Draft Commander FAQs
The Draft Commander 3000® A/T Mobile Fire Pump Testing & Training Unit is a patented mobile system for fire apparatus testing and training under NFPA standards.
Drafting is the use of a fire apparatus’ vacuum to extract water from the Draft Commander 3000® reservoir into the fire engine pump.
The main reason to test your pumps is to ensure that the apparatus is fully functional and ready to handle a major incident.
An excerpt from NFPA standard 1911 – Appendix A: Investigation has shown that where regular and systematic tests of pumps are not made, defects often exist and can continue undetected for considerable periods under light demands at ordinary fires; these defects only become apparent at a large fire where the pump is called on to perform at or near rated capacity.
All municipal water systems contain sand, rust and other foreign materials that collect over time as large amounts of water are pumped through the system. These substances cause corrosion within the components of the fire pump and allow water to recirculate inside, reducing pump capacity.
Water cleanliness can vary when conventional testing is done from bodies of water such as ponds or test pits, and often causes further damage to internal components.
No. The Draft Commander 3000® A/T comes fully equipped to run a fire pump test up to 3000GPM and perform training for fire pump engineers. All you need to provide is a fire pump and water.