Using an above ground pool for emergency water / fire fighting?

[Quark]

hi gang,
Has anybody had any experience using a cheap above ground pool for emergency water supply and or a firefighting water source for those of us in the country with no water hydrants ???

What wou
d you recommend. Can't afford an in ground pool!

Thanks,

Quark

[CGTech]

I'd be careful about using it for emergency water for drinking or cooking, but you could certainly fight fires with it!

[Smoke]

I have an 1100 gallon small pool inside my garage for emergency drinking and cooking, it will need to be filtered first and I only use chlorine for treating it, it can also be used for flushing toilets if necessary, I would use that before creek water. Now if I used other chemicals in it then I would just use it for cleaning and flushing. Unless I got desparate...I figure 1100 gallons of pool water is better than no water...for firefighting I would consider a much larger one, as large as I could afford, still be less than $1000.00,

[Quark]

Thanks for the replies, ideas....

Quark

[Cardinal]

That is my plan Quark. I see no reason not to drink the water if it gets run through a big berkey.

[Lurker]

For fire fighting you're going to want LOTS of water and a good high pressure pump to get the water where you need it.

[kyrsyan]

You will need a pump. Just because the pool has lots of water does not mean that you will get any type of pressure when you go to use it. I've drained my son's large pool (3 ft x 10 ft) multiple times and I have to keep the hose very low to get any flow at all. Forget any type of pressure or using it for anything over about 12" high.

Even my rain barrel has a similar problem although it will go slightly higher.

[Quark]

Good ideas.... My initial concern was providing water source for local Volunteer Firefighters.... Local homes burning down due to no water sources for Firefighters to use, had to run in tankers....
I have acquired a large pump powered by a Yanmar diesel engine, used from local Gov. Liquidation...still need to get fired up...

Per my ex-father in law who used to fight fires in Calif, I will look for a 2 inch line and nozzzelll for my own use.... And yes, I do not expect any water pressure from the pool, thus the pump...
Would like to build water tower when feasible.... ( like the one from the movie "Tremors" if you know what I mean...

Quark

[Safetydude]

Good ideas.... My initial concern was providing water source for local Volunteer Firefighters.... Local homes burning down due to no water sources for Firefighters to use, had to run in tankers....
I have acquired a large pump powered by a Yanmar diesel engine, used from local Gov. Liquidation...still need to get fired up...

Per my ex-father in law who used to fight fires in Calif, I will look for a 2 inch line and nozzzelll for my own use.... And yes, I do not expect any water pressure from the pool, thus the pump...
Would like to build water tower when feasible.... ( like the one from the movie "Tremors" if you know what I mean...

Quark

You might want to get an adjustable rate, foam eductor and get a couple 5 gal. pails of Silvex A class a foam for firefighting or at least get the Scotty class A foam systems -- ranging from garden hose to 1 1/2 inch lines (http://www.scottyfire.com/equipment/index.htm). Scotty seems to be one of the most reasonably priced FF component supplier for foam systems but YMMV. By using either the class A foams or a wetting agent, "wet-water" used for firefighting will be much more effective, last longer as you don't need nearly the same amount to have the same extinguishing capabilities. Wetting agents reduce the surface tension on the water and make the water penetrate much more easily thereby allowing it to cool the object more efficiently-essential IMHO of any kind of class A fire. Worst case you can throw a few bottles of Ivory dish-washing detergent in a couple hundred gallons of water to make it wetter, but you cannot drink the water afterwards!

I've heard good things about fire gels but those came out after I left the fire service and we don't use those in industry.

When I lived in SW CO, we had a 200 gallon water tank and a high-pressure (atleast 70-80 psi or 160 feet of head). We used to routinely knock down up to 1 acre ground cover fires in the forest and even fire starting to climb trees. We mounted all that in a 1/4 ton (m416) jeep trailer hauled by a Series III Land-Rover. Saved our subdivision several times over as we were well outside any fire district at the time and it took 30-45min for a county or USFS wildland crew to get on scene from either Durango or Bayfield. A 3/4" min diameter commercial grade garden hose with one of the new garden hose threaded "fire nozzles" is the bare minimum I'd use for any incipient type fire response. Anything bigger than ground cover, you better be hauling some 1 1/2 inch lines as min. with 60 gpm at 90 psi. flow rates. I don't know what your setting is like but follow the wildland fire interface guides for homeowners. There's a bunch of other things like common hand tools like Pulaski axes, GOOD shovels, McClouds (especially if you have a lot of duff), etc. Consider getting some training by becoming a vol FF if your area offers it. Don't forget personal protective equipment and fire shelters.

Also have Rainbird-type sprinklers on tripods to do preemptive wetting of your home and ground cover (need a big pool), again make the water wetter!! Wildland fires, if that is what you're prepping for, can by very dangerous and sometimes not easily defended regardless of your preps (look at Colo. Spgs.). When I lived in Colo Spgs, I had my own fire hose, nozzles and hydrant tools and could have made a pretty good shot at protecting my property. My old fire station's hydrant out front of the station ran 170-185 psi (main line to the USAFA) and even at my house I had from 120-150 on my hose spigots on the house from the city. That's ALOT of water your can flow but not every where is like that.

If I lived in the rural areas, I'd have a pond and/or a cistern with at least 10,000 gallons for firefighting. Use a dry pipe hydrant if you're in cold climates. Kolchek has a great guide for dry hydrants and rural water systems http://www.kochek.com/FireEquipment.aspx?uid=381-130

As usual, no vested interest in any company mentioned.