General Fire/EMS questions

Status
Not open for further replies.

cstockmyer

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
1,411
What is a Humit? When some of the first units get to a fire they always say " Truck 10 is laying in from the plug with the humit." Thanks in advance.
 

Toneslider12

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
581
Location
A suburban location near a metropolitan area
A "Humat" is a valve that an Engine Company will attatch to the hydrant, then attatch hose to it. Denver is the only department that I know of in the metro area that uses them. The bennefit is that another enigne can come along later, hook up and help to pump water or get their own water from it. In Colorado we have "dry barrel" hydrants so there isn't water in them, only water in the water main underground. Once the water is turned on it will come out any opening on the hydrant, so once one hose is hooked up and charged no other hoses can be attatched with out shutting the water off first. A Humat allows you to hook up more hoses with out loosing water flow. Some departments will hook up a "gate valve" so they can hook up other hoses later also, the gate valve is more simple and more common.

On a side note - we have to have dry barrel hydrants because they would freeze otherwise. California is one place that has wet barrel hydrants that are full of water, they operate and look much different. If you google both types you can see the difference.

Here's a link to the Humat diagram - http://www.humat.com/ValveDeployment.html
 
Last edited:

kc0kp

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
451
Location
DM79np
More off scanner information.

Toneslider12 said:
A "Humat" is a valve that an Engine Company will attatch to the hydrant, then attatch hose to it. Denver is the only department that I know of in the metro area that uses them. The bennefit is that another enigne can come along later, hook up and help to pump water or get their own water from it. In Colorado we have "dry barrel" hydrants so there isn't water in them, only water in the water main underground. Once the water is turned on it will come out any opening on the hydrant, so once one hose is hooked up and charged no other hoses can be attatched with out shutting the water off first. A Humat allows you to hook up more hoses with out loosing water flow. Some departments will hook up a "gate valve" so they can hook up other hoses later also, the gate valve is more simple and more common.

On a side note - we have to have dry barrel hydrants because they would freeze otherwise. California is one place that has wet barrel hydrants that are full of water, they operate and look much different. If you google both types you can see the difference.

Here's a link to the Humat diagram - http://www.humat.com/ValveDeployment.html
Exactly right. Since Denver SOPs requires a lay in on all reported fires, the Humat speeds operations at second alarm fires. The diagram is accurate except Denver only lays one more line. The second in engine reverse lays from the operating rig to the hytdrant, hooks Storer connection to the Humat 5" to the pump inlet, and outlets a 2 1/2 to the original line laid in as well as the reversed laid line and supplements hydrant pressure in a relay mode. Without the Humat, the hydrant has to be shut down to access the 5" supply. The Humat valve is mandatory in some Denver districts and at the officer's discretion in others.
Yes, Snoopy, this is a little off topic but then so are all the posts of other information gathered from scanners. Would rather help others understand what they are hearing. If you hear an engine laying from the fire back to the Humat, they have a pretty good size fire.
 

KB9LMJ

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
322
kc0kp said:
Exactly right. Since Denver SOPs requires a lay in on all reported fires, the Humat speeds operations at second alarm fires. The diagram is accurate except Denver only lays one more line. The second in engine reverse lays from the operating rig to the hytdrant, hooks Storer connection to the Humat 5" to the pump inlet, and outlets a 2 1/2 to the original line laid in as well as the reversed laid line and supplements hydrant pressure in a relay mode. Without the Humat, the hydrant has to be shut down to access the 5" supply. The Humat valve is mandatory in some Denver districts and at the officer's discretion in others.
Yes, Snoopy, this is a little off topic but then so are all the posts of other information gathered from scanners. Would rather help others understand what they are hearing. If you hear an engine laying from the fire back to the Humat, they have a pretty good size fire.


