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Tender Credit application and testing

Learn about the criteria WSRB evaluates Tender Credit for fire departments.

In this article, you'll find answers to the following questions:

What is tender credit?

Criteria evaluated for Tender Credit

How to apply for Tender Credit

What tests are conducted?

Evaluation results

Continuation of credit

What do resulting credits look like?

What is tender credit?

Not every property is within close proximity to a fire hydrant. To protect those properties that are not, fire departments transport water to a fire scene.

In areas where fire hydrants are not available, approved tender operations may be recognized through the application of Tender Credit to a dwelling’s protection class rating. Tender Credit will result in an improved protection class for dwelling properties located within 7 road miles of a recognized responding fire station in a community graded protection class 8 or better.

Fire departments that demonstrate proficiency in transporting water can apply for what WSRB calls tender credit. WSRB looks at several criteria to determine if a community qualifies for tender credit, including amount of water transported and duration of water supply.

NOTE: Fire department water-hauling apparatus are called "tender," hence the name tender credit. "Tanker credit" is another term sometimes used to describe what we call tender credit.

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Criteria

The features evaluated for Tender Credit are as follows:

  1. The ability to develop and maintain an uninterrupted fire flow of 250 gpm for 30 minutes at any dwelling site in the district within 7 road miles of a fire station, resulting in a total water requirement of 7,500 gallons.
  2. The ability to maintain a minimum of four firefighters on site once the flow starts. This represents a 2-in / 2-out configuration (one of whom may be the pump operator). Additional personnel may be required to coordinate tender shuttling operations.
  3. The minimum staffing requirement and initiation of the flow requirement must be achieved within 5 minutes of the first engine’s arrival.

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Applying for tender credit

To be evaluated for WSRB Tender Credit, a fire department must submit a written request to WSRB, including the following information:

  • A detailed written explanation demonstrating how the fire department has met the Tender Credit criteria through previously conducted tender operation drills. This explanation must specify the apparatus used to flow water, how the pumper was supplied, the apparatus used to supply water, the personnel participating in the drill, and the water capacity of each apparatus. Sufficient training drill records must be provided to demonstrate that all firefighters have been trained in tender operations.
  • Automatic aid documentation for any assisting fire departments, including signed agreements and run cards for first-alarm response. WSRB can confirm which agreements are currently on file.
  • Locations of all water supply points within the community. WSRB will provide a map of the community showing known fire hydrant locations. If additional water supply points exist, information must be provided for each, including location, description of the water supply, and accessibility. If drafting is required, the water source must be accessible year-round.

After reviewing the submitted materials, WSRB will respond by either requesting additional information - detailing where the department does not meet Tender Credit criteria - or scheduling a tender test drill.

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Tests

WSRB will no longer conduct full tender tests at locations in your community. Instead, WSRB will test one or more aspects of the Tender Credit criteria and apply a standardized drive-time methodology to assess tender operations.

WSRB will use 35 mph as the average apparatus speed to determine drive time between fire stations, water supply points, and areas without hydrants. Drive time to non-hydranted areas will be used to determine when water arrives at the site and whether uninterrupted fire flow requirements are met.

Drive time will be calculated using the following formula:

T = 0.65 + 1.7D

Where:

  • T = time in minutes (rounded to the nearest tenth)
  • 0.65 = vehicle acceleration constant for the first 0.5 mile
  • 1.7 = vehicle-speed constant
  • D = distance traveled (in miles)

WSRB may require one or more of the following drills to evaluate Tender Credit eligibility:

  • Fire Site Set Up and Flow Drill
  • Tender Fill Drill
  • Tender Emptying Drill

All of these tests can be conducted at the fire station or department drill ground and will be timed by WSRB. These drills will be conducted as follows:

Fire Site Set Up Drill – Drop Tank:

From a starting point 200 feet away, the fire site engine and tender will pull into the test site. Timing of the drill will start at the wheel stop of the engine and end when water starts flowing from the hose line.

Once apparatus are stopped and wheels are chocked, the following actions shall be completed by four firefighters or by the average number of firefighters responding from the station, whichever is less, within 5 minutes:

  1. Personnel will deploy 100 feet of 2.5-inch hose.
  2. Deploy the water drop tank and begin filling the tank from the tender.
  3. Hose line personnel shall don their PPE’s and SCBA’s  
  4. Begin pumping 250 gpm from the deployed hose line using the water on the engine.

