Deluge gun
Encyclopedia
A deluge gun, fire monitor, master stream, or deck gun is an aimable controllable high-capacity water jet used for manual firefighting or automatic fire protection
systems. Fire monitors are often designed to accommodate foam which has been injected in the upstream piping. Fire monitors are often fitted to fire boats and on top of large firetrucks for use in manual fire fighting efforts. Fire monitors are also used in fixed fire protection systems to protect high hazards, such as aviation hangars and helicopter landing pads. Most apparatus-mounted fire monitors can be directed by a single firefighter, compared to a standard fire hose which normally requires several. Fire Monitors can also be automatically positioned for fixed systems. They can pump up to, and sometimes over, 2000 gallons (7,570.8 l) per minute.
Deluge guns are also available in portable designs so a firefighter can set up the gun to apply water to a blaze then leave it in place so the firefighter is free for other tasks. Facilities with highly flammable material such as oil refineries
may have permanently installed deluge guns for use in the event of a fire.
A master stream is a fire service term for a water stream of 350 gallons (1,324.9 l) per minute or greater. It is delivered by master stream devices such as deck guns, deluge guns, and fire monitors. Master streams are often found at the end of aerial ladders, tele-squirt nozzles, or monitor nozzles. The high amount of required pressure makes them unsuitable for handline use.
A deck gun can be found fitted to fireboat
s and fire trucks for use in manual fire fighting efforts. It can be aimed and operated by one firefighter and is used to deliver water or foam from outside the immediate area of fire.
or displace oxygen from an enclosed area, creating a risk of asphyxiation.
Fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of...
systems. Fire monitors are often designed to accommodate foam which has been injected in the upstream piping. Fire monitors are often fitted to fire boats and on top of large firetrucks for use in manual fire fighting efforts. Fire monitors are also used in fixed fire protection systems to protect high hazards, such as aviation hangars and helicopter landing pads. Most apparatus-mounted fire monitors can be directed by a single firefighter, compared to a standard fire hose which normally requires several. Fire Monitors can also be automatically positioned for fixed systems. They can pump up to, and sometimes over, 2000 gallons (7,570.8 l) per minute.
Deluge guns are also available in portable designs so a firefighter can set up the gun to apply water to a blaze then leave it in place so the firefighter is free for other tasks. Facilities with highly flammable material such as oil refineries
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
may have permanently installed deluge guns for use in the event of a fire.
A master stream is a fire service term for a water stream of 350 gallons (1,324.9 l) per minute or greater. It is delivered by master stream devices such as deck guns, deluge guns, and fire monitors. Master streams are often found at the end of aerial ladders, tele-squirt nozzles, or monitor nozzles. The high amount of required pressure makes them unsuitable for handline use.
A deck gun can be found fitted to fireboat
Fireboat
A fireboat is a specialized watercraft and with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipment....
s and fire trucks for use in manual fire fighting efforts. It can be aimed and operated by one firefighter and is used to deliver water or foam from outside the immediate area of fire.
Risks
A master stream brings with it many risks when used in an urban setting. A master stream should never be fired into a building with people inside, as the force could knock down a supporting wall in a structure and crush victims. Also the steam expanding from the high volume of water delivered could cause a blowoutBlowout
-Science and technology:*Blowout , a sudden release of oil and gas from a well*Blowout , a sandy depression caused by the removal of sediment by wind*Blowout grass is a grass that can be found on sand dunes...
or displace oxygen from an enclosed area, creating a risk of asphyxiation.
See also
- Watercannon
- Water gunWater gunA water gun is a type of toy designed to shoot water. Similar to water balloons, the primary purpose of the toy is to soak another person in a game such as water warfare....
- Standpipe (firefighting)
- Glossary of firefighting equipmentGlossary of firefighting equipment- A :* Adapter: plumbing accessories for connecting hoses and pipes of incompatible diameter, thread, or gender. See also reducer, increaser, double male, double female, water thief. May contain combinations, such as a double-female reducer...