Evolution 1.3 — Place the portable monitor in service

By most definitions, any stream greater than 350 gpm that requires mechanical assistance for handling is a “master” stream — also called large-caliber streams (LCS). They may be portable (“ground-based”), elevated (ladder pipes, elevating-platform nozzles), or mounted atop the engine itself. They're deployed in situations, usually defensive, where the fire is beyond the ability of hand lines to control, or where a location is no longer safe for department members.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, p.133 (7-1)

Master stream operations require a coordinated effort from the companies operating on scene — one part of which is ensuring that all department members have been backed out of the building prior to flowing any master stream or elevated ladder pipe. That's the STOP gate above.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, p.133 (7-1)

When master streams go into service it generally means interior offensive operations have been abandoned and a defensive posture is being employed. The device must be positioned to give an effective stream — once the line is in operation, it must be shut down to be repositioned.

The safest exterior positions are at the corners of the building. Setting up in front of the building — from the top of the engine or from the ground — is a dangerous and ineffective tactic: firefighters operating the stream are in the collapse zone and may not have time to react to a sudden wall collapse.

If a master stream must operate from the front, it should be set back far enough that it will not be struck by falling walls or debris. The widely accepted figure is a collapse zone of one and one-half times the height of the tallest exterior wall — a store front with a 20-foot wall gets a 30-foot collapse safety zone, and the further the better.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, pp.133–134 (7-1–7-2)

• Higher flows are more likely to knock debris loose from the building, sending it through the air to strike people or apparatus.
• In the portable mode the master stream has a limited side-to-side range. Turning the nozzle too far left or right may cause the base to become unstable and tip over.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, p.133 (7-1)

The two components that make up the monitor are the nozzle and the base. The nozzle is typically a combination fog nozzle, or a stacked set of smooth bore tips varying in size and gpm delivery. The base is a portable stand with folding legs for stability and a single LDH inlet (a 5” LDH inlet supplies the monitor). Normally stored in the rear compartment, the base can be set up at any desired location — removing the dangers of the fire from the apparatus and any firefighters operating in the area.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, pp.136–137 (7-4–7-5)

The Stinger is a dual-purpose break-apart monitor usable as a deck gun or a portable monitor. Mounted to a plumbed outlet on top of the engine with the nozzle assembly attached, it can be placed into operation rapidly without running a supply line. Based on the tip in use, it can deliver up to 1,250 gallons per minute. A disadvantage of the deck-gun configuration: it may require the engine to park in close proximity for proper reach, placing the engine in a potentially dangerous position.

The nozzle assembly — combination nozzle or stacked tip set — includes a hand wheel for adjusting the tip angle and an in-line pressure gauge, and can be affixed to either the engine or the portable base. For remote operation: set up the base, remove the Stinger from the engine, and stretch the LDH supply line.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, pp.136–137 (7-4–7-5)

The Rapid Attack Monitor is a lightweight, compact portable monitor deployed and operated by a single firefighter. Its hydraulic stability system harnesses reaction force to stabilize the monitor; four fold-out forged-aluminum legs with carbide-tipped ground spikes give it the largest footprint in its class, the rear spikes angled to grip the ground. It can be carried while attached to a charged line and stored pre-connected.

• Supplied with either 2½” or 3” hoselines.
• Minimal appliance loss of 10 psi, from the waterway design.
• Tips: smooth bore 1½”, 1⅜”, 1¼”, or combination fog nozzles.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, p.138 (7-6)

Flow ceiling — two Orem documents, two answers. Do not pump to a single number. Engine Ops p.138 states a maximum delivery of 500 gpm at 75 psi nozzle pressure and lists 1½” among the approved tips. The OFD Hydraulic Manual's own R.A.M. table lists 1½” at 80 psi = 600 gpm. One appliance, two ceilings, both Orem — unresolved, and on the committee list. Until it is ruled, work from the tip rows both documents support:

OFD Hydraulic Manual, Elkhart R.A.M. nozzle table · Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, p.138 (7-6). Flag it and check the appliance at the rig.

Besides the defensive application, the R.A.M. is well suited to interior offensive operations — a large amount of water with long reach, for knockdown in a large building or a long hallway. It transitions easily from exterior attack to advancing inside with minimal personnel: a two-person team, one firefighter controlling the monitor by shutting it down fully or halfway to move it forward, the other moving the supplying hoseline. Once in position, open it fully again.

Another advantage: once the bulk of the fire is knocked down, a smaller hoseline can be advanced from it — the R.A.M. becomes similar to an extended lay from a 2½” shutoff, with a large supply line already in place that can supply a 2½” or 1¾” handline at lower gpms. Good applications: garden apartments, strip malls, warehouses, and other occupancies with long setbacks.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, pp.139–140 (7-7–7-8)

Out-of-cab steps 3, 12 and 13 are one maneuver, and the department's own changeover task explains each piece:

• Air is the enemy. Air in the empty supply hose causes problems if it enters the pump while the pump is supplying attack lines under pressure. Open the bleeder valve on the gated intake so the air escapes as the supply line fills. When all the air has been forced out, close the bleeder — the water is now at the pump and ready for the transition.
• Open the intake very slowly while watching both the intake and the discharge gauges, adjusting discharge pressure as you go until the intake is completely open. It may be necessary to adjust the engine throttle to get the desired discharge pressure.
• Then close tank-to-pump — but leave the tank-fill valve partially open until the water tank has refilled. A full tank provides a limited reserve if the external supply is lost unexpectedly. That is why printed step 3 cracks the re-circulating/tank-fill valve early and step 13 closes tank-to-pump late.

The task's own operating procedure also sets the relief valve or pressure governor before the external supply arrives (its step 6, ahead of its step 8) — the same logic as the relief-valve pre-set merged into the out-of-cab section above.

ADO Task #19, Basic Pump Skills — Changeover (Transition to an External Water Supply)

A monitor eats more water than a hand line, so the supply question comes up fast. The manual ranks the tactics for getting the most out of a distribution system, least preferred to best preferred:

1. Multiple supply lines from a single hydrant (least preferred)
2. Pumping the hydrant with the 2nd or 3rd due engine supplying the attack pumper
3. Multiple supply lines from different hydrants sharing the same water main
4. Multiple supply lines from different hydrants not sharing the same water main (best preferred)

The manual introduces this list as “three basic tactics” and then prints four bullets — noted, not silently corrected.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, p.109 (5-13)

To establish and maintain proper pumping pressures, every Engineer must know how many hoselines, the size and length of the hoseline, the type of nozzles being used, and their flow. It is imperative that the Engineer listen closely to the radio at all times for traffic concerning charging, shutting down or adjusting hose line pressures. They should also monitor the residual pressure of the pump master intake gauge to determine the capability of supplying additional volumes when available or as needed.

That is printed in-cab step 9 (change radio to correct channel) and The numbers above, stated as a standing duty rather than a checkbox.

Engine Company Operations 2023 V-1, Ch.1 (1-11)