Multiple fire departments have participated in a Tanker Shuttle Drill in New Milford this weekend. There was a large presence of Fire Apparatus on Boardman Road from MedInstill to O&G Quarry for the event on Sunday. Since pressurized hydrants are scarce outside of the downtown fire district and Route 7 corridor, firefighters use tanker shuttles whenever there's a working fire in any other area of New Milford.
For the majority of Litchfield County, this is how water arrives at the fire scene.
Water Witch Hose Engine 27 and Sherman’s Engine 3 established a water supply at the reservoir on the O&G property while Engine 24 and Northville’s Engine 4 supplied Tower 25 operating at the Medinstill Property. Tanker 28, joined by 8 Mutual Aid Tankers, hauled nearly 130,000 gallons of water in less than 2 hours time; allowing Tower 25 to maintain a flow of 1400 gpm for 90 minutes. There are no fire hydrants in Sherman.
Volunteer firefighters say if they need more water than can be carried to the scene on the firetrucks, members have to find a water source and then use tankers to shuttle the water from there to the fire scene.
120,000 gallons in a 90 minute period is roughly equivalent to five average sized inground swimming pools.
