By Brad French
Recognizing exterior fire department connections (FDCs) intended for use by an engine company would seem to be a relatively straightforward task for firefighters and pump operators arriving on the scene of an incident involving a building with a sprinkler or standpipe system. In the urban environment, the relentless volume of false alarms in high-rise residential towers caused by burning food and in commercial buildings by the tripping of flow switches by pressure surges in the domestic water supply can foster complacency. Preincident planning will prepare an engine company for efficiency at these addresses.
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| （1）使用大直径的Storz FDC，通过四英寸或五英寸的开口最大化音量输送。这种类型的FDC在具有高火负荷的低层占用率中是最有益的，例如工业建筑或存储设施。（作者的照片。） |
Spotting the apparatus close to the building’s FDC and the nearest water supply should be a routine part of engine company operations. Knowledge of the building’s fire protection systems will quickly lead the crew to the fire alarm panel, interior standpipe connections, floor control isolation valves, and other critical features in a working incident. But, do we really always know what we’re looking at on the outside of the building? Firefighters are taught early in their careers about assisting pump operators with making hose connections to the FDC to supplement the water pressure in the building’s fire protection system. However, many training programs fail to properly address the variety of possibilities in which exterior hose connections can present themselves to firefighters.
FDC经验法则
Following are a number of rules of thumb about FDCs firefighters should know and practice:
- Configuration。FDC有多种配置：直接安装在外墙中；安装在建筑物附近的柱子上；或作为单个2½-，双2½-（即暹罗）或大直径四或五英寸的Storz拟合。
- 线程。Threaded FDCs will be female swivels, indicating their function as an intake into the system. There are a variety of pros and cons up for discussion related to the operational benefits of multiple 2½-inch connections compared to a single four- or five-inch storz connection. However, bear in mind that in high-rise buildings, we are concerned mostly about issues related to pressure and in large commercial and industrial buildings, with very high fire loads; our concerns are more related to volume. The higher pressures possible with double-jacketed 2½- or three-inch hose, coupled with the redundancy of multiple lines in the setting of potentially falling glass, make 2½-inch connections the most sensible option for high-rise buildings. The significantly increased water volume potential with large-diameter hose (LDH) supplying four- or five-inch storz connections (photo 1) makes that option more preferable for wide, large-area buildings with sprinkler systems covering dense storage, combustible products, and other high-hazard materials frequently found in that environment.
- Connections.There may be multiple sets of connections on a structure for different high and low zones in a high-rise building (photo 2) or for different risers in separate areas on large commercial buildings or parking garage dry-pipe systems. Multiple FDC sets may also be interconnected throughout the structure, and supplying any nearby FDC would benefit the overall system pressure. On some buildings, there may be separate FDC hookups for the sprinkler system and the standpipe system, or a building may have a combination system that supplies the sprinkler and standpipe systems at the same time. Only thorough preplanning will let an engine company know about all of these system components for sure.
(2) This FDC set indicates that the inlets supply two system zones. However, no specific floor ranges are marked on the signage. Determining the appropriate connections to supply a particular floor would be problematic for an engine company that hasn’t preplanned the building. - 救火栓。Water-based fire protection systems are ultimately limited by their design, piping diameter, and water supply. In many cases, a built-in stationary fire pump is installed in the building (usually the basement) to kick on and boost pressure if there is significant water flow somewhere in the building. Fire pumps should be identified during preincident planning, and building maintenance personnel should instruct firefighters on how to ensure that the fire pump is functioning, how to activate the emergency run switch if necessary, and how to shut down the unit and any associated outside screw and yoke (OS&Y) valves when appropriate.
- 测试头。On a response to a building that has not yet been preplanned or a building that is outside of an engine company’s first- or second-due response area that is unfamiliar to the crew, the existence of a fire pump is typically obvious because of the presence of a test connection, or “test header,” mounted on the exterior of the building. There are exceptions, of course; the test connections are sometimes down in the basement with the pump itself or in some other remote area on the property, and, therefore, no obvious exterior indication of a fire pump is present. Generally, fire pump test headers are presented as multiple 2½-inch male threaded connections-one 2½-inch connection for each 250 gallons per minute (gpm) of pump capacity. The headers often have control wheels, similar in appearance to a standpipe outlet (photo 3). The male threaded connections are used to flow test the fire pump annually. These connections are outlet components of the fire protection system; they are not intended to be supplied by an engine company.
