The following story is provided by one of our Members from Chile, Jaime Núñez Sotomayor. Señor Sotomayor has been involved in the fire service for many years and has a great interest in water supply operations. He is a self-professed follower of Larry Davis' teachings - so we are very proud to share his "big water" drill story with everyone.

The objective of the exercise was to deliver 8,000 lpm (2,100 gpm) over a 2km (6,600 ft) round trip travel distance using tenders as the water supply source. The crews encountered a few problems but were able to sustain 2,100 gpm for 30 minutes - with a 2,500 gpm flow for 5 minues in the beginning. Señor Sotomayor reports this was the first time that such a large flow has been obtained in Chile, and it looks that it's also a first in Latin America.

Seven tankers (2,400 gallons each) were used at this drill., Four of the tankers were equipped with dump valves which were installed by Señor Sotomayor at a workshop in 2011. Flow was measured using several master stream devices. Pressures were pitoted at a 2" nozzle at 60 psi for 920 gpm on two master stream nozzles, and in a 500 gpm fog nozzle. There were 80 participants at the drill from "Cuerpo de Bomberos de San Bernardo" located some 20 km (15 miles) south of Santiago de Chile.

Two of the master streams were supplied by 100m (330 ft) of hose and flowed 800 to 900 gpm each. The other master stream was supplied by 150m (500 ft) of hose and flowed 500 gpm. While the arrangement may not have been the best, it worked just fine for the flow that was provided.

The drill location was a food processing plant (Alimentos Watt's) which alowed the bomberos to use the facility on Sunday. Finally, as previously accorded with the facility administration, pumping had to be stopped when the rain collector pit became full (300,000 litres or 80,000 gal).

The tankers (2,400 galls each) were held for 120 seconds before filling to simulate traveling to refill at 20 mph.

As this was the very first time this type of water movement drill was done in Chile, it wasn't against clock, only against attaining a big flow such as 2.100 gpm (8.000 lpm) at 3,300 ft (6,600 ft round trip) (2 km round trip)

Click on the link below to view the photo album from the drill.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=487719804669539&set=a.487718084669711.1073742353.135072976600892&type=1&theater

For more info, contact Señnor Sotomayor at firecontrolchile@gmail.com