08/26/2026
This evening for the weekly Tuesday evening drill, Eagle Firefighters reviewed the use of the TurboDraft water eductors carried on Engine 46 and Tac 64.
The TurboDraft is a device that uses pressurized water moving through an eductor to return a much larger amount of water from static sources that might be inaccessible to conventional drafting operations.
At the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Lambertville this evening, members used both TurboDrafts in what is called an "open relay". Each TurboDraft was set up with a 50 foot 3" line for motive power, and a 50 foot section of 5" large diameter supply hose to return the water to a 3000 gallon folding tank instead of pumping directly to a pump intake. Tanker 46 pumped both TurboDrafts at 175 PSI initially using tank water but then switched to a drafting operation from the same tank after it was filling.
Engine 46 was drafting from the other side of the same tank and discharging water through the prepiped TFT CrossFire deckgun. In a real-life situation, it might be feeding a supply line to the fire scene, or it could be set up to fill tankers using the water in the portable tank as a buffer to fill tankers at the desired 1000 gallon per minute fill rate.
With about ten feet of elevation difference between the water level and the top of the portable tank, the two TurboDrafts were supplying around 1400 GPM, or 700 GPM each. The devices were actually throttled down at one point because they were supplying more water than could be discharged through the deckgun and the portable tank was overflowing!
TurboDrafts are just one option for a water supply in a rural environment. Over the last twelve months or so, members have practiced "rural hitch" operations, tanker shuttles, twin tube drafting, 50' and 80' long drafting operations, alternative priming methods like the "pressurized prime" and "burp drafting" and other rural water supply operations. It's all about options and being able to get water out of a rock when needed!
After everything was cleaned up and ready for service, the drill concluded around 9:30pm.
