An old spare pumper was being used for training in a basic pump/ops drill. I was a Hoseman with a little less than 2 years on the job. At this point in my career, I had never held a charged 2.5” hose line in my hands. The Lieutenant conducting the training saw that I was wearing no PPE and asked me handle a 2.5” during the drill. I attached a loop of webbing to the hose line with a girth hitch and slung it over my shoulder so I could lean in and combat the nozzle reaction. 1 man was backing me up at first. I was flowing water from pump pressure (about 80psi) with no problem. The man backing me up left me. The firefighter going through the drill connected to a hydrant that is widely known as a VERY strong hydrant, flowing around 1500gpm. The pressure relief valve was not working. The pressure surged on my hand line to over 200 psi. I was by myself with no PPE, attached to the hose with a loop of webbing. I was thrown back on the pavement. My head was cracked open. An ambulance picked me up from the training grounds. My wife was called and told to come and see me at the ER. I lost consciousness and didn’t gain it until I was at the ER.
LESSONS LEARNED:
In every training session, identify the safety officer. Ensure that there is a minimum staffing of 2 men on a 2.5” hose line.
Wear your PPE even when no one else is. Don’t get in a rush, especially in training.