The ability to load a tanker fast and get it back on the road to the dump site is really important. There are a bunch of "tricks" to being good at tanker loading operations. When using LDH to load tankers, it is best to try and keep those direct fill connections low to the ground so that the person making and breaking the connection doesn't have to fight lifting the hose. In these couple photos from our 2022 seminar in Sennett, NY we get to see the working end of Plainville FD's Tanker TA-1, a 2,000-gallon 4-Guys tanker. The original direct fill line had an external valve on it and was located about shoulder height on the rear of the tanker. The folks at Plainville upgraded the tanker to a Fireman's Friend (4") internal control valve and added the 4-inch stainless steel piping to lower the hose connection point. The upgrade made loading the tanker easier which of course translates to a faster turn-around time at the fill site and a greater contribution rate to the shuttle operation.

The folks at the Plainville FD are part of the Tri-County Water Supply Task Force and you will often see their apparatus and personnel participating our rural water supply drills in the Syracuse area.