(Additional photographs below.)
Eleven Haverhill firefighters were joined by their fellow fire professionals from eight other Massachusetts communities on Sunday to hone their skills on how to safely and efficiently draw water from ponds and move it to a remote fire site quickly.
The Massachusetts Fire Academy brought its two-day Rural Water class to Plug Pond, also known as Lake Saltonstall, offering a six-hour session of classroom instruction on Saturday matched with a six-hour hand-on training exercise in the pouring rain Sunday.
Jake Wark, the communications officer for the firefighting academy, explained why Rural Water is a popular class offering for fire services across the state.
“Water is our most fundamental tool for firefighters. It’s the oldest we have and one of the most powerful that we have. It is especially important for fighting fires in structures and wild fires,” he explained.
While the subject matter seems basic, the training is necessary because, as Haverhill Fire Capt. Richard P. Shellene observed, “We have to do things with muscle memory because there is no on-the-job training in our business. And the only way to do that is to practice, practice, and repeat that practice.”
Students practiced working together in teams to, in fire department language, “draft water” from Plug Pond by attaching a length of black rubber fire hose to an oversized strainer that prevents fish and other debris like leaves and weeds from entering the hose. They then attached the hose to a pumper truck, turned on the pumps and filled the truck. After, they “shuttled” the water to a waiting portable reservoir that looked like an oversized kiddie pool. And then did it again.
Haverhill Firefighter John Tiplady, who is also a program coordinator for the Fire Academy, suggested the state-sponsored training institute bring its Rural Water class to Haverhill after the regional bad bout with wild fires last fall. “Working together promotes a good working relationship and we definitely need to know how to get water to where we need it when hydrants aren’t available.”
Added Georgetown and Groveland Firefighter Daniel P. Manning, “We get to know their equipment and they get to know ours.”
Haverhill Chief Robert M. O’Brien said because 90% of Haverhill is served by a hydrant system, his firefighters are not necessarily as well-versed in drafting and shuttling water as their rural colleagues. But, because portions of Haverhill, notably the East Broadway neighborhood, do not have a hydrant system serviced with city water, Haverhill firefighters have to know how to transport water and quickly. Additionally, they are likely to be called to help more rural neighboring communities like Georgetown and Groveland on a mutual aid call.
“I have to start off by saying thank you to the Massachusetts Fire Academy because they offer such great classes and their instructors do a good job working with our training department at the Haverhill Fire Department. This morning’s class was Rural Water Supply. It’s important for a lot of different reasons but particularly in Haverhill’s case as we saw last fall where we have a lot of forest and grass fires that really put a strain on the water systems and getting water to where we needed it. In Haverhill’s case we operate on a grid system with hydrants so we typically get our water from hydrants. But there are many occasions, particularly during burning season, that we depend on shuttle service or drafting.”
Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said she appreciates that the Massachusetts Fire Academy was prepared to bring the class to Haverhill and that so many local firefighters signed up to take the class.
“Haverhill is fortunate to have several bodies of water that are wonderful recreational attractions as well as important sources of water in certain fire situations,” she said.
Other communities sending firefighters to Sunday’s class were Andover, Danvers, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Groveland, Newbury, Orange and Oxford.
Haverhill Firefighter Jon Tiplady, also a program coordinator with the Massachusetts Fire Academy, gives instructions to firefighters from nine communities who attended last weekend’s Rural Water Class at Plug Pond. The event was hosted by the Haverhill Fire Department. (WHAV News photograph.)
Firefighters in the Rural Water Class gather around a portable tank reservoir used to hold water near a fire site that either isn’t served by a municipal hydrant system or requires more water than a nearby hydrant can supply. The 24 firefighters learning to efficiently transport water represented the communities of Andover, Danvers, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Groveland, Newbury, Orange and Oxford as well as the event’s host, the Haverhill Fire Department. (WHAV News photograph.)