Summary: When your staffing is light, especially in volunteer or rural departments, rethink your water delivery strategy. Swapping traditional handlines for tools like BlitzFire and mounted monitors can dramatically increase your Gallons Per Person (GPP). For example, while three firefighters on a 1¾" handline may deliver just 150 GPM total, two firefighters with a BlitzFire or Quick Attack truck setup can flow over 2,500 GPM — maximizing impact with minimal crew.
Boosting Water Flow with Fewer Firefighters: Lessons from Industrial Tactics
When you're working short-handed, your water strategy has to work harder. That’s where thinking like an industrial firefighter can seriously pay off. In a clip from Episode 7 of the Fully Involved Podcast, Rick Haase breaks down how departments — especially volunteer and municipal crews — can borrow industrial techniques to get way more water per firefighter on scene.
The 'GPP' Problem with Handlines
Let’s say you’ve got your standard 1¾" handline flowing 150 gallons per minute. That’s decent flow according to Chief Haase, but if you’ve got three firefighters on that line, your Gallons Per Person (GPP) is just 50. That’s not exactly a high return on your personnel investment.
Enter the BlitzFire: Instant 5x Efficiency
Swap in a BlitzFire portable monitor, and suddenly two firefighters can deliver 500 GPM. That’s a GPP of 250 — more than double what you were getting before. It's portable, quick to deploy, and easy to operate with minimal crew.
Industrial Tactics: Quick Attack Trucks and Mounted Monitors
Want to go even bigger? Take a page from industrial fire response: use a Quick Attack truck with mounted Crossfire monitors. These setups can push up to 2,500 GPM — and still only need two firefighters to operate. That’s 1,250 GPP. It’s a massive boost in firepower with minimal staffing.
Why GPP Matters for Your Crew
Gallons Per Person isn’t just a math trick — it’s a tactical lens that helps you make the most of every firefighter on scene. Whether you’re stretched thin during daytime calls or just trying to optimize your first-due apparatus, shifting to high-flow, low-labor tools can transform your effectiveness.
The Takeaway: Work Smarter, Flow Bigger
If you’re facing limited manpower but need serious suppression power, it’s time to think beyond traditional handlines. Industrial strategies like the BlitzFire monitor and quick attack trucks don’t just scale, they make your crew more effective gallon for gallon.
Watch the full conversation in Episode 7 of the Fully Involved Podcast for more insights from Rick Haase.
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