A few photos from our 2009 seminar in Ovid, New York. The folks were faced with setting up a 1000 gpm+ tanker fill site using a <800 gpm fire hydrant. The answer was an open-relay using Varick's 1500gpm/2000 gallon engine/tanker, a 2100-gallon dump tank, a hydrant control valve, and some suction hose. The under-performing hydrant supplied the dump tank from which the engine/tanker then drafted and ... (Full Story & Photos)

During our October 2024 seminar in Montoursville, Pennsylvania we came across Tanker 21, a 3000-gallon tanker from the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Company in Elimsport. The rig caught our eye because it looks more West-coast tender-like than East-coast tanker-like....at least in our opinion. Digging a bit more into the design and construction of the tanker we found that it was designed and ... (Full Story & Photos)

Earlier this week we completed another dry fire hydrant installation in Vermont....this time in the Town of Bridgewater. After the bridge suffered flood damage last year and the existing, "fixed" dry fire hydrant was rendered inoperable, the Bridgewater Fire Department contacted us about the installation of one of our systems. In October we were able to asses the bridge and found it a good candidate ... (Full Story & Photos)

During our seminar last month in Alexander City, Alabama, Chief Atkins and the folks from the Dadeville Fire Department brought a little different twist to the "rural hitch" game. We are going to call it the Dadeville Hitch; a triamese attached to one side of a double-clappered siamese. The set-up allowed for three tankers to be connected to the attack pumper's supply line while leaving one side ... (Full Story & Photos)

We posted info in the past about the use of cam lock hose fittings on tanker fill lines. When filling with 2-1/2" or 3" hose lines the cam lock is our preferred "speed" connection because it is simple to use and is a locking connection. There really is nothing to get cross-threaded or misconnected...the female coupling fits overtop the male connection, the two ears (locking levers) are clamped down ... (Full Story & Photos)

During our recent seminar in Tallapoosa County, Alabama we got the chance to use the Water Shark, a side-wall strainer made locally by the ETT, LLC. The strainer was carried on Union Volunteer Fire and Rescue's tanker and was deployed on the dump tank and pumped by Dadeville's 2000 gpm pumper. As we have seen before, the Water Shark did a really great job of supplying water under drafting conditions...both ... (Full Story & Photos)

On Sunday, October 13th....a bunch of folks from Tallapoosa County, Alabama and the surrounding area participated in our 2-hr rural water supply drill as part of our 16-hr Rural Water Supply Operations Seminar. The program was sponsored by the East Alabama Training Association and the Alexander City, Dadeville, Stillwaters, and Union Fire Departments. The seminar was hosted by the Central Alabama ... (Full Story & Photos)

Another simple but effective photo showing the importance of carrying more than the standard 20-feet of suction in the rural environment. This pumper's 30-feet of suction hose allowed the crew to set-up a dump tank behind the pumper and still reach it with the suction hose carried on the rig. The use of the Fol Da Tank through-the-wall flange eliminated the "hump" in the suction hose as well...thus ... (Full Story & Photos)