Academy to Train Local Firefighters at Riverhead

Firefighters are scheduled to train at the beach early next month, but it will not be the proverbial day at the beach.

They will be gaining experience on pumps and hydraulics, experience that will pay dividends down the road when they are fighting real fires.

On the second day of training, May 8, the Massachusetts Fire Academy will move Marblehead firefighters from their headquarters classroom to Riverhead Beach.

There, across from Devereux Beach, they will put into practice the formulas and strategies that will guide decisions about achieving the right air pressure for pumping water through lines (hoses), said Marblehead fire Capt. Michael Porter.

With multiple lines — of varying diameters — performing different tasks, firefighters need to know the correct pressure for each line.

A general rule of thumb is that bigger lines take less pressure, the captain said. 

But other variables play a role in achieving the right pressure for fighting fire.