(3) This is a common exterior connection setup. It includes a fire pump test header with four male-threaded 2½-inch connections, a typical double 2½-inch female-threaded FDC, and a control valve. - 标牌。FDCs and test headers should be clearly marked with accurate signage to aid the engine company in making the appropriate hose connections. Signage should also indicate any specific operational issues related to the fire protection system, such as an FDC that is supplying sprinklers (SPKR) only, standpipe (STDP) only, combination SPKR/STDP, partial system only serving certain areas, or dry systems that will require water supply into the connection prior to any water being available in the system at all (photo 4). In some cases, tactical decisions will be made based on the characteristics of the system noted on the signage and the situation presented. For example, an exterior rope stretch or extended manual hoselay from the engine may be more efficient than charging an FDC to supply the dry standpipe risers and piping system throughout a large-area parking garage for a car fire on a lower floor.
（4）注意到该标牌对于连接到FDC的发动机公司至关重要。标牌指示的项目可以包括FDC用品的哪些区域或区域；存在的系统类型（洒水，立管或组合）；以及其他关键因素，例如存在干式立管。
The potential operational problem in this environment lies with the confusion that may occur when exterior connections don’t fit the typical models described above. Confusing an FDC with a pump test header could lead to a catastrophic tactical error. Fire pump test headers are almost always male threads, but you may encounter exceptions (photo 5).
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| （5）女性线程消防泵测试标头。它并不常见，可能会使不熟悉它的消防员/泵操作员感到困惑。 |
In the dark of night at 0400 hours, it’s entirely possible that an unknowing firefighter could make a 2½-inch hose connection to a female-threaded fire pump test header. In this scenario, the line would be charged and appear to be functioning but in fact would be stopped dead at a closed OS&Y valve in the basement. The piping leading to the pump test header is carried in the closed position and is opened only once each year when the contractor shows up to test the system (photo 6). The incident could suffer significantly from this error before it is realized and corrected. When exterior connections are grouped together, recognizing the difference between the FDC and the test header is usually quite simple. However, when the FDC and test header are in different areas, a female-threaded test header could provide the recipe for disaster for a firefighter quickly noting the female threads and making the hookup (photo 7).
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| （6）请注意，通向主立管管道的开放式OS＆Y阀和封闭的阀门到消防泵测试标头。错误地泵入测试标头连接将泵入死胡同。 |
It is critical that pump operator training programs include this information. Also, firefighters should carefully read the signage and mounting rings or plates that surround exterior hose connections as they approach (photo 8).
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| （7）在不同侧面，在该结构上可见两个外部连接。两者都是相同的2½英寸女性旋转连接组。一个是FDC；一个是消防泵测试标头。消防员需要仔细阅读褪色的标记板，以确定供应的正确连接。 |
在我的部门，最近几周内发生的三起事件说明了在攻击线路发展之前，正确操作的洒水系统在大型商业建筑物中装有起火的至关重要。在现代建筑环境中，了解这些消防系统并识别出问题是关键的消防员技能。培训应包括频繁的发动机公司演习，这些演习涵盖了诸如克服断裂或夺取的女性旋转连接，从站立式插座部署软管，将洒水管隔离到火灾后的地板控制阀（或带有冷水管道爆裂）以及引人入胜的地板控制阀，并参与在涉及消防泵的紧急操作中。
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| (8) This connection on a post at street level from a distance would appear to be an FDC with a missing female swivel. However, closer inspection reveals that this is in fact a fire pump test header. An engine company that would use adapters to attach hoses and charge this connection would be making a major tactical error. |
You may frequently be called to respond to buildings that have these built-in protection features. Is your engine company prepared to show competence and effectiveness in these situations instead of having complacency creep in and set your crew up for operational failure?
BRAD FRENCH是中尉代顿(OH)火Departme吗nt (DFD), where he is assigned to a downtown engine company. He is a 15-year member of the fire service and has degrees in fire science and fire administration. He is a lead instructor at the DFD Training Center and a member of the board of directors for the International Society of Fire Service Instructors and an instructor in its “Principles of Modern Fire Attack” program.
消防部门的联系：开始完成
The Challenges of Fire Department Connections
消防工程师的Fire Service
