By Mark van der Feyst
When initial fireground operations begin with either an offensive or defensive attack, securing the water source is vital. Usually, when the hydrant is secured, only one supply line will be attached to the pumping apparatus. This one line may be sufficient, but what happens if another supply line needs to be added?
When using a wet-barrel hydrant there is no problem, just simply attach the supply line and open the stem nut to that discharge port.
However, on a dry-barrel hydrant, this cannot be duplicated. Once the hydrant has been opened and water is flowing through the initial supply line, we cannot remove any of the caps and simply add a hose line. This is due to the excessive pressure being exerted on the inside of the cap making it a projectile if it were loosened.
The hydrant would have to be closed, the pressure drained, the next cap removed, the supply line attached and the hydrant reopened. Adding a gate valve to each port or just one additional port, will allow a firefighter to add another supply line while the hydrant is still open and operating without compromising safety. This will save time and frustration.