You Make the Call...Pump Lever...What Happened

This situation certainly falls under the WTF header in the fire service, butting keeping your wits about you will allow you to adjust your plan smoothly.

As an experienced engine operator you can anticipate problems like this and have a short list of quick options to go to. When your first line is not chargeable because of a valve failure, that valve, regardless of what you think the reason may be, should be deemed out of service.

I pulled the second line to the first coupling and did a quick make and break. Before they had time to wonder what was taking so long, I charged the second preconnect.

To ensure no one following in the response grabbed the bad line, I threw the last 50 feet back over the hose bed and out of the way.

Anytime a line is deployed you should have in mind anything that could go wrong, be it hose, water, or pump.

If you said attach to a new outlet and get water flowing ASAP, you made the right call.


Don't forget to come back every Friday for a different You Make the Call, with follow ups on Monday.