PG County, MD Rural Water Supply Drill 10.12.08

[PUMP]

BOWIE, MD -- On Sunday October 12, 2008, the Bowie Volunteer Fire Dept. hosted a rural water supply drill with Volunteer Departments from Prince George ¢s and Anne Arundel County participating in various scenarios. Units and personnel from Bowie Co. 39 and 43, Forestville Co. 23, Glenn Dale Co. 18, Arundel Co. 7(AA), Rivera Beach Co. 13(AA), Woodland Beach Co. 2(AA) and West Annapolis Co. 40(AA) attended. The goal was to flow between 800 and 1000 gallons per minute through Towers 39 and 43 without losing water pressure. With the help of 3 tankers, 2 pumper-tankers and 3 engines (2 drafting out of a pond and 1 at the dump tanks), moving a total of 13,000 gallons of water every 6-7 minutes, we were able to accomplish this goal. Special thanks goes out to Kenny Blackwell, retired Fire Captain with the Naval Academy Fire Department and former Chief of the West Annapolis Volunteer Fire Company, for giving the drill and to the Bowie Auxiliary for providing lunch for everyone. A good time was had by all, a lot was learned and no one got too wet. MORE PICTURES COURTESY OF FF DANNY STALLINGS, FORESTVILLE VOLUNTEERS 23

[hwoods]

I would guess a few folks are wondering why the people with one of the Nation's best water systems would drill like this. Story is that even the best system can have a bad day, with a broken Main, Filtration Plant failure, and other things. A lot was learned here, by operating like Hydrants didn't exist. When a Problem happens down the road, these crews will be able to take action.

[PUMP]

Chief, looked and sounded like a great set-up and operations by the crews doing the drill.

Coming from an area where Tanker shuttles & porta tanks are almost alway set-up during an working incident due to poor water systems and no hydrants. It sure takes alot of practice to get things moving perfect.

When I first started riding in PG, It shocked me some of the apparatus dont even carry hard sleeve on board. But again, alot of thing shocked me in PG coming from a Company that only ran 80 calls a year.

Kudos to all involved!