Department Pump Training

[E112 12]

Just curious how various departments run their pump training/certification. Do any departments require the county pump-ops course, follow a certain checklist for know-hows, leave it to the trainers discretion or a combination of all of these things? Just curious on what has been most effective in the past for departments. Thanks guys.

[E112 12]

Just curious how various departments run their pump training/certification. Do any departments require the county pump-ops course, follow a certain checklist for know-hows, leave it to the trainers discretion or a combination of all of these things? Just curious on what has been most effective in the past for departments. Thanks guys.

Thank you guys for all of the great responses...I'm trying to see what works best in other depts...

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Don't quote me (I am new at pump operating and have not needed to perform my yearly checkout yet...). I believe my home Dept. sets guidelines that each company follows for in house checkouts once a year. This is with the driver trainers from which ever company you are getting checked out with. The NYS course is not required annually.

While on the topic, perhaps a NYS Pump Operations refresher class is not a bad idea...Do any of the experienced voices know if this idea has been toyed with?

[Remember585 815]

Our newer Driver/Operators have been getting the following:

EVOC (For all operators)

Pump Operator (For Engine / Quint)

Aerial Operator (For Quint)

Initial Driver Training requires the following pump evolutions:

Pumping off tank water

Pumping from a hydrant (including transitioning from tank to hydrant water without a loss)

Drafting

Pumping two lines of same size

Pumping two lines of varying sizes and/or master stream device

Some of the training we have been putting our drivers/operators thru includes:

Relaying

Standpipe Ops

Foam Ops (with Eductor)

Something everyone should consider is training their drivers/operators how to draft even if you have hydrants in your district. It's a skill you may never use at an incident, but you all know Mr. Murphy is always lurking in the shadows...

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Don't quote me (I am new at pump operating and have not needed to perform my yearly checkout yet...). I believe my home Dept. sets guidelines that each company follows for in house checkouts once a year. This is with the driver trainers from which ever company you are getting checked out with. The NYS course is not required annually.

While on the topic, perhaps a NYS Pump Operations refresher class is not a bad idea...Do any of the experienced voices know if this idea has been toyed with?

As long as the training meets the standard set forth by OSHA you can do your own in house pump operations course but it has to meet a established curriculum like NYS curriculum, Maryland Fire Academy etc. If you read the fire brigade standard it states and names a couple of academies as examples of what the training should be similar to.

As far as a refresher class...in all actuality that is something your department should be doing within your comprehensive training program. But on the state level if I remember correctly there are ways to get refresher training which is built within the outreach training program and I don't see how pump operations wouldn't be one that could be requested. I do know that at the county level a CFI set up a such a course on the county level and it was not well attended which was a shame as I assisted on the skills day and we really did some interesting, thought provoking things that refreshed skills and was challenging at an appropriate level. Sometimes a simple phone call to OFPC or the assigned Fire Protection Specialist for Westchester through OFPC can get you very simple answers and very simple results.