Red Card Water Handling & Portable Pump Operations

Question 1

When setting up a portable pump to draft water from a stream, 'priming' the pump refers to:

Accepted Answer

Removing air from the suction hose and pump housing to create the vacuum needed to lift water

Answer

Centrifugal pumps cannot self-prime — they cannot move air efficiently enough to create suction. Priming removes air from the suction line and pump casing so that atmospheric pressure can push water up from the source. A pump that cannot maintain prime will not deliver water regardless of engine RPM.

Question 2

In a progressive hose lay, water is moved from a pump source to the fireline by:

Accepted Answer

Extending one hose length at a time while the pump is operating, advancing toward the fire

Answer

A progressive hose lay advances one section at a time while the system remains charged and operational. This allows firefighters to work progressively closer to the fire as suppression continues, without having to shut down or drain the entire system between extensions.

Question 3

Friction loss in a fire hose refers to:

Accepted Answer

The reduction in pressure caused by water moving through hose against the inner wall

Answer

Friction loss is the pressure drop that occurs as water flows through hose — turbulence and contact with the hose walls dissipate energy. Friction loss increases with flow rate, hose length, and smaller hose diameter. Calculating or estimating friction loss is essential for determining whether nozzle pressure will be adequate at the end of a long lay.

Question 4

A 'wye' fitting used in wildland hose lays is primarily used to:

Accepted Answer

Split one supply line into two separate hose lines for simultaneous use

Answer

A wye (Y-fitting) divides one incoming hose line into two outgoing lines, allowing a single pump to supply two separate attack crews or hose lines simultaneously. This is distinct from a siamese fitting, which combines two supply lines into one.

Question 5

When operating a Mark 3 portable pump, the operator notices the engine is running but water delivery at the nozzle has dropped significantly. The FIRST thing to check is:

Accepted Answer

Whether the pump has lost prime due to air entering the suction line

Answer

A running engine combined with sudden loss of flow or pressure almost always indicates the pump has lost prime — air has entered the suction line (through a leak, low water level, or vortex at the intake) and broken the vacuum. Re-priming is the standard first response before investigating other potential causes.

Red Card - Wildland Firefighter Red Card Certification Practice Test

Red Card - Wildland Firefighter Red Card Certification Practice Test

Red Card Water Handling & Portable Pump Operations