The driver of a fire suppression emergency apparatus can become quite the busy little bee when arriving with a crew at a fire scene.

Besides initially pulling the hose or getting the fans and generators in place — whether driving a pumper or an aerial — the subsequent tasks remain constant. Drivers may not be inside the structure fighting the fire, but they have their hands full, and many people do not realize what is taking place around the truck.

What many don't know is that the driver is on his/her own while the rest of the crew is performing other fire scene tasks. Therefore, when an unwanted situation presents itself, the driver needs to know how to troubleshoot the issue and correct the problem to keep the work moving forward.

There is no "well, it's broken, we'll just to have to wait and get it fixed later," because there is no compromise when lives and property are at stake.

One of the most important elements is keeping the water flowing — not only getting it out of the nozzle, but also ensuring it is being done efficiently and effectively. In other words, being sure it has enough pressure, reach and gpm to get the job done. That is why it is so important for drivers to learn how to think outside of the box and try to visualize what might be occurring.

They also need to know their equipment inside and out. Has the hose line been kinked? Has it burst? Is the nozzle damaged? Is there debris caught up in the hose or nozzle? Is the shutoff/bail fully open? Is the gate fully open? Is the relief valve preventing adequate pressure? Is a drain valve open? Does the crew have the nozzle higher in elevation than previously calculated?

These, along with many others, are the types of questions a driver must consider when it comes to flow issues.

Once the issue has been determined, then it is up to the driver to get the ball rolling. Grab two extra sections of hose to replace the one that had burst. Get the spare nozzle to the crew. Whatever it takes to resolve the problem area.

Drivers also need to know the functions of the truck. Even though he may not be able to repair mechanical issues while at an active fire, the driver may know how to bypass or least temporarily resolve the issue.

That is why it is so important to know the "theory" of how things work. For instance, putting the truck into pump gear and pump theory. Know how the shifting mechanism works (transfer case) to go from road to pump, review diagrams about how it functions, and understand how the machine works.

You pulled up to a fire, the rest of the crew starts pulling the hose and advancing, and you can't get the truck into pump gear — now what? Because of your training and knowing how to troubleshoot the situation, it can be resolved without your crew ever knowing you missed a beat.

Once things are underway, the driver needs to keep a mental inventory of what equipment is being taken off or put back onto the truck and remain accountable for their inventory. Some of the pieces of equipment and gear are not cheap — firefighting in general is not cheap.

The driver can help control expenses and get back to being operation-ready again. The driver also may need to repair items that are broken or require replacement — chainsaw blades, power saw blades, batteries, flashlights, fuel, etc.

After about 20 minutes, the crew should be coming out for an air cylinder exchange. The driver will assist their crew/team with a cylinder exchange. Then, the driver will need to ensure spent air cylinders get replaced with filled ones. She also may need to be prepared to take care of malfunctioning air masks, backpacks, PASS units or any other Respiratory protection problem that presents itself.

The driver needs to listen to all communication between the crew, command and others. Working around the truck can be a noisy place. That is why I advocate the use of lapel mikes and holsters or belt clips for a driver's radio.

A driver is constantly walking around the truck. If the radio is in his back pocket, he may miss important communication transmissions because the radio speaker is muffled. Having the belt clip or holster assures that he does not leave the radio somewhere else on the truck. It needs to be "joined at the hip."

With time and experience, a driver can detect the subtle differences in the sounds the truck is making and can tell what is going on just by noticing the fluctuations that occur at the pump panel and all its gauges.

Yeah, everyone wants to be a driver, but some people don't know what's involved until they get that rude awakening one day that it is no "gravy train." I still feel it's the best job in the fire department. Good luck and remain safe.