New Market Volunteers host MSFA Spring Rural Water Supply Drill
By Firefighter Robert Skelton
May 22, 2011
On May 22nd, 2011 the New Market District Volunteer Fire Department Co.15/25 hosted the MSFA Spring Rural Water Supply Drill. The event kicked off at 0800hrs with units checking in and participants registering for the event as well as enjoying a buffet breakfast. Around 0900hrs everyone was brought together for a Safety Prayer from Chaplain White and a briefing on the days activities by the drill committee. At 0930hrs crews were instructed to move to their respective apparatus as the drill was about to begin. Units were dispatched for the simulated Box Alarm in the 9600blk Woodland Rd. First arriving RE153 arrived and performed a split lay using 4" LDH hose from 9629 Woodland Rd, Command quickly advised that the hydrants were OOS and that we would be performing rural water supply operations. ET34 arrived next and assumed the position of a relay pumper to support water supply operations in the middle of the over 1400ft. initial layout, next arriving ET154 completed the split lay to the circle and began to nurse the Siamese as per Rural Water Supply SOGs. Units continued to arrive and build out the dump site and tanker shuttle operations. DC20(Lakin) was assigned water supply. C15(Yankey) was assigned Attack. ET154-A(Broyles) was the dump site supervisor. As operations increased and the need for more water was present additional units were dispatched to various locations to set up fill sites and as additional tankers in the shuttle. At roughly the 35 minute mark an additional alarm was sounded to perform a relay operation. Under the supervision of C717(Sutton) several units worked together to perform a relay operation and overcome several obstacles to supply additional water to the drill site. In all roughly 95,000 gallons of water was supplied to the scene, resulting in an average of 750+ gallons per minute being our average flow, with peak flows of 1500+ gallons with both the shuttle operations and the relay operation working side by side. The New Market District Vol. Fire Dept. is proud to have held an event that turned out to be such a great success. We could not have been as successful with this event if it was not for the outstanding mutual aid support of 33 pieces of apparatus from 7 counties and 2 states bringing a total of roughly 125 participants to the drill. We also are very thankful to the Lake Linganore Association for their support, Family of 7101 Boyers Mill Rd, for use of their pond, and to all the citizens in the Lake Linganore area for their support and patients during this event, it is really a great accomplishment and feeling to have a community that supports the volunteer fire service in the manner in which they did and to the level in which each and every member of the local community played a hand in making this drill a great success.
