IAFC Fire service pump operator principles & practice 1Ed Ch 01 The history of the driver-operator

1. 1
The History
of the Driver/
Operator

2. 1
Objectives
• Describe how the fire service in America
has progressed from the colonial period to
the present day.
• Describe the major changes in transport
equipment and personnel from the colonial
period to the present day.
• Identify the role of the driver/operator in
the safe operation of fire apparatus.

3. 1
Introduction (1 of 3)
• Driver/operator responsibilities according
to NFPA 1002, Standard for Fire
Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional
Qualifications
– Getting the fire apparatus to the scene safely
– Setting up the pump
– Running the pump or operating the aerial
ladder

4. 1
Introduction (2 of 3)
• Driver/operator also called an engineer or
technician
• Full-time role in some departments
• Operation of fire apparatus and equipment
is critical
– Driving to and from the scene can be as
dangerous as operating on the fire ground itself.
– Equipment failure on scene can be disastrous.

5. 1
Introduction (3 of 3)
• Driver/operator is responsible for:
– Preparation of the fire apparatus and equipment
– Driving the fire apparatus in emergency response
mode to a call
– Placing the fire apparatus at the scene
– Safely and properly operating equipment
– Securing equipment
– Safely returning to the fire station

6. 1
Evolution of Fire Apparatus
and Equipment (1 of 6)
• Today’s apparatus and equipment evolved as
new inventions emerged and adapted to the
needs of the fire service.
– Colonial fire fighters had only buckets, ladders,
and fire hooks.
– Early American buildings had thatch roofs and
wooden chimneys.
– Fire protection was limited to a bucket brigade.
– “Hook-and-ladder truck” evolved from the fire
hook.

7. 1
Evolution of Fire Apparatus
and Equipment (2 of 6)
• Fire protection in early American cities
– Watchmen walked the streets at night looking
for fires.
– Fire companies were formed.
– Small buildings were erected to store ladders
for firefighting.
– First organized companies had straight
ladders, leather buckets, axes, and hand
tools.

8. 1
Evolution of Fire Apparatus
and Equipment (3 of 6)
• Hand pumps and hose carts
– Evolution of tools influenced by fire suppression
teams in Europe.
– Hand pump was the first equipment to replace
the bucket brigade.
– 1720: Richard Newsham developed the first
pumper in London.
– Early 1800s: Philadelphia developed a municipal
water supply using wooden water mains.

9. 1
Evolution of Fire Apparatus
and Equipment (4 of 6)
Courtesy of the FASNY Fire Museum of Fire Fighting, New York

10. 1
Evolution of Fire Apparatus
and Equipment (5 of 6)
• Hand pumps were a type of piston-driven,
positive displacement pump pushed up
and down by fire fighters manning poles at
the side of the pump.
– Placed on wagon wheels for easier transport
to the fire

11. 1
Evolution of Fire Apparatus
and Equipment (6 of 6)
© Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Images

12. 1
Fire Apparatus Evolution
• Mid-1800s: Horses replaced fire fighters in
moving equipment to fire ground
• First mechanized fire pumps fueled by
coal
– Drivers of horses (called teamsters) were
hired to stay at the firehouse and transport the
steamer to the fire ground.

13. 1
Ladder Wagons Pulled by Horses
• Wagons loaded with ladders and fire
hooks were drawn by horses and driven
by teamsters.
• One-person ladders with a hook could be
placed over a windowsill and used to climb
from floor to floor.
• Extension ladders led to wooden aerial
ladders to serve fire fighters.

14. 1
Elevated Streams
• First elevated streams
– Water towers were mounted on wagons and
pulled by horses.
– When raised, the elevated streams could
raise 30’ (9.1 m) in the air.

15. 1
Gasoline-Powered Fire Apparatus (1 of 2)
• Emerged around 1900
• Ladder wagon was the next gas-powered
unit.
– Front axle and horses replaced by single-axle
tractor
• Chemical wagon was the first gas-
powered apparatus to discharge water.
– Soda acid device used to extinguish small fires.

16. 1
Gasoline-Powered Fire Apparatus (2 of 2)
© National Library of Medicine

17. 1
Adding a Pump
• Booster pump added as trucks became larger
and stronger
• Many booster pumps were rotary gear pumps
and generated 200 gal (757 L) of
water/minute
– Could not deliver as much water as a hydrant
– Used mainly for small fires and to supply the
booster line with water

18. 1
Triple-Combination Pumper
• Breakthrough in 1906: triple-combination
pumper was introduced
– Carried water in a tank generally used for the
booster line
– Pump capacity of 250 gal (946 L) per minute
or greater
– 2½” (6.35-cm) water supply hose
– 1½” (3.81-cm) firefighting hose

19. 1
Improvements in Aerial Devices (1 of 2)
• Power supply now available to turn the
hydraulic pump
– Hydraulic pressure could be used for lifting,
rotating, and extending the aerial device.
– Aerial ladders are now made of steel, reach
farther, and carry greater loads.

20. 1
Improvements in Aerial Devices (2 of 2)
© GTibbetts/ShutterStock, Inc.

