which may result in a more serious situation on arrival.
Depending on maps or other reference material for emergency responses also causes problems when an engine receives an alarm via radio or from a location where the fire station map is not available. Many departments include a road test as part of the ECC qualification process and occasionally retest the members to assure continued familiarity with the response area.
Hydrant Locations & Capabilities
Fire departments that have and utilize hydrants for firefighting are often viewed as having no water problems. The fact that a fire department or jurisdiction has a working hydrant system does not mean that it has no problem getting water on a fire. What it does mean is that instead of devising tactics and procedures for transportation of bulk water supplies to the scene of a fire, the department must set up and be equipped to connect to and utilize the hydrant systems for water supply.
For those of us who must use tankers, large-diameter hose and folding tanks for every gallon of water after the initial booster tank is dry, the idea of a hydrant or two on every block seems like the answer to any water problem you could encounter. Instead, it really is just a different water supply which requires different tactics and presents different problems.
Generally speaking, in a response area where hydrants are present, the ECC approaching the scene of a reported fire has two basic supply options: lay hose in or lay hose out. Depending on where in the country you come from these tactics can be called "hydrant to fire" or "fire to hydrant," "forward lay" or "reverse lay," or "flying stretch" or "backstretch." What terminology is used does not matter but how the operation is performed does.
If your engine companies generally use the "hydrant to fire" hose lay, the ECC must first locate the hydrant and make sure it is tested. Once it has been determined that the hydrant is serviceable, it can be keyed or wrapped with the supply line and the ECC can proceed to the location of the fire. Many departments that utilize the "hydrant to fire" hose lay employ pre-connected attack lines once the pumper is positioned at the fire building.
If the "fire to hydrant" hose lay is used, the ECC must make sure that the correct amount of hose has been removed from the apparatus hose bed prior to proceeding to the selected hydrant. This information can be relayed to the ECC via portable radio, hand signal or rear-step buzzer. Whatever system is used, it must be pre-established and understood by both the ECC and any firefighter that may be required to relay the signal.
Once at the hydrant the ECC must be able to quickly and correctly break the line from the remaining hose in the bed and connect it to the appropriate discharge outlet on the apparatus.
Positioning Priorities
Just like the importance of a building's foundation to its future stability, where the ECC positions the apparatus will have a tremendous effect on the outcome of the entire firefighting operation. The important first point that needs to be stressed here is that there is no one correct position for the engine apparatus for all operations. There isn't even one correct position for each general type of situation, such as in the "hydrant to fire" or "fire to hydrant." There are numerous variables and specific situations that require variations or adjustments to standard apparatus placement. The well-trained ECC must be able to recognize and prioritize the available options and select a placement for the apparatus that will best suit the situation.
When the apparatus will be positioned close to the fire building, such as when using the "hydrant to fire" hose lay, there are several situations which may call for different apparatus positioning. The following priorities must be addressed so that the ECC can place the pumper in the most advantageous positions:
Attack hoseline route. How the hoseline will be stretched into the fire building can be influenced by the position of the apparatus at the scene. If the hoseline will be stretched up the interior stair to an upper floor, it will usually enter through the front door and up the stairway. If the ECC pulls the engine around the corner, and the entrance is at the front of the building, the stretch becomes more difficult, which will take more time to perform and may not be completed if a pre-connected line is pulled and cannot reach around the building and up the stairway.
Deckpipe/master stream use. If the apparatus-mounted deckpipe or master stream is required for situations such as fire extending to adjoining structures or a fully involved building, the ECC must place the rig where its master stream can be employed effectively. Sometimes, where buildings are closely situated and narrow alleys or driveways exist, the pumper must be placed in an exact spot for the deckpipe to hit its objective.
Ladder company apparatus position. Considering where the truck company may have to set up its apparatus for use of the aerial device is important for the ECC. This is a situation where balanced judgment is required. We still must take into account other factors, such as hoseline route, but we may have to adjust our engine apparatus placement to accommodate the ladder placement. This is especially true if the ladder is required for a rescue.
It has been said that you can stretch hose but you can't stretch ladders, and it is true but even when the ladder truck is needed for a rescue, the hose must still be stretched and the fire must still be extinguished. The ECC should work with the truck chauffeur, adjust his positioning but still remember that the engine has a job to do.
When employing the "fire to hydrant" hose lay, the engine apparatus usually ends up in the immediate vicinity of the hydrant. This tactic is used in order to have the pumper at the hydrant where it can make the most efficient use of the available water volume and pressure. The supply line is laid from the fire building to the hydrant, and any hose required for the attack line must be removed from the pumper prior to it proceeding down the street to the hydrant.
There are several situations that can develop which can prevent the pumper from reaching the desired position at the hydrant. The ECC must be aware of the following possibilities and take the necessary actions to assure proper positioning and assurance of a water supply to the attack hoseline:
The engine arrives at the fire building ahead of the ladder company. The attack line is being stretched and the ECC can see the hydrant down the street that he will connect to. Suddenly, the first-due truck company turns the corner and enters the narrow street from the opposite direction. If no action is taken, the engine will not be able reach the hydrant. At this point, the ECC must ask the ladder company to stop the ladder apparatus before passing the intended hydrant. This action will allow the engine to reach the hydrant and the truck to reach the fire building. The same actions would be required for any apparatus approaching under similar conditions.
The engine company turns into the street of the reported fire and observes the ladder company already in front of the fire building with the aerial ladder up to the top floor. This situation will prevent the engine from performing a "fire to hydrant" stretch since the engine is unable to pass the truck on this narrow street. At this point, the ECC has several options: to turn around and back into the street, which would allow the attack line to be stretched and the pumper to proceed back out to a hydrant; or continue to the fire building behind the truck and connect to a hydrant in the vicinity of the fire building. This second position will require the attack line to be stretched off the engine and forward toward the fire building which can be difficult and time consuming.
Assuring Water Supply
Regardless of the situation encountered, the ECC must be able to adapt and adjust tactics to assure an adequate and uninterrupted water supply to the attack hoseline. There are literally dozens of tasks being carried out at a structural fire but the only one that extinguishes the fire is the engine's hoseline. In addition to actual fire extinguishment, the initial hoseline usually protects the primary means of egress, which allows many of the other fireground tactics to be performed such as search and rescue, removal of ambulatory victims, and access of firefighters above and adjacent to the fire area for ventilation.
The ability of the ECC to operate the apparatus, find the reported location, locate a serviceable hydrant and position the apparatus properly sets the stage for the fire suppression operation. A future article will cover the duties of the ECC after arrival on the fire scene and proper positioning of the apparatus.
John J. Salka Jr., a Firehouse® contributing editor, is a battalion chief and 17-year veteran of the FDNY. He also is an instructor at the Orange County, NY, Fire Training Center, New York State Academy of Fire Science and FDNY Fire Academy. Salka has developed and presented "Get Out Alive" survival training and other fire and rescue courses throughout the country.
