The Delayed Triple Split

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Mutual Aid // 0 Comments

In apartment complexes and commercial strip malls across the country, we have issues with line placement through narrow or obstructed paths. These can be caused by parked cars, short setbacks, parking barriers, planters, shrubs, etc. With this in mind, one option available is to pass these obstacles before the deployment of the hose. This is what I like to call “The Delayed Triple Split.” This maneuver allows for the entire hose bundle (on a triple layer) to be deployed after passing through any obstructions or obstacles on the pathway to the building. A few considerations go into this deployment process; they are as follows:

– Placement for the aerial at buildings. The best practice is to have the first arriving aerial’s turntable at the center of the building to access the entire length of the building.

Rear or Side space of Primary Attack Engine is left for aerial turntable placement.

– Placement for the next engine company to bring water or supply a “booster back-up.”

Available space on the Officer’s side (in this scenario) for water supply apparatus to park.

Piston Intake is used as a reference point in Driver’s mirror for lining up the cross-lay.

– The width of the average car is approximately six to seven and a half (6′ – 7.5′) feet.

– The width of the average parking space is seven and a half to nine (7.5′ – 9′) feet.

– When spotting the hose cross-lays, use an object in the same area on the truck to act as a reference point, i.e. Piston Intake Valve, wheel well, strobe light, etc.

– The objective could be met with only two firefighters involved.

– Find the average length of bedded hose. The average car is about fourteen to eighteen (14′ – 18′) feet long. You need to find how many folds in the cross-lay are needed to reach the sidewalk, which is approximately twenty (20′) feet from the apparatus.

Coming off either side would need three folds down from the top of the tray. This allows for the approximate twenty (20’) feet to reach the sidewalk.

– The Nozzle Firefighter and Driver/Backup Firefighter go in opposite directions (Triple Split) with the loop and nozzle. This allows for short setback deployments.

– When choosing which way to separate the triple layer on the walkway, consider the need for the loop to advance with the building, not against.

Attack to the left inside the breezeway/recess. The excess hose gets placed opposite of fire apartment.

Attack to the right inside the breezeway/recess. The excess hose gets placed on opposite side of fire apartment.

– When Backup/Driver is pulling the loop section of the Triple Layer to the opposite side of the fire building, keep pulling it until the fifty (50’) foot coupling is at the entry to the breezeway/recessed area. This will allow the Nozzleman to walk in a straight path to the entry point and keep all remaining 100’ of hose in usable position in the yard.

– On the return trip to the pump panel or relocating to the front door for Doorman position, the last parts of the hose is placed onto the sidewalk/walk space to allow for clearance once the hose gets charged.

– The 50’ coupling is brought to the front door, with the accordion style layout in the open area between the stairs and building.

Set up for left handed apartment attack. Notice the remaining 100’ will move easier into the building with the direction of movement, as opposed to against the direction of movement.

Set up for right-handed apartment attack. The accordion style deployment allows for minimal kinking in open area of recess/ breezeway.

– If the 2nd-floor apartment is the apartment, take the nozzle and 50’ coupling to the top of the landing. This will further prove the need for the Backup/Driver to pull the looped section far enough to align the 50’ coupling with the base of the stairs.

With these steps, the training evolution was completed in approximately 1 minute from the time the parking brake was pulled. This is an easy way to allow for the needless pulling of the Triple Layer in a straight line, causing multiple steps to place in proper position.

The key to this process, as with any new training elements, is getting out and practicing. Finding those landmarks on the truck, the direction of the loop placement, and placement of the final layout in the yard or on the landing are the fundamentals to making this stretch successful. Unfortunately, many things in these types of properties will reach up and grab anything on the hose layout to hinder the progress. Couplings get caught on the edge of parking blocks, hoses get pulled under tires, etc. By moving the stretch to the fire building side of the obstructions, the layout will transition smoother with fewer locations for Murphy’s Law to apply.