21. 1
Other Uses for Motorized Apparatus
• Gas engine became the sole power
source to drive the fire apparatus.
• Additional uses for the apparatus
emerged.
– Salvage companies
– Heavy rescue squads
– Air supply units

22. 1
Diesel-Powered Fire Apparatus
• Larger-capacity pumps requiring greater
horsepower meant larger vehicles carrying
more equipment and greater loads.
• Diesel engine started to replace the
gasoline engine.
– More reliable, burned fuel more efficiently, and
provided the desired horsepower
– Diesel engines used to brake the apparatus

23. 1
Safety Considerations (1 of 8)
• NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department
Occupational Safety and Health Program
– Growing concern for fire fighter safety during
apparatus movement
– Required a new apparatus to be designed so
members have a seated area inside the
enclosed cab
– Resulted in the near elimination of rear steps
on the fire apparatus

24. 1
Safety Considerations (2 of 8)
• NFPA 1901, Standards for Automotive Fire
Apparatus
– Requires manufacturers to install warning
devices that verify fire fighter is seated and
belted
– Some apparatus are monitored by black
boxes.
– Fire apparatus specifications were developed
to provide a safe riding area in case of
rollover.

25. 1
Safety Considerations (3 of 8)
• Protecting the driver/operator at the scene
– Efforts to protect against collisions and other
traffic-related incidents
– Fire fighters assist by wearing equipment with
reflective material and placing traffic cones
appropriately.
– Take measures to protect fire fighter safety
when operating in traffic.
– Use emergency lighting on the fire apparatus.

26. 1
Safety Considerations (4 of 8)
© Jack Dagley Photography/ShutterStock, Inc.

27. 1
Safety Considerations (5 of 8)
• Visibility for the driver/operator
• Fire apparatus have
– Larger windshields
– Heated mirrors
– Cameras mounted on the rear
• Fire fighter injuries and fatalities have
occurred during the reversal of the
apparatus.

28. 1
Safety Considerations (6 of 8)
• Driver/operator’s role in safety
– Second leading cause of fire fighter fatalities:
injuries sustained responding to or returning
from the fire ground
– 19 fire fighters died while responding to or
returning from a call in 2008.
– The driver of the apparatus is critical in
ensuring a safe response.

29. 1
Safety Considerations (7 of 8)
© Peter Willott, St. Augustine Record/AP Photos

30. 1
Safety Considerations (8 of 8)
• Driver/operator’s role in safety (continued)
– Every department should develop, train
members on, and enforce SOPs for
driving/operating the apparatus.
– Process of proceeding safely through traffic
control devices
– Operator is critical in ensuring fire fighter
safety at the incident scene.

31. 1
Modern Fire Apparatus (1 of 3)
• Today’s apparatus is larger, heavier, and
taller with a higher center of gravity.
• Ever-increasing challenge to maneuver
safely through traffic
– Traffic continues to increase.
– Cars are better insulated.
– Drivers are generally less patient and often
distracted.

32. 1
Modern Fire Apparatus (2 of 3)
• Capacities of apparatus continue to
increase
– Water delivery rate of many pumps exceeds
1500 GPM (5677 L)
– Water capacities increased: from 100 gal on
pumper to 1000+ gal (3785 L)
– Increased water capacity and enclosed cabs
makes fire apparatus heavier, larger, and
more challenging to drive.

33. 1
Modern Fire Apparatus (3 of 3)
• Computers on the fire apparatus
– Systems prevent vehicle from skidding (ABS).
– Electrical load management systems make sure
the electrical load does not exceed the
apparatus’s ability to produce electricity.
– Systems monitor the engine’s performance.
– Some vehicles provide monitoring information on
apparatus’s speed and engine performance (rpm)
to the officer’s monitor.

34. 1
Driver/Operator Selection (1 of 3)
• What makes a good driver/operator candidate?
– Knowledge
• Knowledge of services provided by the fire
department
• Education about and training in operating at the
emergency scene
– Skill
• Skills to complete critical life-preserving actions
• Problem-solving skills
– Attitude

35. 1
Driver/Operator Selection (2 of 3)
• Difficult to select driver/operator candidates
– Process based on candidate’s knowledge,
ability, and willingness to pursue the challenge
– Fire officers may consider written/verbal
communication skills, physical/mental fitness,
basic mechanical ability, and attitude.

36. 1
Driver/Operator Selection (3 of 3)
• Difficult to select driver/operator
candidates (continued)
– Should be physically capable of performing
tasks
• Good vision, hearing, and physical ability
• Patience, reaction, focus, awareness
– Should have a basic understanding of
mechanics

37. 1
Summary (1 of 2)
• Formal fire protection efforts began in U.S.
cities with response equipment.
• Hand-operated pumper, reel of hose, and
ladder continue to evolve to where they
are today.
• Fire protection has improved and
enhanced based on improved apparatus
and equipment.

38. 1
Summary (2 of 2)
• The driver/operator has a critical role in
ensuring the safety of crew members and
other drivers.
• Successful driver/operators have the right
knowledge, skills, and attitude.