Supply lay
Reverse Lay Water Supply Drill
Practice reverse lay decision-making, hose deployment, and engineer actions for a supply-focused evolution. This is an original FireOps Calc drill organizer for NFPA 1410-style training and department-level practice.
Use local standards: Set staffing, time benchmark, PPE, water flow, hose load, and pass/fail criteria from your department SOP and official NFPA documents. This page does not reproduce the official NFPA standard.
Objective
Train company members to communicate a reverse lay, establish source/attack positions, and maintain a reliable supply.
Setup
- Two marked points: fire building and water source
- Engine or simulated engine positions
- Supply hose or cone-marked hose path
- Radio/hand-signal plan
Evolution flow
Company announces reverse lay objective.
Engine drops hose at fire building/attack point.
Engine proceeds to water source or source engine position.
Supply is established and pressure is communicated.
Attack engine or manifold receives water.
Debrief hose path, pressure, and communication.
Engineer focus
- Clear order for reverse lay
- Safe hose deployment route
- Supply pressure and intake target
- Radio communication between ends of lay
- Avoid crossing hazards and blocked access
Common mistakes
- Unclear who controls the water source
- No intake pressure target
- Hose path blocks access or creates hazards
- Late communication after pressure changes
Evaluator sheet
Score and debrief
Use this as a printable quick score sheet. Add department-specific time targets and safety requirements before the drill.
Evaluation item
Result
Notes
Water established
Yes / Needs work
Line/device deployed safely
Yes / Needs work
Target pressure selected correctly
Yes / Needs work
Communication clear
Yes / Needs work
Kinks/hazards corrected
Yes / Needs work
Debrief completed
Yes / Needs work
After-action questions
- What was the first delay in the evolution?
- Was water available before the crew needed sustained flow?
- Was the pump pressure chosen from a known source or guessed?
- What did the engineer have to correct during the drill?
- What will the crew do differently on the next repetition?