Backflow Preventer Use in the Fire Service

[JBJ1202 27]

What situations would require a Fire Department to use a backflow preventer on a fire hydrant?

JBJ

[antiquefirelt 994]

What situations would require a Fire Department to use a backflow preventer on a fire hydrant?

JBJ

I've never heard of this being done.

[ja3kfd 34]

Why would you do that and where the heck are you going to keep one, you would need 4 men just to put it on a hydrant. In New York if everyone has one on there feeds coming into building we should not need one.

[JBJ1202 27]

I'm just looking for literature and/or feedback from individuals who are fimiliar with hydrant backflow preventers. Are fire depts exempt from using them in emergency and non-emergency situations? I'm looking at NYS Health Department and EPA sites for answers.

[antiquefirelt 994]

I'm just looking for literature and/or feedback from individuals who are fimiliar with hydrant backflow preventers. Are fire depts exempt from using them in emergency and non-emergency situations? I'm looking at NYS Health Department and EPA sites for answers.

As I said above, I've never even heard of such a device made for fire service applications. I've got a shelf of books that have pages upon chapters about supply systems, I've attended workshops with water supply companies and hydrant manufacturers, and to date I've not heard about any such use. The nature of a positive source system such as municipal hydrants would make it very difficult to flow water into the system, you'd have to work at it from the connections to overcoming the supplied pressure. Of course they're required at most service entrances, my assumption is that this is done to ensure that in a high demand situation they don't pull a vacuum on in building components?

[no1special 1]

The FDNY uses them when conducting foam operations with the foam carriers or tender. The carrier or tender supplies concentrate to the FIMM (which controls the foam percenatge). The FIMM is built into the Sattelite engines, or a portable one can be connected to any engine. The engine being supplied with concentrate is hooked up to a hydrant, and must use a backflow preventer to prevent contamination of the water system.

[Mac8146 61]

After contaminating the water in throggs neck after a tanker roll over and fire the FDNY invested in backflow technology for foam apps. The foam solution was forced into the water system through the pumper and caused issues for a time in many homes and business'. This happened in the early 90''s at Bruckner and Tremont Aves when a gasoline tanker struck a vehicle and killed i think 4 in car and the driver of tanker, plus a row of taxpayers was burned, almost got to quarters of E-89 and L-50 as gasoline flowed freely down streets on fire.

[ny10570 745]

Are they using a true back flow prevention device or just a simple flap valve or similar device?

[coderedsafety 1]

Thanks for this great information about backflow preventer used in fire services. One thing I wanted to ask is that whether it can be used in recsue of people from dangerous areas also?

[antiquefirelt 994]

Thanks for this great information about backflow preventer used in fire services. One thing I wanted to ask is that whether it can be used in recsue of people from dangerous areas also?

How might you be considering them for this?

The FDNY uses them when conducting foam operations with the foam carriers or tender. The carrier or tender supplies concentrate to the FIMM (which controls the foam percenatge). The FIMM is built into the Sattelite engines, or a portable one can be connected to any engine. The engine being supplied with concentrate is hooked up to a hydrant, and must use a backflow preventer to prevent contamination of the water system.

This is interesting, do they adapt a backflow preventer to the hydrant, inline or are they integral to the foam apparatus?