MERIDALE, NY — On August 11, the Meridale Fire Department hosted a training and demonstration session for their recently purchased TurboDraft Fire Eductor, with an emphasis on how to use it in rural water supply operations.

The apparatus, which was funded by a grant, is meant to assist firemen in establishing water supplies from distant static water sources. When a hydrant is unavailable, the TurboDraft can be utilized to transfer water from a static source, giving rural water delivery operations an additional choice.

Firefighters were trained by Water Supply Innovations (WSI LLC) and Henry Lovett, who demonstrated the TurboDraft and went over its features. The training also included neighboring departments. Firefighters from the Treadwell Fire Department, Franklin Fire Department, and Delhi Fire Department assisted with setup and participated in the training.

Training together on water supply equipment gives mutual-aid departments an opportunity to become familiar with equipment and procedures that may be used during incidents requiring a coordinated rural water supply operation.