I will start, please try to follow this kind of format.
Idea: All off road fire appliances not directly supported by a tanker or larger appliance be fitted with a floating axillary pump. (I.e. 24&34 appliances and up)
Reasons: - With the current drought, us firefighters are finding it much harder to find decent water sources to draught from.
- Floating pumps can be much simpler to set up and use as a water source and from what i have seen are much more reliable than trying to maintain suction on a 20+ year appliance.
- It would be much easier for irregular members to remember how to use a stand alone floating pump that to deal with some of the potential woes of draughting.
- if a truck is ever trapped with no support in an area with a suitable water supply, and the main pump fails, they will at least have some water to protect them selves with.
Approx Cost: Around $1000-3000 per appliance. Depending on quality.
Possible negative effects: - Loss of storage space.
- The requirement for more training of members
EDIT: Cost as per matt's post
Good idea Pix, Floto pumps do certainly have a place in our service, especially given the difficulty we have in finding water these days. We have a number of areas in our own group where you can no longer get physically close enough with an appliance to draught from, you could however use a Floto pump and still get water.
Approx Cost: Around $500-1000 per appliance.
For info the one we purchased was closer to $3000
[EDIT: quoted Pixie's post so this thread would make sense..]