Nurse Tender? In relation to the MEU Pine incident.

What’s a nurse tanker? Never heard that term before.

Nearest is my guess

I believe that is what they used to call water tenders…

More likely they mean a tender in a pumping operation involving an engine-direct tender hookup.
Normally used on structure fires where no hydrants are available.

Kinda an old term, and some parts of the east coast still use that term…

Nurse tender, also known as a support tender (west coast/NWCG term) is a water tender operated by one operator that supplies either engines or a portable water tank (folda tank, pumpkin, blevit) and has established its own water supply, whether hydrant, lake, stream, blah blah…

Tactical water tender is operated with 2 personnel, has a minimal compliment of wildland and structural fire equipment, has the ability to pump and roll, and may have foam capabilities and a bumper or top sided monitor/deck gun.

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So not a tender staffed with nurses?

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My guess would have been kind of the opposite, I would have thought it meant a tender that goes around topping off engines in an area, whenever they need water, and then running back for another load.

I guess this term needs more clear definition.

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My guess is whoever made this request is from a different region, on the west coast Tankers have wings, Tenders have wheels.

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Probably those boys from Jersey… :rofl:

We had a request for a tractor plow today. Turns out that’s something that is commonly used in like the everglades or wherever down south.

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A nurse tender is a water tender that stays put pumping a engine. Other water tenders will supply the nurse tender. This way you don’t have to break down hose lines every time to go and get water.

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I believe it was Air Attack that made the request. So as CalFireBC already stated near the top; it was probably a typo (or auto correct strikes again) by the poster that changed “…nearest tanker…” to “nurse tanker”.

And Birken, a nurse tender (even where you used to work) means the tender nurses the pumping engine(s) to keep their tanks full to maintain water flow during the shuttle. You can’t flow as much as you can with a whole bunch of water tenders filling several porta tanks, with power syphons moving water to keep the drafting tank full, and a drafting engine supplying the fire; but it works great on small gallonage fires

And you don’t have to wash, dry out and fold up that dang porta tank when it’s done.

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Back when USFS engines were referred to as tankers, I beleive what we now know as water tenders were called nurse tankers. It was a bit before my time, so I am not sure.

References to nurse tankers:
Page 19:

Page 11:

You may have to find it using ctrl+f in this document:
https://www.fs.fed.us/im/directives/field/tonto/fsh/1309.14/1309.14-96-1.doc

Page 15 of “foam vs fire”:
https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdf/95511209.pdf

Page 2, 3, 6, and 13 in this document about the 1959 decker fire (this whole account is well worth a read):
https://higherlogicdownload.s3-external-1.amazonaws.com/WILDFIRELESSONS/Decker%20Fire%20-%20Dynamics%20of%20a%20Catastrophy.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJH5D4I4FWRALBOUA&Expires=1533593408&Signature=8ysUpjPuISvFabhIj10P7Crakys%3D

Edit: Found another Gem. Check out this document (page 111 has nurse tankers mentioned as potentially filling drop tanks, also see 121, 122, 123, and 125):
https://higherlogicdownload.s3-external-1.amazonaws.com/WILDFIRELESSONS/Decker%20Fire%20-%20Dynamics%20of%20a%20Catastrophy.pdf

Prior to ICS water tenders were called nurse tankers and and engines were tankers. They were operated just as a support water tender is today. Tactical tenders were not heard of back then, though municipal depts. had something similiar.

sofr_bear gave a good description of the two types of water tenders of today

FYI. Nurse Tankers (Water Tenders) are still used today. The South Incident near Corning CA (very large structure fire) a few weeks ago. 3 WT’s pumping into a manifold supplying a Truck with a Master stream at 750 to 1000 gpm. Then 9 or 10 Wt’s shuttling water with the nearest hydrants 3000’ + away. Supplied water for over 8 hrs.

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Now that is just plain good old rural firefighting there. Sounds like a very impressive fire fight.