Understanding the Use of Fire Department Connections

At the heart of any standpipe or sprinkler system operation is the fire department connection. The fire department connection allows firefighters to supplement the water supply and sometimes supply all of the water to the standpipe system or sprinkler system being used. In the case of standpipe systems, this water supply allows firefighters to operate hoselines on upper floors of the building, and in the case of sprinkler systems, it allows the system to operate in an attempt to control the fire and, at a minimum, prevent fire spread as firefighters work to reach the fire. The success of these operations depends on the success of the fire department connection operation. Failure to supplement the water supply to these systems or to supply water to these systems will result in the failure of the operation.

Pre-fire planning

All firefighters must understand fire department connections, with attention given to its operation during the preplanning process. During pre-fire inspections, it is important to learn the locations of the fire department connections as well as what they supply. Does the connection supply the standpipe system, the sprinkler system or both? Some connections will only supply systems in specific areas of the building. Failure to obtain this information could result in the failure of a fireground operation.

Another factor to consider is who will supply the fire department connection with its water supply. Department standard operating guidelines (SOGs) should indicate which company will supply the fire department connection with its water supply, whether it be the first- or second-arriving engine company. If department SOGs do not indicate which company will supply the connection, the pre-incident fire plan must address this issue.

Further, during the preplanning process, firefighters should try to speak with the building’s fire protection system engineer or maintenance person—whoever is responsible for the building’s fire protection system. Such discussions can provide firefighters with valuable information regarding the systems that is not available simply by looking at the system.

Apparatus positioning

Apparatus positioning is important when pumping into a fire department connection. The pumper that will be connected to the fire department connection should be positioned within 100 feet of the fire department connection for optimal performance.

When supplying or supplementing the building’s water supply in buildings that will require a large flow, additional pumpers and supply hoselines should be used. When faced with this situation, every attempt should be made to supply the building’s fire department connections with additional supply hoselines in addition to the original two medium-diameter supply hoselines or the original large-diameter supply hoseline.

Many buildings that have fire department connections for standpipe and sprinkler systems are tall enough that the pumper will be positioned within the collapse zone. As such, the apparatus should be positioned at the corner of the building if possible, as this is the safest location in the event of a collapse.

Hoseline sizes and methods of connection

Most fire department connections consist of a Siamese appliance that allows the fire department to supply water to or to supplement the water supply of the building’s fire protection systems. The fire department connection will typically present two 2½-inch female hose outlets into which the fire department can connect supply hoselines. Some fire department connections will present a Storz connection to allow for the connection to be made with a large-diameter hoseline. The two female ends of the fire department connection will be protected by a cover that prevents objects from being inserted into the fire department connection as well as damage to the outlet threads. There are multiple types of these caps in use. Regardless of the type, the cap must be removed in order to make the connection. Some caps will be bolted onto the fire department connection outlets, others will be screwed into the outlets and can be removed with a spanner wrench, and others will be screwed into the outlets and require a specific key to unlock and remove the caps.

Connections to fire department connections should be made using either medium- or large-diameter hoselines. If the fire department connection possesses a Storz connection, a large-diameter hoseline should be used. If a Storz connection is not present, medium-diameter hoselines should be used.

When making the connection using medium-diameter hoselines, a 3-inch hoseline is preferred over a 2½-inch hoseline, as there will be less friction loss in the 3-inch hoseline. This reduction in friction loss allows for a greater flow of water into the system. If 3-inch hoselines are not available, the minimum size hoseline that should be connected to a fire department connection is the 2½-inch hoseline.

Personnel should be familiar with all hoselines that will be used to connect to fire department connections as well as any equipment that will be needed to make the connection.

There are two primary methods in which hoselines can be connected to the fire department connection: 1) a forward lay supply hoseline operation or 2) a reverse lay supply hoseline operation. The reverse lay operation is the preferred method, because the driver/operator of the engine company apparatus that is being connected to the fire department connection is positioned out of the path of falling debris.

Some of the most common methods for connecting to a fire department connection involve a dead load of 2½-inch or 3-inch hose that will be laid from the fire department connection to the hydrant. There are two variations of the dead-load option.

The first method is to have the hose loaded into the apparatus hosebed so that the first coupling to come out of the hosebed is a male coupling. This setup allows for the male coupling to be connected directly to the fire department connection.

The other method is to have the hose loaded in the hosebed so that the first coupling to come out of the hosebed when the hose is pulled is the female coupling. This setup requires that the firefighter use two double male adapters, one for each supply hoseline, when making the connection, as this setup would position the female couplings of the supply hoselines at the fire department connection, which also contains female couplings. If this setup is selected, the firefighter will use the two double male adapters to create male couplings on the fire department connection by screwing the double male adapters into the female outlets. The female couplings of the supply hoselines can then be connected to the fire department connection.

If a large-diameter supply hoseline will be used to supply a fire department connection that contains a 2½-inch Siamese connection rather than a Storz connection, a gated wye will also be needed that will allow for the large-diameter supply hoseline to be broken down into two 2½-inch or 3-inch supply hoselines that can be connected to the fire department connection.

When using a large-diameter supply line to supply a fire department connection with two medium-diameter hoselines, the firefighter making the connection should know which medium-diameter hoseline to use. A dead load can be used, or two lengths of rolled hoselines can be stored in a compartment and can be quickly removed from the compartment and unrolled from the gated wye to the fire department connection. When using this method, the large-diameter hoseline and gated wye should be positioned so that only a single length of medium-diameter hose is needed to supply each outlet of the fire department connection.