That's one way to do it. Another way, which is used quite a lot, is to have both the plug catcher and senior guy get out and lay both the 3in and 2 1/2 at the same time. The plug catcher attaches the 3in to the Humat and waits for water signal by radio. (You have to wait until the "Sampson" (hose clamp) is in place or you'll end up flooding the bed) and the senior wraps the 2 1/2in and leaves that dry for the 2nd due Engine to both hook up to the 2 1/2in and "work the Humat." The senior guy then....humm...."get's back in the cab, fastens the seat belt, and rides up to the fire"...if you know what I mean. That way you don't have to split lay and the 2nd due can still give you the 2nd line and pump to the Humat. That works well for areas you can't get a split lay in. And yes, Humat is mandatory in some dists and officer's discretion in others. (There still is a big push to make it mandatory in all dists)
 

cstockmyer

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
1,411
Can someone explain the difference between a 1 alarm fire and a 4 alarm fire? Dumb question I know sorry.

Also now and then I hear Lola dispatch a unit called a Squint? I thought it was squirt but I heard her the other day say squirt.
 

jimmnn

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 11, 2002
Messages
14,370
Location
Colorado
cstockmyer said:
Can someone explain the difference between a 1 alarm fire and a 4 alarm fire? Dumb question I know sorry.

Also now and then I hear Lola dispatch a unit called a Squint? I thought it was squirt but I heard her the other day say squirt.

Each department has run cards made up Charles so a first alarm in denver is not the same as a first alarm in aurora or west metro. But typically you have a initial response such as whats called a 2+1+1 that would be 2 engines a truck and a batt chief )typical box in Denver for example, they can then make it high rise or high hazard (such as a hospital or nursing home) and get more units right away or in Denver they have an assignment called a task force before a first alarm.

But back to the metcom example, 10001 would have a 1st alarm assignment in CAD when they put in the address and the number of units and recommended units, same thing when you heard the dispatcher ask Batt 34 while enroute can he upgrade to a 2nd based on numerous calls to 911 then you heard the lola tones for additional "pre-assigned" units on the 2nd alarm by Cad similiar for third etc.

Hope that makes sense.

You might be hearing Quint that's a ladder company, tower ladder in South Metro's example with a pump so it can act as an engine as well onscene.

A quint, or quintuple combination pumper, is a fire service apparatus that serves the dual purpose of an engine and a ladder truck. The name quint is derived from the Latin prefix quinque-, meaning five, and refers to the five functions that a quint provides: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device, and ground ladders.

South Metro just put three similiar ladder companies (32, 34, 35) in service and I believe two are tower ladders and two are quints.
 
Last edited:

cstockmyer

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
1,411
jimmnn said:
Each department has run cards made up Charles so a first alarm in denver is not the same as a first alarm in aurora or west metro. But typically you have a initial response such as whats called a 2+1+1 that would be 2 engines a truck and a batt chief )typical box in Denver for example, they can then make it high rise or high hazard (such as a hospital or nursing home) and get more units right away or in Denver they have an assignment called a task force before a first alarm.

But back to the metcom example, 10001 would have a 1st alarm assignment in CAD when they put in the address and the number of units and recommended units, same thing when you heard the dispatcher ask Batt 34 while enroute can he upgrade to a 2nd based on numerous calls to 911 then you heard the lola tones for additional "pre-assigned" units on the 2nd alarm by Cad similiar for third etc.

Hope that makes sense.

You might be hearing Quint that's a ladder company, tower ladder in South Metro's example with a pump so it can act as an engine as well onscene.

A quint, or quintuple combination pumper, is a fire service apparatus that serves the dual purpose of an engine and a ladder truck. The name quint is derived from the Latin prefix quinque-, meaning five, and refers to the five functions that a quint provides: pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device, and ground ladders.

South Metro just put four similiar ladder companies in service and I believe two are tower ladders and two are quints.

Jim<


Thanks a lot Jim!
 

cstockmyer

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
1,411
I have no idea why I am up this early, so don't ask lol. Who is the largest FD in Colorado? Who is the smallest? What is the oldest FD in the state?
 

kc0kp

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
451
Location
DM79np
Largest

cstockmyer said:
I have no idea why I am up this early, so don't ask lol. Who is the largest FD in Colorado? Who is the smallest? What is the oldest FD in the state?
Denver with 900 plus members is the largest. May be the oldest too. The start of fire departments are vague because fire companies in the 1800s would spontaneously appear and just as quickly disappear or get folded into another. I beleive Tabor Hose company 1 was started in 1881 and eventually wound up as part of the Denver Fire Department.
The oldest Firefighters union in Colorado is in Pueblo Local 3, the third IAFF in country behind Pittsburgh and Chicago. Local 5 is in Colorado Springs.
 

