Fire Department Tanker Training

On Monday Afternoon, members of the Hastings Fire Department took time to work on offsite water transfer exercises.These practice situations train personnel how to set up water collection pools that will hold almost 3,000 gallons of water from a tanker truck. What amounts to a portable vinyl holding pool is erected at a site where there are no hydrants from which to pull water. Pumps are connected to offload the water thru a hose into the pool from the Water Trucks sent to fight a fire. When the truck is empty, it can return to the water source for a refill. A separate pump then sends the pooled water thru a hose with pressure to fight the flames. In rural communities, these portable pools can mean precious time spent fighting a fire while more water can be brought to the scene. Each member trains on the pressurized pump system and is assigned a specific job to get familiar with this important skill that may be needed at a moments notice.