High-Flow Relay: West Norwalk Drill Simulates Sustained Water Delivery in Non-Hydranted Zones

Norwalk, CT - The Norwalk Fire Department mobilized alongside nine regional mutual aid agencies on Saturday to conduct a large-scale rural water supply drill in West Norwalk, validating operational tactics for areas where municipal fire hydrants are widely spaced or unavailable.

The multi-department evolution took place on Saturday, October 10, 2026, focusing on a coordinated tanker shuttle relay designed to establish and sustain heavy fire flows over extended distances.

The exercise integrated pumping engines from Norwalk, Stamford, and Rowayton, working in concert with specialized water tankers deployed from Turn of River, Darien, Noroton Heights, Long Ridge, Wilton, and Weston.

Operating in continuous fill-and-dump rotations, the interagency water shuttle successfully drafted, transported, and discharged water into temporary holding basins, achieving a sustained delivery rate of more than 1,200 gallons per minute (GPM) directly to Norwalk Engine 2 at the peak of the drill.

Department officials highlighted that regular multi-jurisdictional water supply exercises are critical for Fairfield County departments, ensuring seamless interoperability, driver-operator pump coordination, and adequate suppression flow rates during major structural fires in remote or poorly hydranted pockets of the region.