Summary: To set up a rural hitch water supply, the first-arriving engine should stop at the driveway entrance, pull one or two sections of supply hose, and drop a Clappered Siamese. The engine then lays line into the scene. Incoming tankers connect a 3" line from a discharge into the Siamese to offload water without needing additional personnel or access to the fireground. The clapper valve opens automatically under pressure, making this one of the fastest and cleanest setups for rural water delivery.
In rural firefighting, the hitch tactic is all about efficiency — creating a water supply without hydrants using tankers and LDH. But it only works if your setup is sharp from the start. That’s where the Clappered Siamese earns its keep. This tool acts as your tactical “hydrant” at the road, giving incoming water supply units a fast, no-hassle way to feed the fire scene without jamming up the works.
Here’s the play-by-play:
Engine arrives and stops at the start of the driveway or property.
Crew pulls a section or two of LDH or supply hose.
Drops the Clappered Siamese right there — at the drop point.
Then continues forward, laying line into the fire scene and setting up for fire attack.
This gives your scene a clean entry point for all incoming water and frees the engine to focus on suppression, not shuttle coordination.
As tankers show up:
Operator pulls a 3" line from a high-flow discharge on the pump.
Connects it to one side of the Clappered Siamese.
Waits for the fireground engine to signal readiness before charging the line.
When the supply engine is ready to receive, water flows instantly. The clapper valve does the rest — no gate to manage, no delay, no drama.
The brilliance of the Clappered Siamese is that one firefighter can connect the line and walk away. The valve stays closed until water flows. Once it does, the clapper automatically opens. This matters. In a rural hitch, crews are stretched. If one person can handle water supply while others manage attack lines or dump tanks, you're ahead of the game.
Don’t drive all the way in and forget the appliance. That delays your water supply and backs up your tankers. Always:
Stop at the top of the drive
Drop the Clappered Siamese
Lay in. This keeps the access road open and your operation flowing.