Fire Water Pumps

Put simply the requirements are that the pump can generate a high pressure with a high flowrate.

Most pumps are centrifugal pumps I believe. Because of the high power of these pumps they are normally run off a fire tenders engine and so would be difficult to run underwater.

John.

Most, if not all, submersible pumps do not possess the extremely high pressure or volumetric flow rate needed for fire fighting, except maybe for very small fires in very confined areas.

The input must be kept flooded or the men holding the hose will feel severe pressure pulsing. Since it often requires several men to hold a hose to mush variation like this can be dangerous.

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Fire-Hose.html

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&q=%22fire+pump%22+%2B%22pressure+variation%22&spell=1

If you are an American Indian, I hereby designate myself as a fire-water pump... Ask what you will!!!

In addition to the above, a diesel-driven fire pump will not have a facility to shut it off remotely. In the limit, the engine must drive either to the end of the water source, until it is shut off manually or until destruction, whichever happens first.

See NFPA 20