Chapter 10 - Operating Fire Pumps

Question 1

The two basic pressurized water supply sources that a driver/operator will encounter are a ?

Answer 1

fire hydrant or supply hose from another pumper

p 339

Question 2

Pumping at a low residual pressure (below _____ psi) while being supplied by other apparatus is dangerous. This may cause the supply hose to __________, interrupting the supply of water. It may also lead to cavitation of the pump.

Answer 2

20 psi / collapse

p 339

Question 3

Driver/Operators should maintain a residual pressure of at least ______ psi on their master intake gauge at all times during pumping operations.

Answer 3

20 psi

p 340

Question 4

The initial water source is often the apparatus ________ _______.

Answer 4

water tank

p 337

Question 5

Typically the least desirable hydrants are those located on “________ ______ ________” that are served by smaller mains from only one direction.

Answer 5

“dead end mains”

p 340

Question 6

• Water main that is not looped and in which water can flow in only one direction.

Answer 6

Dead End Mains

p 340

Question 7

One of the most common ways for a pumper to be supplied with water from a hydrant is by making a ?

Answer 7

forward hose lay

p 341

Question 8

• Method of laying hose from the water supply to the fire scene.

Answer 8

Forward Lay

p 341

Question 9

• Method of laying hose from the fire scene to the water supply.

Answer 9

Reverse Lay

p 344

Question 10

Load hose with a _________ coupling to come out of the bed first when using hose with threaded couplings for a reverse lay.

Answer 10

male

p 344

Question 11

Use double _________ adapters at the hydrant and double ________ adapters at the pump panel to execute a reverse lay using hose with threaded couplings if the hose bed has been set up for a forward lay.

Answer 11

female / male

p 344

Question 12

Executing a reverse lay is a common method for setting up a water supply operation or relay pumping using __________ diameter hose as a supply line.

Answer 12

medium

p 344

Question 13

With medium diameter hose, it is necessary to position a pumper at the ___________ to supplement the pressure to the supply hose.

Answer 13

hydrant

p 344

Question 14

The reverse lay is the most direct method of supplementing _____________ ____________ or performing ____________ _____________.

Answer 14

hydrant pressure or performing drafting operations

p 344

Question 15

• 2 1/2 or 3 inch hose used for both fire fighting attack and relay supply purposes.

Answer 15

Medium Diameter Hose (MDH)

p 344

Question 16

• (1) Pumper that is positioned at the fire scene and is directly supplying attack lines. (2) Light truck equipped with a small pump and water tank. Also know as Midi-pumper or Mini-pumper.

Answer 16

Attack Pumper

p 344

Question 17

• Pumper that takes water from a source and sends it to attack pumpers operating at the fire scene.

Answer 17

Water Supply Pumper

p 344

Question 18

If water is allowed to enter the tank _________ _____________, the venting may not be adequate to allow the pressure to dissipate, resulting in damage to the tank.

Answer 18

under pressure

p 345

Question 19

Regardless of whether a particular apparatus is equipped with a check valve in the tank to pump line or a shutoff valve on the intake, the driver/operator should close the tank to pump valve after transitioning to an ?

Answer 19

external water supply

p 345

Question 20

When the pump is full of water and the pressure in the system has stabilized with no water flowing, a reading of the pressure on the master intake gauge indicates the ___________ _____________ in the water supply system. The reading is important for estimating the remaining _________ of the hydrant as the water begins to move.

Answer 20

static pressure / capacity

p 346

Question 21

Pumps supplying a relay operation or master stream are usually used to supply large amounts of water, requiring the use of a ____________ (___________) setting of the transfer valve.

Answer 21

parallel (volume)

p 346

Question 22

Open all valves slowly, especially when using ________ ____________ hose. The hose must be __________ before pressure can be established.

Answer 22

large diameter / filled

p 346

Question 23

While observing the master intake and discharge gauges, the D/O should increase the engine ______. If the master intake gauge drops below _____ psi, the throttle must not be ____________ any further because the pump may begin to cavitate.

Answer 23

rpm / 20 psi / increased

p 346

Question 24

Several methods for preventing overheating are as follows:

• Establish a continuous minimum _______ during intermittent use of water in fireground operations to keep the pump from overheating.
• Pull a length of ___________ line or other _________ ___________ line off the reel and fasten it to a sturdy object.
• Open the valve that supplies the booster reel and ___________ __________ in a direction that will not interfere with the operation or damage to other property. The booster line may also be directed back into the ________ to circulate water continuously.m

Answer 24

• flow
• booster / small diameter
• discharge water / tank

p 347

Question 25

During prolonged pumping operations, a bypass circulator may not provide sufficient cooling under some conditions and additional measures will be required to avoid overheating.

