The water can is an extremely under utilized tool. The can be extremely effective when used properly. However the most important step in using the can effectively is actually having it with you when the need arises. We have seen that some rigs make the job of carrying the can a little more difficult they necessary. Simply adding a carrying strap increases the likelihood of the can being carried more often. Some cans come from the supplier with a strap in place, others do not. Firefighter Ken Girlardo from Volusia County Fire, Engine 15 sent in a few pictures of one of the many methods of adding a strap. The pictures show a “permanently mounted†version of the strap. On a personal level, we have had more luck with straps that have snap links, so they can be removed for whatever reason. Either way, having a strap on the can increases the likelihood of having it with you when you need it, and makes the job of carrying it a whole lot easier. Check out the supplemental page for the step by step photos.
Great photos on modifying the can! E15 has definitely hit the nail on the head about ease of transport coming into play in how much (and effectively) it’s used. Put a strap on the can and someone will carry it – take the TIC out of the box or compartment and someone will bring it with them, and so on…
In my department, due to the deliniation between suppression and the machine shop in the union contract, companies keep spare water cans in quarters and exchange expended ones with the shop. This being the case, my company has used a backboard strap rigged on the hanger at the top of the can. While it definitely isn’t as comfortable as Volusia County’s method, it is better than lugging the can around by the handle all the time.
It would also be interesting to see some discussion on the practice of carrying and using the water can. While we have riding/tool assignments, they can shift based on how the truck is due. Our first arriving truck’s default mode is forcible entry and search. In this case, the roof man becomes the can man and accompanies the officer and irons man inside with the can and 6′ hook. If second-due, the truck will usually address laddering and ventilation and thus the roof man will most likely be either doing horizontal OV work or opening the roof for top floor or cockloft fires.
The can is an invaluable tool in extinguishing or knocking down incipient fires (and some evolving ones) and especially in either pushing a fire back far enough to confine it behind a door or in buying enough time to perform a primary search. In that our trucks also do the ‘recon’ when it comes to alarms activated, smoke in the building, etc, having this tool allows the company to go to work if they find something rather than standing around watching a bad situation get worse while the engine runs an attack line.
Any first-due unit arriving alone or ahead of the pack should probably consider bringing a can with them while performing an investigation to guard against the scenario above…if an engine or quint company finds something, somebody can pull the pin and start knocking a little bit of fire down while another member or members of the company head back out for a line…Trucks, rescues/squads and ambulance crews can slow the pace of fire growth while an engine approaches the scene or runs a line.
Great job by VCFD!
Be safe.
4 roof summed it up quite well. I have noticed that people don’t grab the can because they think it is a nuisance. Seeing a can with 2 1/2 gallons of water in it turns them off for some reason, but that 2 1/2 gallons of water can get you pretty far and prevent further fire spread if used properly. There are some classes on the effective use of water cans and I feel as though the individuals degrading the “can” should take these classes so there eyes are opened to the effectivness of having such a tool with them at all times during interior activity. Hats off to the individual who came up with the “can”.
Adding a cup (about 6 oz.) of Class A foam enhances the effects of the can.
…And don’t forget to add a splash of anti-freeze in the winter if you’re up north.
Regarding training, we incorporate a 2 FF primary search with the can/hook and irons positions into our FF1 extinguishers class. We just do a little bum-drum in the burn building with a really light smoke condition, so the students get the idea of finding an incipent fire during an investigation and give it a quick knock down with the can. It’s alot more realistic than spraying a campfire…
We also use the can during our FF1 fire behavior demo, along with the fog and straight streams, and some of us take one into the flashover simulator/container as well for a more realistic demo (pre-“flashover” conditions, of course, before you guys jump all over me!).
In my job all the companies are really good about hauling the can during investigations… To the point that I can think of a couple incidents off the top of my head where the first due engine committed to using their can while the second due pulled their line. It’s important to think about the situation. If you’re going for bells in a highrise/standpiped building, consider hauling the hose packs, or if you’re going for smoke in the building just run a dry line.
Be safe Brothers.
Chris
I have enjoyed reading this post ( I enjoy all of the posting) because I believe in going in with tools and a water can. However, I have found it to be a very under used tool. I think alot of it is due to compliancy, being lazy, lack of training and the list goes on.I have tried very hard to promote the water can with people I have worked with; I have been successful with some and meet resistance with most. I have read as many articles on the subject that I could find and would like to find much more. In some of the previous post referenced classes, articles or discussion and was hoping that some brothers could help me out with infromation. I would like this for self learning and also to help promote the “can” with others. Thanks in advance for infromation and or direction.
Soap will also work in place of class A foam
We do a cup of foam for every gallon of water. Alot of people in my department dont realize the abilty of the can. I always make it a habit to gab it.
