What is drafting in firefighting hydraulics?

• A. Using a portable tank as the water source without a pump.
• B. Drawing water from a pond or hydrant using a pump and suction hose.
• C. Relaying water by multiple pumps to push water uphill.
• D. Priming a pump by filling the pump with water from a bucket.

Answer: (B)

Drafting means pulling water into the fire pump from an external source by using a suction hose and the pump’s suction. The water source is usually something non-pressurized like a pond, lake, or similar body of water, and the pump creates the suction needed to lift that water up into the pump and then push it out through the discharge lines. Because air in the suction line would break the suction, priming the pump (filling the pump and suction line with water) is necessary to start and maintain drafting. This concept is precisely captured by drawing water from a pond or hydrant using a pump and suction hose.