• Open a ____________ _________ valve.
• Partially open the ______-______ valve or ______-___-_______ line. Even if the water tank becomes full and _____________ through the tank vent, this result is preferable to the pump overheating.

Answer 25

• discharge drain
• tank-fill / tank-to-pump / overflows

p 347

Question 26

When a pumper is connected to a hydrant and is not discharging water, the pressure shown on the intake gauge is __________ pressure. When the pumper is discharging water, the intake gauge displays the ___________ pressure. The difference between the two pressures is used to determine how much more water the ___________ can supply.

Answer 26

static / residual / hydrant

p 347

Question 27

Available Water from Hydrant Percent Method:

Percent Drop = ( _________ - ___________ )(100) / ___________

Answer 27

Percent Drop = (Static - Residual)(100) / Static

p 348

Question 28

Available Water from Hydrant Percent Method:
If the percent is ____ or less, three additional lines with the same flow as the line being supplied may be added. For ____-____ percent, two lines may be added, and for ____-_____ percent one line. When the result is over _____ percent, more water may be available, but not as much as is flowing through the first line.

Answer 28

10 / 11-15 / 16-25 / 25

p 348

Question 29

All fire department pumpers should be capable of pumping water from a _________ _________ supply source. In most cases, this source is located some distance below the level of the ?

Answer 29

static water / fire pump

p 352

Question 30

It is not possible to ______ water into the pump. However, it is possible to evacuate some of the air inside the pump creating a ____________ ___________ (__________ __________), which allows atmospheric pressure acting on the surface of the water to force the water into the fire pump.

Answer 30

pull / pressure differential ( partial vacuum)

p 352

Question 31

• Effect of altering the atmospheric pressure within a confined space by mechanical means. When air is exhausted from within the space, a low pressure environment is created and replacement air will be drawn in; when air is blown into the space, a high-pressure environment is created and air within will to the outside.

Answer 31

Pressure Differential

p 352

Question 32

In order to create a pressure differential ( partial vacuum ), an airtight, ______________ waterway ( _______ __________ hose ) must be used between the fire pump and the static water source.

Answer 32

noncollapsible / hard intake

p 352

Question 33

Drafting Operations

A hose with smaller diameter and greater length has __________ friction loss, which allows ________ water at the pump.

Answer 33

higher / less

p 352

Question 34

Most pumps are able to develop a vacuum capacity of approximately _____ inches of mercury.

Answer 34

22 inches

p 354

Question 35

In theory, cavitation can be described as water being ?

Answer 35

discharged faster than it is coming into the pump.

p 354

Question 36

Cavitation occurs when _____ _________ are created in the pump or __________ pass through the pump.

Answer 36

air cavities / bubbles

p 354

Question 37

The first consideration in establishing a drafting operation is _________ _______________.

Answer 37

site selection

p 354

Question 38

The most important factor in choosing the draft site is the ?

Answer 38

amount of water available

p 355

Question 39

In order for a pumper to approach it’s rated capacity using a traditional strainer, there must be at least _____ inches of water over the strainer.

Answer 39

24 inches

p 355

Question 40

When using a portable tank or swimming pool for drafting operations a _____-_______ strainer is the appliance of choice.

Answer 40

low-level strainer

p 356

Question 41

What type of strainers are designed to sit directly on the bottom of a tank or pool and allow water to be effectively drafted down to a depth of approximately 2 inches?

Answer 41

low-level strainers

p 356

Question 42

Water temperature will also affect drafting operations. Water below ____F or above ____F may adversely impact the ability of the pump to reach capacity.

Answer 42

35F / 90F

p 356

Question 43

• Water that has not been examined, properly treated, and not approved by appropriate authorities as being safe for consumption.

Answer 43

Nonpotable Water

p 356

Question 44

All fire pumps meeting NFPA and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. requirements are rated to pump their capacity at _____ feet of lift. If the lift is less, the capacity of the pump is ________; if the lift is greater the capacity _________.