Additional equipment

At a minimum, the firefighter making the connection to the fire department connection will need the hoselines that will be used to connect to the fire department connection and a set of spanner wrenches. In some cases, this may be all that the firefighter needs; however, the firefighter must be prepared for any and all situations that may arise. This requires the firefighter to arrive at the fire department connection with the hoselines that will be used as well as a set of tools that will allow them to overcome any problem that may arise during the operation. With that in mind, the firefighter should have a set of spanner wrenches, two double male adapters, two double female adapters, and the fire department connection outlet cap key, if keyed outlet caps are present.

If the apparatus contains a hydrant kit, the firefighter can use it at the fire department connection. Most hydrant kits include a minimum of a hydrant wrench, spanner wrenches, a rubber mallet, a wire brush, double male and double female adapters, as well as valves and other appliances that are used when making the hydrant connection. Bringing the hydrant kit to the fire department connection saves the time the firefighter would spend gathering tools from multiple compartments.

Troubleshooting issues

Firefighters must be proficient not only in making the connection but also in troubleshooting problems that can arise in the process. The problems that may occur include missing caps, encrustation in the piping due to lack of maintenance, debris that has been placed into the outlets, tight caps, damaged threads, frozen female swivels on the Siamese connection of the fire department connection, and broken or jammed clapper valves.

Some of these issues can be easily overcome. One of the first problems that may be encountered involves outlet caps that are difficult for the firefighter to remove. A hydrant wrench or rubber mallet can be used as a hammer to loosen the caps and allow for their removal.

Once the caps are removed, the firefighter should always check for debris that has been placed in the outlet. Unlike a hydrant, which can be flowed to check for debris as well as clear any debris that is present in the hydrant, a fire department connection cannot be flowed in this manner. The firefighter should never place their fingers into the outlet. Instead, the firefighter should insert the end of a spanner wrench into the outlet to check for debris. If debris is found, the spanner wrench should be used to remove it from the outlet.

If the female swivels of the fire department connection are frozen and will not move, a double male adapter should be inserted into the female outlet of the fire department connection. A double female adapter is then placed on the double male adapter, essentially extending the fire department connection outlet as well as making it operable once again.

Inoperable connections

If the fire department connection is inoperable, it must be bypassed so that operations can be performed in the building. The quickest and easiest way to bypass an inoperable fire department connection that is serving a standpipe system is to stretch a medium-diameter supply line into the building and connect it to the standpipe system hose outlet on the first floor of the building. The medium-diameter supply line can then be charged and the standpipe system can be supplied with water allowing for effective operations to be performed on the upper floors of the building.

Another option to bypass an inoperable fire department connection serving a standpipe system is to stretch a supply hoseline into the building and up the stairway into a position one or two floors below the fire where the high-rise pack can be connected to it as if it was the hose outlet of the standpipe system.

When doing this, a well-hole stretch should be considered if a medium-diameter hoseline is being utilized. A well-hole stretch is an operation that allows for the length of the hoseline to be greatly reduced by stretching the hoseline between the railings of the stairs rather than around the path of the stairs.

The first concern with a well-hole stretch must be to ensure that the hoseline will fit in the well hole. The rule of thumb is to make a fist and insert it into the well hole, and if your fist fits, so will the hoseline. It is good practice, though, to use two fists rather than one to ensure that there will be adequate room for the hoseline.

Crews must account for the weight of the water in a charged hoseline and the amount of pressure it will apply to the couplings when the hose is running vertically rather than horizontally. To counter that pressure, the hoseline should be tied off at least every four floors.

As noted, well-hole stretch should only be considered when using medium-diameter hose. Very rarely will a stairway well hole be large enough to allow for a charged large-diameter hoseline to pass through it. Also, the weight of the water in a vertical large-diameter hoseline and the pressure the weight of that water would apply to the couplings of the hoseline would be extreme.

Supplying the water

Once the supply hoselines have been connected, crews are ready to perform the final step of making the connection, supplying the fire department connection with water or supplementing the water supply that is already in place. Charging the supply hoselines that have been connected to the fire department connection requires attention to detail. Crews must know whether the operation is supplementing the water supply or supplying all of the water to the building’s fire protection system. The rule of thumb for supplying fire department connections is they supply the system at 150 psi. Departmental SOGs should also be considered. Some departments have guidelines for the pressures at which fire department connections should be charged.

In sum

Making the connection to the fire department connection is often overlooked and does not receive the same attention that other aspects of operations in buildings with built-in fire protection systems receive. All firefighters should be able to make this connection as well as overcome any problems that arise during the operation, because if the connection is not made, all hoseline operations in the building as well as sprinkler system operations will suffer. If the building has its own water source and making the connection to the fire department connection supplements the building’s own water supply, operation may have to be conducted with a limited water supply or limited pressure. If the building does not have its own water supply and all water for firefighting operations must be supplied via the fire department connection, and if the connection to the fire department connection is not made efficiently, all operations will be delayed. Hoseline operations as well as sprinkler system operations cannot begin until the connection to the fire department connection is made and the supply hoselines feeding it are charged supplying water to the standpipe and/or sprinkler system.