Are You Using the Hydrant Kit to Maximum Advantage?

By Anthony Rowett

The most basic and most important engine company function on the fireground is getting water on the fire. To accomplish this mission and to ensure its continued success throughout the operation, the engine company must establish a water supply. There are multiple ways to do this; the most common method is to use a fire hydrant. When using a fire hydrant to establish a water supply during a fireground operation, the engine company attaches its supply hose to the fire hydrant and then to the apparatus and charges the hoselines using the water supplied by the hydrant. Firefighters can perform this routine task with minimal effort. When everything goes according to plan, the only tools and equipment needed to make the connection and perform the operation are the hose that will connect the fire hydrant to the pumper and a hydrant wrench. However, as we know, everything does not always go according to plan, and there are times when establishing the water supply connection will necessitate using more than hose and a wrench. At these times, a hydrant kit is needed to overcome the challenges interfering with getting a water supply in a timely manner.

The hydrant kit contains tools and equipment used to make the hydrant connection. The container may be a toolbox or a bag. The kit generally is kept in a specific location on the apparatus and grabbed by the firefighter assigned to make the hydrant connection (hydrant firefighter) when he pulls the supply hoseline from the hosebed. In some departments, the kit (a bag containing the tools) may be attached to the supply hoseline so that when the hydrant firefighter pulls the supply hoseline from the hosebed, the kit automatically comes with the supply hoseline (photo 1). This helps ensure that any tools that are needed will be at the fire hydrant for immediate use if the hydrant firefighter must operate remotely from the apparatus.