WHITING, NJ — July 28 — Whiting firefighters used a significant amount of water during a tanker shuttle drill aimed at improving rural water-supply operations.

The training utilized a portable pond as the water source.

Tanker 3318 set up the drop site and managed the unloading process, while Engine 3301 drew water from the portable pond, supplied three operating lines, and used a jet siphon to move water efficiently.

Throughout the exercise, newer pump operators and drivers worked with more experienced team members.

The crew successfully moved around 25,000 gallons of water without any disruption in operations, according to the department's training report.

The drill focused on a common challenge faced by firefighters in areas without easy access to hydrants: ensuring enough water reaches the fire scene and maintaining a steady flow.

Whiting Fire Company serves an area that includes residential zones without fixed hydrant systems and regions where homes and natural vegetation intersect.

In such locations, tanker shuttles and drafting operations can play a key role in a prolonged firefighting effort.

The training also gave members the chance to practice the logistical aspects of a water shuttle, including positioning tankers, managing dump sites, drafting water, and maintaining a continuous supply to attack lines.

These skills rely on pump operators and apparatus crews working together and communicating throughout the exercise.

The company noted that its tanker shuttle and drafting abilities have also made it a sought-after mutual-aid resource beyond its immediate area, including past responses in Middlesex County when water-main failures impacted local hydrant systems.

This broader mutual-aid claim could not be independently verified through publicly available records, so it was presented as information provided by the company.

Whiting Fire Company Station 33 operates from 120 Lacey Road in Whiting, New Jersey, and public records identify Engine 3301 and Tanker 3318 as the company's apparatus.

For firefighters, the drill was more than just transferring water between vehicles.

It offered hands-on experience with the type of rural water-supply operation that might be necessary when a fireground lacks reliable hydrant access.