Hello, my name is Joseph Moylan, I began working in the fire service in 2007 with a Volunteer Department for a year that included training put on by the State covering the structural and wildland suppression techniques. After a short time, I was introduced to contract fire fighting and did this for 6 years . I attained Engine Boss Qualification as a contractor and was one of the few that had went through an ENOP taskbook and had such final evaluated by a Federal Fire Fighter at the time. Along with the Standard S130, 131, 133, 134, 190, 211, 215, 230, 231, 236, 270, 290, I have attained:
Spending 6 years as a contract firefighter I was able to operate in adverse conditions in California to Colorado, to Las Vegas, Nv. to Idaho. Operating Type 1 Tactical and Type 2 Support Water Tenders in extremely steep and rough terrain in just about every travel condition imaginable. The most challenging times were while operating in the Idaho and Colorado areas, where, long steep hose-lays were needed to be put in to support firing and holding operations as part of the indirect suppression tactics used. Water supply was critical to the success of these operations.
After six years of this, I began working for the US Govt. as a “seasonal” Motor Vehicle (Tender) Operator in the same capacity. I was then asked to teach Hydraulics due to my advanced understanding and knowledge of the subject to folks during the academy that was in addition to my standard or official duty of MVO. I have successfully taught folks coming up the ranks to being an Engine Operator, who, have little or no knowledge of the craft of being a “TRUE” engineer, to giving them advanced knowledge on just what Type 3-6 engines are capable of doing and knowing how to do so safely and competently. Today I teach to anyone who wants to have actual Wildland Apparatus Engineers rather than operators.
What I Do Teach, is all pump and hydraulics-related aspects from the basics of what the parts of the pump are, to why the pump works the way it does to more advanced topics such as Series, Parallel, Tandem, and Relay Pumping Operations. I teach aspects of heat absorption capacity of water and why that is important on the fire-ground. I de-mystify the old saying that more is better and why “cranking” up the throttle is NOT always the best thing to do.
I also teach people that the old method of having to shut down air operations, or engine pumping operations because the dip tanks or pumpkins are empty is a fixable problem and I show you how to solve the problem. This problem, about 90% of the time, is a problem with logistics calculation and has nothing to do with water supply.
I also explain to those involved in the training, the need for water supply officers (WSO’s) and relay control officers (RCO’s) as the situation calls for it. A structure capability, but desperately needed on the wildland fire ground.
I also teach the DANGERS of fire-ground hydraulics and why such is important. If you don’t know it or respect it, hydraulics can kill you at the most and send you to a burn center at the least.
Lastly, I was given the nickname of “Doc Hydro”, by coworkers after a “letter of recognition” showed up to my Battalion Chief in 2015, wherein the remote SEAT base manager referenced me as “Captain Waters” because of my ability to determine the flow demands by the number of aircraft, the tank sizes, turn around times and then calculate the needed resources at our local end to match that. All of this was done without ever having seen or set foot on the actual site of the fire. Such was calculated purely, “mathematically”.
I am a fixed-wing pilot as well as a remote pilot. This gives me a mental edge over others in the same capacity, as I can rapidly calculate/estimate helicopter or fixed-wing load capacities, turnaround times, etc. to better set up the logistical supply chain so operations never have to stop (shut down). You want to be waiting for/on air resources, you do not want them waiting on you.
I can teach from basics to excellence. I teach those that chose to learn, how to be master Wildland Engineers to handle everything that can be thrown their way and still succeed. The type of training WAE can provide is non existent to my knowledge.
There is NO such thing as “it Can’t be done” and Engineers Make it Happen!
Other personal achievements are that I have attained DZOP, dozer operator qualification as of 2019.
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