West Branch firemen to provide gear to Lycoming, Sullivan fire departments
Montoursville, Pa. — The West Branch Firemen’s Association will distribute standardized rural water supply equipment to fire departments across Lycoming and Sullivan counties during an Oct. 31 event in Montoursville. The distribution is the result of a regional standardization project led by the association to improve rural water supply operations, the process fire departments use to move water to fires in areas without hydrants. Departments will receive 3-inch locking Storz adapters and 5-inch clappered Siamese appliances, paid for with support from local partners and donors. The locking Storz adapters create a consistent, secure connection at water fill sites, so any apparatus from any participating department can connect the same way at any site in the region. The clappered Siamese appliances let crews offload large volumes of water from tankers and engines at a fire, feeding attack lines and water distribution systems without interrupting the flow. Equipment incompatibility between departments has long slowed rural water shuttle operations, the association said. In a water shuttle, tankers cycle continuously between a fill site and the fire scene; every delay at the connection point adds minutes to turnaround time and reduces the water available at the fire. Standardizing the connections is meant to shorten
Lycoming County, PA · 10d
