Firefighters mastering getting water to scene

About 35 firefighters gathered from around Jefferson County on Saturday to participate in the Water Tanker Task Force workshop.
(Special to The Commercial/Deborah Horn)
About 35 firefighters gathered from around Jefferson County on Saturday to participate in the Water Tanker Task Force workshop. (Special to The Commercial/Deborah Horn)

All tankers are designed to carry water or chemicals.

To a sailor, a tanker is a ship, to a trucker it's a truck.

To a firefighter on the West Coast, it's a large airplane like a supertanker used to fight forest fires, and to some in Jefferson County, it's a firetruck that hauls water.

In many cities, such as Pine Bluff, fire hydrants are plentiful, and it may not be necessary to haul water to a fire.

But there can be problems as different fire departments come together as a team in an emergency, said Eddie Anderson, Jefferson County Mutual Aid Association president.

"If one of our departments has a major fire, we need to know how to shuffle water and offer support," Anderson said.

The eight-hour Counties Water Tanker Task Force workshop that was held recently at Family Church at 2309 S. Poplar St. in part focused on water tanker skills.

Rusty Johnson, a volunteer firefighter with the Island Harbor station, was pleased with the workshop and believes it will help him in the future.

"I'm just a volunteer and don't do this every day. I'm learning quite a bit," Johnson said.

Participants included regular and volunteer firefighters from Redfield, White Hall, the Pine Bluff Arsenal, Island Harbor, Southeast Jefferson County, Wabbaseka, Wright-Pastoria, Tucker, Alzheimer and Swan Lake fire departments.

The room was packed with about 35 firefighters from around Jefferson County, with the goal of building interdepartmental relationships and learning to speak the same water tanker jargon.

In the event of a large train derailment or accident that required multiple stations to respond, "We want everyone speaking the same lingo," Anderson said.

The class is more than instruction, he said. It also helps if each department realizes the capabilities of another in order to know how to stretch available resources during a major fire.

For example, Pine Bluff doesn't have a tanker because its firefighters have access to water hydrants, but that's not the case in all areas of the county.

Nevertheless, Pine Bluff firefighters need to know how to use a tanker and understand what it can do, Anderson said.

The class also involved identifying the necessary equipment for water shuttle operations and the requirements for water fill and dump sites and more, Anderson said.

Chief Doug Nowlin with the Southeast Fire Department said he learned to check bridge weights, especially in rural areas.

"You can easily go over the weight with a loaded tanker," Nowlin said.

This knowledge allows departments to take advantage of water sources such as Lake Saracen where tankers could be sent to fill up, Anderson said.

"This training was approved by the Arkansas Fire Training Academy and will allow these departments to practice together to sharpen water tanker shuttle operations," he said.

The workshop will be followed by hands-on, in-the-field training Saturday at White Hall Family Church.

"We would like to let the residents in the area of the Family Life Church parking lot to be aware that fire apparatus and manpower will be operating in this area, so we ask for caution from all as we train," Anderson said.

MORE ABOUT MUTUAL AID

The Jefferson County Mutual Aid Association is divided into three sections, covering the entire county.

Section 1 includes towns north of the Arkansas River including Alzheimer, Swan Lake, Wabbaseka, Humphrey, Sherrill and Tucker.

Section 2 includes Linwood Moscow, Watson Chapel, Southeast Jefferson County and Highway 15, while Section 3 covers Harbor Island, the Pine Bluff Arsenal, White Hall and Redfield.

Anderson said, "We are going to try and do more and different training in the future. We want the public to know we are here for them and striving to become better to help them in their time of need."

Rusty Johnson, a firefighter with Island Harbor Volunteer Fire Department, was pleased with the information he had learned at Saturday’s Water Tanker Task Force workshop. 
(Special to The Commercial/Deborah Horn)
Rusty Johnson, a firefighter with Island Harbor Volunteer Fire Department, was pleased with the information he had learned at Saturday’s Water Tanker Task Force workshop. (Special to The Commercial/Deborah Horn)
Chief Doug Nowlin of the Southeast Fire Department attends the classroom session. (Special to The Commercial/Deborah Horn)
Chief Doug Nowlin of the Southeast Fire Department attends the classroom session. (Special to The Commercial/Deborah Horn)

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