Hands-On Skills Development: Catskill Volunteer Firefighters Focus on Water Supply Mastery

CATSKILL, NY — Firefighters from the Catskill Fire Company, Inc. assembled along the banks of Catskill Creek on Tuesday evening for practical field evolutions dedicated to drafting, apparatus water relays, and mobile fire attack techniques.

On the evening of September 15, department personnel conducted comprehensive water operations designed to reinforce the essential mechanics of moving high volumes of water from natural static sources to the frontline. Crews deployed hard suction hoses to draft water directly from Catskill Creek, simulating operations in rural areas where municipal fire hydrants are absent.

Firefighters then established pumping operations to feed continuous water supplies between apparatus, transferring water from source engines to attack units.

The training concluded with rigorous "flowing and going" drills, where firefighters practiced advancing charged hoselines while maintaining active nozzle discharge. Personnel worked through the evolutions both as coordinated multi-member teams and in solo operator configurations to refine movement, nozzle control, and forward momentum under pressure.

Department officers emphasized that hands-on evolutions along local waterways ensure personnel can establish continuous, dependable fire suppression streams rapidly and safely across Greene County.