Answer 44

10 feet / higher / decreases

p 357

Question 45

A pumper in good working order can lift water a maximum of _____ feet. However all available atmospheric pressure is required to overcome this lift. As a result, the remaining capacity of the pump is of little value for ?

Answer 45

25 feet / fire suppression

p 357

Question 46

To create an effective fire stream, a lift of no greater than _____ feet is recommended. Working with this lift, the pump operates at about ____ percent of its rated capacity.

Answer 46

20 feet / 60 percent

p 357

Question 47

When selecting a site for drafting, the lift must be kept as ?
It is more desirable to lay out an extra 100 feet of ________ _____ to set up at a draft location where the lift will be lower and more water supplied.

Answer 47

low as possible / supply line

p 357

Question 48

When the pump has been made operational, __________ the pump will begin the drafting operation.

Answer 48

priming

p 358

Question 49

Drafting:

For two stage pumps, the transfer valve must be in the ___________ position.

Answer 49

parallel ( volume )

p 358

Question 50

Drafting:

A pump in _________ position may trap air that will need to be removed.

Answer 50

series (pressure)

p 358

Question 51

If the primer is a __________ _____________ pump that is driven by a transfer case, set the engine rpm according to the manufacturers instructions. Most priming pumps are intended to work most effectively when the engine is set at a rate between ________ and ________ rpm.

Answer 51

positive displacement / 1000 and 1200 rpm

p 359

Question 52

Drafting:
As the air is evacuated from the pump the master intake gauge will register a vacuum reading. This reading should equal ___ ______ of mercury for ___ ______ of lift required.

Answer 52

1 inch / 1 foot

p 359

Question 53

Drafting:
As the primer operates, the vacuum reading should ___________ as atmospheric pressure forces water into the intake hose.

Answer 53

increase

p 359

Question 54

Drafting:
The entire priming action typically requires _____ to _____ seconds from start to finish. However, when up to 20 feet of intake hose is lifting a maximum of 10 vertical feet, it may take as long as ____ seconds.

Answer 54

10 to 15 seconds / 30 seconds

p 359

Question 55

Drafting:
The most common inability to prime is an ______ ________ that prevents the primer from developing enough vacuum to successfully draft water.

Answer 55

air leak

p 359

Question 56

Drafting:

The most common cause of an air leak is an ?

Answer 56

open drain or valve

p 359

Question 57

Drafting:
After successfully priming the pump, the __________ setting should be slowly increased before attempting to open any discharges.

Answer 57

throttle

p 360

Question 58

After priming:
Open the desired discharge valve slowly while observing the discharge pressure. If the pressure drops below ______ psi, pause for a brief time to allow it to stabilize before opening the valve further.

Answer 58

50 psi

p 360

Question 59

Constant movement of water through the pump is required to prevent ______________. This flow is also important to maintain the __________ that the primer has established in the pump.

Answer 59

overheating / vacuum

p 360

Question 60

Drafting after priming:

Without moving water, even a very small air leak may result in a loss of __________.

Answer 60

vacuum

p 360

Question 61

Several types of problems may occur during drafting operations. They fall into the following general categories:

• Air leak on the _________ side of the pump
• _______________ allowing air to enter the pump
• Air leakage due to defective _______ packing

Answer 61

• intake
• whirlpool
• pump

p 360-361

Question 62

Drafting:
While the pump is operating, a gradual increase in the vacuum may be noted with no change in the flow rate. This is an indication that a ____________ is developing.

Answer 62

blockage

p 361

Question 63

Drafting:

The most common place for a blockage to occur is in the ____________.

Answer 63

strainer

p 361

Question 64

Supporting Automatic Sprinkler Systems:

If no specific information is available, the general guideline is to discharge ______ psi into the FDC.

Answer 64

150 psi

p 363

Question 65

• Wet or dry system of pipes in a large single story or multistory building, with fire hose outlets installed in different areas or on different levels of a building to used by firefighters and/or building occupants. Allows for the quick deployment of hoselines during fire fighting operations.

Answer 65

Standpipe System

p 364

Question 66

True or False:
Standpipe systems
Both wet and dry systems should be supplied by a fire department pumper to supplement the system’s water supply.

Answer 66

True

p 364

Question 67

Add approximately ____ psi for each floor above the fire department connection that will have operating fire streams.

Answer 67

5 psi

p 365

Question 68

Do not use pump discharge pressure in excess of _____ psi unless the standpipe system, hose, and appliances have been designed to function under high pressures.

