Reno Firefighters Transition to Pump Operators

The path from firefighter to pump operator is no easy transition, but personnel with the Reno Fire Department are up for the task. 

The Fire Equipment Operator Academy at the Regional Public Safety Training Center in Reno is helping firefighters prepare for the real thing. Their intense training focuses on how to drive and operate a fire engine. So in the absence of a pump operator during a fire, these firefighters will be ready to take on the role if necessary. 

Battalion Chief Dirk Minore, with the Reno Fire Department said, "Fire apparatus is probably the most complicated piece of equipment in the city and they're very expensive. So we want to make sure that they stay safe and our crews stay safe and that they operate the equipment properly."

A total of nine firefighters are taking the training course to get hand-on practice with fire supply hydraulics and flowing high-volume water lines. They're learning about how vital drivers and pump operators are to effective firefighting operations. 

We're told no matter how skilled the nozzle team is, it's the continuous water that they rely on to attack fires. 

Also, calculating the proper flow of pressure coming out of hoses from the engine is the hardest task. 

"Definitely math is the hardest thing for guys to overcome. There's so any different scenarios that can change their calculations. So just understanding how all that operates and how those calculations come together," said Minore. 

The training course will wrap up in two weeks and firefighters will take a promotional test.