Anyone who degrades the can…..has not used the can……..
We use an old seatbelt so the strap is detachable in case you get hung up while searching. Also drilling a hole in the rim on the bottom and attaching the seatbelt won’t let the strap slip off.
I too agree that the can is a great tool. Unfortunately in my department the can is not stored where it can be accessed readily.
Due to terrorism concerns, I am told, the can is stored in a compartment behind traffic cones, the rotary saw, and a few other items. As you can imagine it is not easily accessed and as a result it is a victim of being “out of sight, out of mind.
I have had a few fires where the can could have been very effective but since it’s not readily accessible it didn’t get used.
1st point– the ladder company (an aggressive one) can get ahead of the engine company in a structure so its good to have some insurance.
2nd point– when the ladder company gets in first and knocks out the room and contents house fire before the engine company has stretched to the front door, it makes for some GREAT ball-busting. 🙂
TERRORISM? Man, I thought I had heard all of the bull@#&% excusses for not making the can more accesible, but terrorism. I know anything can be used in an terrorist attack but please tell me what is so unique about a water can.
It’s just not the water can that we are unable to store in an accessible location it is also our dry chem extinguisher. The concern was that it could easily be accessed, stolen, or used in place as an improvised explosive device.
Trust me I believe it’s a bunch of garbage too. I previously pushed to get the can and the extinguisher relocated to a usable location but without any success. Since my original request to have the can and extinguisher relocated we have had a change in upper management and I am preparing to resubmit the request.
It’s decisions like these being made by people no longer on the line that hinder our ability to perform our jobs efficiently and effectively.
I find it kind of ironic that a terrorist is more likely to use the can more than some of our own guys on the job…
If I was a terrorist (which I am not), I would certainly grab the rotary saw, place it on the ground, and then reach for the can. You know, the can speaks pure intimidation! You sure could do a lot more damage with the can then with a rotary saw spinning an aggressive blade at over 5000rpm. WOW!
Very suprised with all the comments being posted here. Here in NYC having the can is one of the inside positions. The way this is explained to put a strap on the can seems too complicated. Simple take an old Seatbelt strap and feed it through the Hook at the top of the can normally used to hang it on a wall bracket. Then fold it back over itself and using a nut, bolt and two washers secure it. Then take the other end and drill a whole in the base ring of the can. Then using another nut, bolt, and two washers secure it. A lot easier and every can should brought to a job. NO EXCUSES!
Just used the can at a fire yesterday, watching the engine pull a line and charge it only to break it down is priceless.
Just like every thing that we do you have to use common sense with tool selection. Generally if there is nothing showing I will grab the can. You also have to pay attention to any info prior to arrival (multiple calls?, buliding type, parties traped, is the engine close?). Any information that you have should help you decide what tools to grab. Don’t forget what the engine guys are for, if you need to force entry or have parties traped the can may only slow you down, let the engine worry about putting out the fire. But if the engine is a ways out or it looks like burned food of a small fire the can is a good choice, then you can hammer the engine for not doing anything. Take a moment and think about what is going on and use your head a little bit.
You can put alot of fire out with a water can. Stay safe…
Had this dicussion with a few on my job not long ago. Depending on the day and time of day our 1st arriving engine is two man plus one boss. Driver stays with the rig and for A/F/A’s we usually send up at least one set of irons and a water can. Would be really awkward to get up to the third or fourth floor with a high rise bag and no water can only to find burning rubbish in the hall or stairwell. A lot good 100′ of dry hose will do me. Again this is in the case of an A/F/A and no further ph calls. Also, yes, a high rise bag is being brought to the front doors ready and awaiting the next incomming crew. any thoughts….?
I believe it was Fire Engineering that wrote a fine article on the virtues of the 2 1/2 gallon can. I had not given it much thought until then and it really opened my eyes. If you have time give it a look, it will be worth your while. Stay Safe
To reiterate a belief on when/where/how carrying the can is appropriate, in my experience, one scenario where it can be the most valuable is at a fire where the truck is performing primary searches, especially when there are reported/confirmed people trapped. Operating as we usually do, either ahead of or above the line, we are performing our tasks prior to or during an attack on the fire by an engine company. The fire is still advancing and conditions are continuing to deteriorate.
I think that we can all agree that the engine’s traditional job is indeed to protect the occupants, generally by placing a handline between them and the fire (and then kicking the crap out of it) Our job as the truck, among other things, is to search for and remove endangered occupants. A large part of this task is not to get hurt or killed doing it. Carrying the can during a search may marginally reduce our ability to move rapidly, but the payoff when we find rapidly extending fire before a line is in place is worth it.
