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Fire Engine Photos
Charleston Fire Department - Engine 9
This 2001 Sutphen 1500 gpm pumper is one of several on the run with the Charleston (South Carolina) Fire Department. You will recall that in June the Department lost 9 firefighters in a flashover which took place while firefighters were operating inside a burning furniture store and warehouse.
Initial findings by a consortium of federal agencies offers a stinging report on the status of the department, using terms like "tradition bound", "inadequate" and "unprepared."
Of special note was the use of small diameter "booster line" the red line seen just above the pump panel. It is Department policy to use the booster line (50 gallons per minute at 100 psi) for every fire, regardless of size. (Not to be confused with high pressure hoses used in Europe)
At the sofa store blaze which killed the nine firefighters, only two of these lines were in service. Larger back up 1.5" lines were being advanced when the flashover took place, 20 minutes into the blaze.
To review an analysis of the report, please consult Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_Sofa_Super_Store_fire
This 2001 Sutphen 1500 gpm pumper is one of several on the run with the Charleston (South Carolina) Fire Department. You will recall that in June the Department lost 9 firefighters in a flashover which took place while firefighters were operating inside a burning furniture store and warehouse.
Initial findings by a consortium of federal agencies offers a stinging report on the status of the department, using terms like "tradition bound", "inadequate" and "unprepared."
Of special note was the use of small diameter "booster line" the red line seen just above the pump panel. It is Department policy to use the booster line (50 gallons per minute at 100 psi) for every fire, regardless of size. (Not to be confused with high pressure hoses used in Europe)
At the sofa store blaze which killed the nine firefighters, only two of these lines were in service. Larger back up 1.5" lines were being advanced when the flashover took place, 20 minutes into the blaze.
To review an analysis of the report, please consult Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston_Sofa_Super_Store_fire
Sutphen
