Prince George's County MD

[Guest]

[quote name='SrFireOfficial' date='09 February 2010 - 12:03 PM' timestamp='1265733827' post='363137']

DCFD ran two-piece engine companies until the early 1990's, each company consisting of a "wagon" and "pumper". The wagon consisted of the driver, officer and backstep firemen and would lay a supply line and deploy the attack lines. The pumper would pick up the supply at the hydrant it was laid from, complete a split lay or reverse lay to a fire hydrant to supply the wagon with water for fire attack. Each engine company (wagon and pumper) would develop their own water supply and with four engine companies dispatched on the box alarm at the time, there was plenty of hose in the street and lines going to a fire. DCFD had historically purchased pumpers with short wheelbases, low hosebeds and small booster tanks and has been able to keep this design into the 21st century; low hosebeds do lend themselves to rapid attack line deployment.



Many of the suburban fire departments in the metropolitan DC region also operated the "wagon-pumper" engine company concept to a degree but not with the scope and consistency DCFD did. And yes, in PGFD there are inter-company rivalries to see who can get "first water" on the fire. From my own personal experience and observation, much of what has been done in Prince George's County and elsewhere in the jurisdictions bordering on DC was predicated on what was learned from DCFD operational procedures and experience, some of it brought to PG and other volunteer fire companies by DC career personnel volunteering there in their off-duty time.

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Thanks for that informative summary SFO. I'd say you hit the nail on the head with your points!



Thanks!