From Drop Tanks to Aerial Streams: Quakertown Crews Master Non-Hydrant Water Relays

Quakertown, NJ - Quakertown Fire Company (Station 91) members tackled the unique challenges of fighting fires off the municipal grid during an intensive, hands-on drill.

On Monday evening, August 31, a dedicated crew of 30 volunteers gathered in Hunterdon County to run through complex rural water supply evolutions. The training zeroed in on establishing continuous, high-volume water flow in areas lacking municipal fire hydrants—a critical operational skill for protecting rural and semi-rural properties.

Responders practiced setting up portable drop tanks to create an efficient mobile dumpsite for water shuttles. From there, crews utilized a jumbo Siamese valve to direct multiple intake lines into the primary engine company, which then boosted pressure to feed the ladder company's elevated master streams.

The evolution reinforced seamless coordination between engine and truck operations, ensuring that apparatus operators and line crews can maintain steady, uninterrupted fire flow regardless of location or infrastructure constraints.