After water flow is established, the pump operator must transition from engine tank water to drafting from the drop tank without interrupting the 250 gpm flow rate.

Failure to complete the required actions within 5 minutes, or failure to maintain uninterrupted 250 gpm flow, constitutes failure of the drill. In such cases, Tender Credit will not be applied to the protection class rating of dwellings within the department’s jurisdiction.

Departments that fail the drill may request a re-test after six months.

 

Fire Site Set Up Drill – Nurse Tender:

From a starting point 200 feet away, the fire site engine and tender will pull into the test site. Timing of the drill will start at the wheel stop of the engine and end when water starts flowing from the hose line.

Once apparatus are stopped and wheels are chocked, the following actions shall be completed by four firefighters or by the average number of firefighters responding from the station, whichever is less, within 5 minutes:

  1. Personnel will deploy 100 feet of 2.5-inch hose.
  2. Deploy the supply line from the nurse tender and connect it to the engine.
  3. Hose line personnel shall don their PPE’s and SCBA’s  
  4. Begin pumping 250 gpm from the deployed hose line using the water on the engine.

After water flow is established, the pump operator must transition from flowing engine tank water to flowing water from the nurse tender without interrupting the 250 gpm flow rate.

Failure to complete the required actions within 5 minutes, or failure to maintain uninterrupted 250 gpm flow, constitutes failure of the drill. In such cases, Tender Credit will not be applied to the protection class rating of dwellings within the department’s jurisdiction.

Departments that fail the drill may request a re-test after six months.

 

Tender Fill Drill  

From a standing starting point 200 feet away, the tender will pull into the fill site. The tender must:

  • Connect to the water supply
  • Fill the tank to overflow
  • Disconnect fill lines
  • Travel 200 feet away from the fill site

Timing begins at the standing starting point and ends when the full tender has traveled 200 feet from the fill site. The tender driver is responsible for all required connections and disconnections during the drill.

 

Tender Emptying Drill

From a standing starting point 200 feet away, the tender will pull into the drill site. The tender must:

  • Discharge its full water load into a drop tank or nurse tender (as applicable)
  • Travel 200 feet away from the drill site

Timing begins at the standing starting point and ends when the empty tender has traveled 200 feet from the drill site. The tender driver is responsible for all required connections and disconnections during the drill.

The tender fill drill and tender emptying drill have no independent time requirements. However, the timed results of these drills will be added to the calculated drive time for tender shuttle operations and used in evaluating the fire department’s ability to maintain an uninterrupted fire flow of 250 gpm for 30 minutes.

The date and time of any required drill will be scheduled in coordination with the fire department. Drill procedures will be reviewed in detail with the department in advance to ensure all participants understand the expectations.

If a drill cannot be completed due to unforeseen, non–failure-related circumstances - such as an actual emergency response - the drill may be rescheduled.

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Evaluation results

After all required drills are completed, WSRB will use the collected data to complete its Tender Credit evaluation.

  • If the Tender Credit criteria are met, WSRB will notify the fire department of the effective date of the credit.
  • If the Tender Credit criteria are not met, WSRB will notify the fire department of the reasons the credit will not be applied.

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Continuance of credit

To retain Tender Credit, fire departments must conduct physical training drills simulating the types of tender operations likely to be required within their communities at least annually. The drills outlined in the Tests section of this document are encouraged for use as components of these training exercises.

For fire departments that have achieved Tender Credit, WSRB will reevaluate the credit during the community’s next protection class grading review. At that time, WSRB will:

  • Review training records to confirm annual tender operation drills have been conducted, and
  • Verify that all other Tender Credit criteria continue to be met.

Additional Tender Credit information or test drills may be required if conditions within the community change.

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Credit

Fire departments that meet the Tender Credit criteria will have the credit applied to the Protection Class rating of dwellings protected by the department as follows:

Protection Class of Community

Protection Class of Dwelling without a fire hydrant within 1,000 feet and within 5 road miles of a recognized responding fire station

Protection Class of Dwelling 5 to 7 road miles to a recognized responding fire station

8

8

9

7

8

9

6

7

9

5

6

9

4 or better

5

9

Tender Credit improves the protection class rating for dwellings without fire hydrants 1 to 4 protection classes depending on the specific dwelling location.

 

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