Answer 68

185 psi

p 365

Question 69

When a standpipe system is known to be equipped with ____________-__________ valves, the elevation pressure used must be based on the total height of the standpipe or zone being used.

Answer 69

pressure-reducing

p 365

Question 70

• Valve installed at standpipe connection that is designed to reduce the amount of water pressure at that discharge to a specific pressure, usually 100 psi.

Answer 70

Pressure-Reducing Valve

p 365

Question 71

Making a fire pump operational, commonly referred to as “ putting the pump into gear “ begins after the apparatus is properly __________ and the ________ _______ has been set.

Answer 71

positioned / parking brake

p 336

Question 72

Most apparatus are designed so that the procedure for making the pump operational is performed entirely from the ?

Answer 72

cab of the vehicle

p 336

Question 73

Water supply from the _________ water tank is the sole source of supply for many incidents.

Answer 73

onboard

p 336

Question 74

The ______ ______ line may also be used to circulate water through the onboard tank in order to maintain cooling.

Answer 74

tank fill

p 338

Question 75

In order to prevent overheating of the pump, a means of moving ?

Answer 75

water through the pump must be implemented

p 337-338

Question 76

If the ___________ ______ volume is increased too much, the ________ pressure from the supply source may be reduced to a point that may damage the pump or water supply system.

Answer 76

discharge flow / intake

p 339

Question 77

Water supply systems must maintain a residual pressure of at least 20 psi within their mains for several reasons; _____________ from sources outside the main may occur if the pressure in the main drops too low. In addition overtaking the water system may cause __________ and ________ that has formed in older pipes to loosen, which in turn damage the piping or reduce the water flow.

Answer 77

contamination / sediment and debris

p 340

Question 78

________ and ______ __________ needs may indicate that the closest hydrant to the fire may not be the most prudent choice.

Answer 78

Safety and fire fighting

p 340

Question 79

These hydrants generally have higher amounts of sediment and deterioration, which further reduce their capacity ?

Answer 79

Dead end mains

p 340

Question 80

One potential problem of the forward lay depends on the ?

Answer 80

distance from the hydrant to the fire

p 341

Question 81

Some departments use a _____-_____ hydrant valve to aid the process of making a forward lay.

Answer 81

four-way

p 340

Question 82

Attach gate valve(s) to unused hydrant discharges on _____ __________ hydrants.

Answer 82

dry barrel

p 342

Question 83

Keep the distance as short as possible to avoid excess friction loss when using _____ inch or _____ inch hoselines to supply a pumper directly from hydrant pressure.

Answer 83

2 1/2 or 3 inch

p 344

Question 84

This method is used when a driver/operator first reports to the incident location to size up the scene before laying a supply line ?

Answer 84

Reverse lay

p 344

Question 85

Reverse lay

______________ needed for incident operation, including attack hose, must be removed and placed at the incident scene before the pumper can proceed to the water supply source. This may cause some _______ in beginning initial operations.

Answer 85

Equipment / delay

p 344

Question 86

Making a reverse lay

A common two-pumper operation provides for an _______ pumper and a _______ ________ pumper.

Answer 86

attack / water supply

p 344

Question 87

When completing a reverse lay, it is not necessary to use a _____-_____ hydrant valve.

Answer 87

four-way

p 344

Question 88

Getting water into the pump

After connections to the hydrant are made, conduct several ________ before opening the hydrant. Close the tank to pump valve if the intake is not equipped with a __________ valve.

Answer 88

checks / shutoff

p 344

Question 89

The D/O should record the ________ pressure reading before he or she begins to pump.

Answer 89

static

p 346

Question 90

When operating a two-stage pump, the D/O must set the __________ valve to the proper position before increasing the throttle to build the required discharge pressure. The selection is based on the amount of _________ to be supplied.

Answer 90

transfer valve / water

p 346

Question 91

If the master intake gauge reaches 20 psi, the _________ must not be increased further due to risk of cavitation.

Answer 91

throttle

p 346

Question 92

The ability to overcome losses in pressure is limited to atmospheric pressure at ?

Answer 92

sea level ( 14.7 psi )

p 352

Question 93

Cavitation during drafting operations

The high velocity of the water filling air cavities causes a severe _______ to the pump.

