East Haddam Fire Department hosted a tanker shuttle drill on July 21, 2015. This drill included support from the surrounding mutual aid towns of Haddam, East Hampton, Haddam Neck and Lyme, which committed a total of five engines, four tankers and one ladder truck. Tankers shuttled water from the fill site on the Moodus Reservoir causeway to four drop tanks at the East Haddam Town Beach, where the water was pumped to the ladder pipe, deck gun and hand lines. In the event of a structure fire in a rural town where hydrants are scarce, firefighters would use a similar process to deliver water to the structure fire. (Photo by Olivia Drake)
Haddam Volunteer Fire Company participated in a water moving drill Aug. 10, 2015 at multiple locations along Saybrook Road. Using the hydrant system at Jail Hill Road, Engine 1-13 filled water into Tanker 2-13 which then transported the water into an underground storage tank (standpipe) at Haddam Transfer Station. There, Engine 6-13 drafted the water and pumped it to a portable drop tank. Firefighters then drafted water using 7-13, which partially refilled 2-13 and returned to the location on Jail Hill to complete the circuit. Firefighters rotated stations so newer members could learn from the senior members and practice drafting water from a fire hydrant. “Although we only have a couple hydrants in the Haddam area, it’s still very important that we know how to draft water from them,” said Captain Peter Brown. “If we’re called to provide mutual aid to other neighboring towns, we need to be sure we know how to use them properly.” (Photo by Olivia Drake)
