Fill Site Operations #17 - Open Relay - Seneca County, NY
 
By President Mark Davis
December 5, 2024
 

A few photos from our 2009 seminar in Ovid, New York. The folks were faced with setting up a 1000 gpm+ tanker fill site using a <800 gpm fire hydrant. The answer was an open-relay using Varick's 1500gpm/2000 gallon engine/tanker, a 2100-gallon dump tank, a hydrant control valve, and some suction hose. The under-performing hydrant supplied the dump tank from which the engine/tanker then drafted and loaded tankers. Tanker fill rates were just over 1000 gpm and the fill system never ran out of water. It is important to note that two fill sites were used to support the drill; thus this fill site was not faced with having to load every tanker. It is also important to note that the suction hose used to discharge the water from the fire hydrant had nothing on the end of it; so no restriction or back-pressure to damage the couplings.
 
For those concerned, the suction hose has nothing on it in that dump tank. Hence, no restriction and basically no pressure on the suction hose coupling.
For those concerned, the suction hose has nothing on it in that dump tank. Hence, no restriction and basically no pressure on the suction hose coupling.
No Caption
 
Open relay allows this engine tanker to run a 1000 gpm fill site using this 600 gpm fire hydrant.
Open relay allows this engine tanker to run a 1000 gpm fill site using this 600 gpm fire hydrant.
The engine/tanker supplied water to the jumbo-wye which was used to load the tankers.
The engine/tanker supplied water to the jumbo-wye which was used to load the tankers.
 
Ovid's tanker getting loaded.
Ovid's tanker getting loaded.
No Caption