cstockmyer

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
1,411
Thanks

kc0kp said:
Denver with 900 plus members is the largest. May be the oldest too. The start of fire departments are vague because fire companies in the 1800s would spontaneously appear and just as quickly disappear or get folded into another. I beleive Tabor Hose company 1 was started in 1881 and eventually wound up as part of the Denver Fire Department.
The oldest Firefighters union in Colorado is in Pueblo Local 3, the third IAFF in country behind Pittsburgh and Chicago. Local 5 is in Colorado Springs.

Interesting, thanks!

What keeps the air tanks on the fire fighters back from exploding due to the heat of the fire?
 

firescannerbob

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,338
Location
Colorado
cstockmyer said:
Interesting, thanks!

What keeps the air tanks on the fire fighters back from exploding due to the heat of the fire?
"Air" doesn't explode. The only thing that would cause the tank to fail would be subjecting them to enough enough to cause it to fail. To my knowledge, that has never happened, and really can't happen. Long before the tank would fail one of the supply hoses, or a valve would fail, allowing the air to vent.
 

firescannerbob

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
1,338
Location
Colorado
kc0kp said:
Denver with 900 plus members is the largest. May be the oldest too. The start of fire departments are vague because fire companies in the 1800s would spontaneously appear and just as quickly disappear or get folded into another. I beleive Tabor Hose company 1 was started in 1881 and eventually wound up as part of the Denver Fire Department.
The oldest Firefighters union in Colorado is in Pueblo Local 3, the third IAFF in country behind Pittsburgh and Chicago. Local 5 is in Colorado Springs.

The J.H. Warner Hook and Ladder Company was formed in Pueblo in 1873. http://www.pueblofire.org/history.htm
 

cstockmyer

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
1,411
firescannerbob said:
The J.H. Warner Hook and Ladder Company was formed in Pueblo in 1873. http://www.pueblofire.org/history.htm

Interesting, Thanks sir!

firescannerbob said:
"Air" doesn't explode. The only thing that would cause the tank to fail would be subjecting them to enough enough to cause it to fail. To my knowledge, that has never happened, and really can't happen. Long before the tank would fail one of the supply hoses, or a valve would fail, allowing the air to vent.

Thanks!
 

kc0kp

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2006
Messages
451
Location
DM79np
The all volunteer Denver Hook and Ladder Company No. One was
founded on March 25, 1866. This was five years after the city was formed. Found this factoid on the web. I have two books at home I could do more research on, including the best one "Denver in Flames" by Richard Kreck. Of course I am prejudiced as he interviewed me for part of the book.
 

jfab

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Messages
1,462
Location
Broomfield/Aurora, CO
kc0kp said:
Denver with 900 plus members is the largest. May be the oldest too. The start of fire departments are vague because fire companies in the 1800s would spontaneously appear and just as quickly disappear or get folded into another. I beleive Tabor Hose company 1 was started in 1881 and eventually wound up as part of the Denver Fire Department.
Charles, check this out: http://www.denverfirefightersmuseum.org/
 

Blogger

Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2007
Messages
84
kc0kp said:
Denver with 900 plus members is the largest. May be the oldest too. The start of fire departments are vague because fire companies in the 1800s would spontaneously appear and just as quickly disappear or get folded into another. I beleive Tabor Hose company 1 was started in 1881 and eventually wound up as part of the Denver Fire Department.
The oldest Firefighters union in Colorado is in Pueblo Local 3, the third IAFF in country behind Pittsburgh and Chicago. Local 5 is in Colorado Springs.

Leadville went paid in 1889...But there were many hose companies before that. In 1889 there was a large fire were three hose companies arrived. They were drunk and fought about who's fire it was. Back then insurance companies paid fire companies for putting out fires. City council decided to create its own fire department at that point.
 
Last edited:

cstockmyer

Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2006
Messages
1,411
Why do some Patrol cars and Fire trucks and EMS units have blue and white stripes on the rear?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top