ELKMONT FIREFIGHTERS PLAY IN THE WATER

If you were out and about this week in Elkmont, you may have noticed the fire department spraying water everywhere.  In the road, in a pond and in the air.  Why?  It isn't that they are out playing in the water with oversized water guns.  They are pump testing.

What is pump testing? Why it is necessary? All fire trucks are different and one of the key parts of the truck is the water pump for the hoses. Every fire truck has a different size pump on it. The two trucks at Elkmont have 1750 gpm (gallons per minute) pumps. These tests have to be done one time a year for the ISO (Insurance Service Office - government office).  This allows the fire department know if the the inside of the pump is operating correctly.  If isn't possible to take the cover off and check it. If not, it has to be repaired and brought back to pumping specifications.  This helps to keep homeowners insurance rates down also.  If the fire department doesn't do its job effectively than the insurance rates go up fast and come down very slow.  

Checking the pumps and hydrants are some of the behind the scene things that the Elkmont Fire Department does.  They also check hoses, nozzles, ladders, tools, gear and fill out that dreaded paper work for every call they do or get paged out to.  It takes a great group of women and men to keep all this in check.

ISO has not come in and done a check in Elkmont in a very long time but they have called.  Of course, they have a lot of new policies and things that have changed so that means most departments in Limestone are getting checked in the next few weeks.