Nozzle flow rates
Unless you correctly match pump performance and nozzles, you can easily stuff up hoseline deliveries. All red plastic branches are not equal. Bob King, West Melton, has provided his test measurements as a guide.

Electricity Engineers Association (EEA) Guide to Electrical Safety for Emergency Services Personnel

Novel retrofit for tank baffles
These can be used to convert an ordinary tanker into a more stable vehicle for the road, even if the tank is only partly filled.

Beach fires - pumping out of the sea
After three driftwood fires on the windswept beach south of Wainuiomata, the FC was determined to come up with a better SOP. For those who haven't, extinguishing driftwood fires is very time consuming. The fuel is very dry, and burns fiercely, so much so that rocks will shatter when the cold water hits them. The fires spread readily, but not with any great speed.

The first two fires were dealt to with tank supplies, appliances shuttling water. The third was within 50m of the Orongorongo River estuary, and portable pumps were used. This proved that, irrespective of the use of Class A foam, what you need is heaps of water. Water, water everywhere ie. the sea, and not a drop to squirt! 

Not anymore. On 1 Feb., the Bushfire Force tried a new SOP using equipment readily available. Through previous Jap pumpers, we had three 8m lengths of suction (normally coiled on the side of ther appliances). Coupled, that gives 24m. Problem is: stick it in the waves, and it will usually washed back onto shore. Solution: lash two extending ladders together, and lash the suction onto that. On a wave ebb, run it into the sea, and charge back hoping you don't get soaked. Couple it into a self-priming trash pump (there'll be sand), and you've got enough constant volume for 4 forestry deliveries. Don't worry about branches - they'll probably clog up with sand - because you don't have to throw the water far. If you need to project it, just twist the end of the forestry hose. And if you do have to pump it far, run the water into a dam, and use Wajaxes out of the dam (no sand in high performance pumps).Foam works with salt water, if you need it.

Our first attempt can be improved on. There should have been a clovehitch and half hitches to lash the suction to the ladders. The photo shows two plastic containers attached to the strainer end to give the sea end some buoyancy with the idea of being able to push the assembly out into the deep without getting wet. That didn't work - the end swung around into the shore. We could have tried leaving the caps off so the buoyancy was gradually lost. An alternative strategy might be to have a couple of strong lads take the erect assembly to the water's edge, and allow the other end to flop into the sea. A line should be attached to the shore end of the ladder to assist in hauling the assembly out. 

These are refinements. The technique works, and we have the trash pump and additional two suction lengths on a trailer, ready to roll to the next beach fire. The other gear required is normally carried to all fires as part of our normal deployment.

Software Tools
Scion have released software containing tools to calculate fire behaviour of NZ fuels. These are available for free-of-charge download at www.scionresearch.com/fire. For those that prefer to use lookup tables, there is a manual for predicting fire behaviour at a cost of $45 plus postage. Order from publications@scion research.com. One complimentary copy will be provided to each RFA.

Firefighting chemicals 
RFA's are required to have Safety Data Sheets on hand at each depot. NZ suppliers have yet to provide these. The above provides a link to US SDS's that will do in the interim.

Mark III Wajax Evaluation
The Robin EC17DFF motor that has powered the (Mark V) Wajax pump for many years is being phased out. One of the possible replacements is to revert back to the Mark III motor that was rejected by NZ authorities back in the 70's. The Mark III motor has continued to be used in Canada and the US, and has not marked time in that period. You can download a modern evaluation undertaken by Lindsay Golding of DOC.

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Palmerston North CC Appliance
This is based on a Mitsubishi Canter, and was built by SPEL in Trentham. It features a low profile 1100 litre tank that ensures a low centre of gravity.

TUMONZ Mapping Software, version 3
Vision Software in Rotorua released this version just before Christmas 2006. It is a significant enhancement over v2, providing all NZMS 260 series raster scanned maps with the LINZ 1:50,000 topographic vector database for the whole of the country on one DVD. Low resolution aerial photographs are also provided, and high resolution photos in one of many modules for extra cost. You can also drag in and display GoogleEarth. Zooming and panning is very quick.

TUMONZ also has a clever 3D viewing routine that reconstructs a 3D image of the countryside. This saves you trying to imagine the countryside from the contours of the map. You can view from any of the map corners and midpoints, and fly the area. Features that you might add to the map also appear in the 3D image, such as tracks or firelines. In addition, the aerial photos can be viewed in 3D. However, unlike v2, this is now a standalone module that appears to have been decoupled from the map being displayed by Tumonz, and it is annoying to have to relocate yourself. 

TUMONZ accepts NMEA data from a GPS unit via a serial port, and the moving map display can show your current position on the displayed map. It relocates the map if you are in danger of leaving the displayed area. You can also download and upload GPS data. However, like the 3D display, the GPS Manager is a separate module, and the handling of GPS data is clumsy and not intuitive compared with Oziexplorer. It is also difficult to access and edit user supplied information.