I’m not suggesting that we attempt to do the engine’s job at the expense of doing our own, but the reality is that by carrying the can, we can extinguish or contain fire in order to execute our own duty of performing a search. We’ve used it many times at fires to confine a fire, reporting its location to the engine so that they could get their line to the right spot. We’ve used it many times before a line arrived (either on the fire floor or the floor above) to buy time to finish a primary search.
Picture yourself rolling in as a company without water (truck, rescue, ambulance, etc) at a good job with credible reports or confirmed people trapped. Your first-due engine is already on a run and you won’t have a line on the fire until the normally 2nd due (or later if there’s a lot of stuff going on) engine arrives. Think honestly, especially if it’s kids trapped, how far you will likely be willing to push yourself and how many bad things can happen between the time your rig’s brake sets and the time water makes it to the pipe of the first handline. Wouldn’t you serve both your crew and whoever may be inside better by bringing at least a small margin of safety in the form of an APW?
With its only cost being the sweat equity required to carry it, I’d say that the water can is one of the cheapest insurance policies an inside truck team can purchase.
Be safe.
I personally have seen a partially involved room knocked down with a gallon of water from the can… it can be done if the thermal layering is balanced… quite simple really… hit the ceiling with as much as you can and close the door… the steam will take care of the rest… it was amazing… i mean it kicked back up durring overhaul but it worked efficiently till then… and like any good company we had a charged 1 1/2″ attack line nearby durring overhaul…
As the “senior” firefighter on my shift at my station, I teach all of the probies who come through the station that no matter what rig you are on, the can should always be on their minds. Engine companies should carry it during investigations and the Truck crews should carry it always. I make it a point to not only remind them to grab it on the way in, but also to pull it out and do training with it so they can be water savy. Remember you need to know how to use the water right for it to be a good tool. I remind them that any monkey can spray 2.5 gallons of water, but it take a well trained firefighter to make it effective.
We also add about 6 oz. of Bio-solve to our “can”. This does two things. It acts as a wetting agent, much like Class-A foam for fires, but it also breaks down petroleum based products, gasoline and small oil spills, from TA’s and makes them safe to be washed down. Thanks to our HAZ-MAT crew. We also carry an air chuck in our air-chisel kits so we can refill them off the engines and recharge them with an SCBA bottle during overhaul onscene.
Stay Safe Out There-
Ok so you could do all that work or go to http://www.thefirestore.com/store/product.cfm/pid_5063_fire_hooks_unlimited_the_original_extinguisher_harness/ Let me say I am no salesmen for this stuff but we have these on all our cans the dry chem. and Co2 and I love them, lots of ways to customize them !!! I know the price tag is a problem but come on after you buy all the other stuff how much ya saving in the end?? Just my humble two cents
This works great….thanks for the tip. We did have to put 2 clamps together to get around our can.
Also, years ago while on the Medic we rolled up on a car fire with the engine compartment fully involved. We were able to put it out with our can before the Engine got on scene….. The expression on their face was priceless when they found out the Medic stole their fire.
Be Safe,
G
Sacramento, E7A
An old Brooklyn trick is to put some liquid soap in the can to make the water “stick” more…don’t think it does much of anything though. You can definitely hold back a good ammount of fire with just one can. As far as adding foam to the can, we keep a seperate foam can on all our trucks for oil burner fires. Solution of AFFF and water. We also keep a spare water can and a dry chem on the rig.
R&R…..adding soap to the can will lower the surface tension of the water….it works.
Yes the cans are a great tool but they are the worst thing that’s ever happened to Milton tire pressure gauge/fillers. If the air fill fixture is not removed from the Schrader quickly, water/air mix fouls the Milton cylinder gauge.
We were investigating a kitchen fire the other day. I had one of the members bring the water can. When we came back out (the fire was out on arrival), another member who was detailed to our company aksed why I ordered the water can instead of dry powder. I explained to him that if fire was encountered on the investigation the can would be utilized to hold it in check while the appropriate actions were taken to extinguish the fire (i.e. stretching a line), and that we can’t physically take everything we might need to put out a fire on an investigation. Somewhere along the way the art of the can has been forgotten or overlooked by the younger members.
My department does not require the can on high rise alarms, and has no plans to do so. We had an AFA at a high rise recently. The panel said duct detector in the fan room on floor 10. Everything about the call seemed like a typical AFA. We got to the 10th floor, and there was some smoke from behind an office door. Inside a water cooler burned up, and was still burning. We did not have the can, so I looked for an extinguisher. There was not 1 extinguisher in that space. Luckily my jump seat guy found some coffee pots, and we put it out with water from a sink. As a result, whenever I am acting officer, we take a water can on all high rise alarms. Thanks for having this site.