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3.6 Flow Rates

Flow rates describe the speed at which water is flowing. They are described in gallons per minute (gpm). The following test is a simple way to observe a flow rate.

Use a large drum with a marked level to indicate a pre-measured 50-gallon volume. Begin filling the drum with a hose and at the instant that the water begins to fill the tank, start timing how long it takes with a precise stop watch (preferably to 1/100 of a minute). When the water level reaches the marked line, take the hose away, and stop timing. To calculate the flow rate of the water through the hose, divide the total volume by the total time it took to reach that volume. Suppose it took 3.55 minutes. 

50 gallons per 3.55 minutes (50/3.55)
50 ÷ 3.55 = 14.08
Flow rate = 14.08 gpm

If the stop watch has only seconds and minutes, the seconds can be converted into fractions (parts) of minutes. There are 60 seconds in 1 minute.

 

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Updated NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations, PMS 508

Date: March 31, 2025
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The updated NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations (SABO), PMS 508 standardizes operations and procedures at interagency airtanker bases to ensure safe, efficient, and effective operations in support of interagency goals and objectives.

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NWCG Standards for Airtanker Base Operations, PMS 508

WFSTAR 2025 Core Component Module Package and 2024 Fire Year in Review Now Available

Date: March 14, 2025
Questions?  Please contact:
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The 2025 Core Component Module Package for RT-130, Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) and the 2024 Fire Year in Review are now available on the NWCG website. The 2025 Core Component Module Package provides all content needed to deliver RT-130.

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2025 Core Component Module Package

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NEW! NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053

Date: March 12, 2025
Contact: Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Committee

The NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053 provides mitigation practitioners at all experience levels with recommendations on the most effective and efficient ways to accomplish mitigation work in communities at risk to wildfire damage or destruction. The content in this guide was written in coordination with the NWCG Standards for Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface, PMS 052.

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NWCG Wildland Urban Interface Mitigation Field Guide, PMS 053 

Updated, NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430

Date: March 11, 2025
Contact: Fire Use Subcommittee
Wildland Fire Module Unit

The NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430 standardizes procedures and expectations for Wildland Fire Modules (WFMs). These standards are to be used by staff, supervisors, specialists, and technicians for planning, administering, and conducting WFM operations. These standards will also be used as a measure of WFM qualifications, capabilities, and expected performance, for both Type 1 and Type 2 WFMs.

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NWCG Standards for Wildland Fire Module Operations, PMS 430