Answer 93

shock

p 354

Question 94

The ____________ of the water, the height of the _____, and the amount of water being ___________ affect the point at which cavitation begins.

Answer 94

temperature / lift / discharged

p 354

Question 95

The surest indication of cavitation may be a lack of reaction on the ___________ gauge to increases in the throttle.

Answer 95

pressure

p 354

Question 96

When a pump reaches the point of cavitation it is __________ all of the water that the atmospheric pressure or pressurized source can force into the ________. When water is discharged from the pump faster than it can be taken in, increasing the pump rpm will not increase the __________ pressure.

Answer 96

discharging / intake / discharge

p 354

Question 97

Although cavitation can occur when operating from a hydrant system, it often occurs during ?

Answer 97

drafting operations

p 354

Question 98

Drafting

It is helpful to have at least ____ inches of water all around the strainer in order to avoid drawing foreign objects such as sand or gravel into the pump.

Answer 98

24 inches

p 355

Question 99

A floating object placed above the strainer, even something as simple as a beach ball or capped plastic jug, may lessen the chances of ___________.

Answer 99

whirlpool

p 355

Question 100

Although almost any type of water may be used for fire suppression, pumping __________ water may be harmful to the pump.

Answer 100

nonpotable ( untreated )

p 356

Question 101

Each time nonpotable water is pumped through the apparatus, the pump and piping should be ?

Answer 101

thoroughly flushed with fresh water soon afterwards

p 356

Question 102

_____________ to a water source is an important factor in selecting a drafting site.

Answer 102

Accessibility

p 357

Question 103

Drafting

Once the sections of intake hose are connected to the strainer, it is usually easier to connect the hose to the intake fittings by first putting the strainer into the water, then placing the ?

Answer 103

apparatus into position

p 358

Question 104

Drafting

Routing intake hose over a _____ ________, such as a fence or guard rail that is higher than the pump intake, may trap air in the hose.

Answer 104

high point

p 358

Question 105

Drafting

If the bottom slopes steeply from the water’s edge, place a _____ _______ in the water and lay the intake hose on it.

Answer 105

roof ladder

p 358

Question 106

If the apparatus is a _______-type primer, the engine rpm should be kept as low as possible without causing the engine to stall.

Answer 106

vacuum

p 359

Question 107

Drafting

The vacuum is measured from the surface of the _______ to the eye of the pump’s _________.

Answer 107

water / impeller

p 359

Question 108

Drafting

The priming action should not be halted until all _____ has been removed and a steady stream of ________ is discharged.

Answer 108

air / water

p 359

Question 109

Drafting after priming

Increasing the throttle setting is required to raise the pressure to between ____ and _____ psi.

Answer 109

50 and 100 psi

p 360

Question 110

Drafting after priming

If the pressure continues to drop, momentarily operating the ________ may eliminate any small pockets of air still trapped in the pump and restore the pressure to its point.

Answer 110

primer

p 360

Question 111

Operating the pump from draft

Any deviation from the normal engine ___________ is a sign that another pumper may need to be brought in to continue the drafting operation.

Answer 111

temperature

p 360

Question 112

What is the most common source of problems while operating at draft?

Answer 112

Air leak on the intake side of the pump

p 360

Question 113

Properly installed and maintained ______ _________ have a proven history of providing reliable protection to many types of occupancies.

Answer 113

fire sprinklers

p 362

Question 114

Supporting automatic sprinkler systems

The FDC connection may consist of a Siamese with at least two 2 1/2 inch __________ connections connected to a clapper inlet or one large diameter _________ connection.

Answer 114

female / sexless

p 363

Question 115

Supporting automatic sprinkler systems

Multistage pumps should be operated in __________ position.

Answer 115

parallel ( volume )

p 363

Question 116

___________ systems allow for quicker access to water supply for attack hoselines in multi-floor or single floor buildings with large floor areas.

Answer 116

Standpipe

p 364

Question 117

Supporting standpipe systems

An aerial device may be used to create an ________ __________ by employing it’s pre-piped water way or running hose up an aerial ladder.

Answer 117

external standpipe

p 366

Question 118

An external standpipe may also be created by hoisting up or rolling ______ down the outside of a building, securing it inside every two or three floors.

Answer 118

hose

p 366

Question 119

Troubleshooting

Immediately upon any indication that water supply or pumping ability may be unattainable or interrupted, you must notify ?

Answer 119

the officer or Incident Commander

p 366