California Fireman's Muster Association






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THE DROUGHT
The association faced a crisis in only its third year of operation. California was hit with a major drought that had every citizen of the state saving water. How could an organization that depended on water for its operations survive? Five cities were already sanctioned to host musters that summer and had already spent money for their event. At the spring general membership meeting, with Dean Young of Merced County Fire Department as president, it was voted to go dry. Well, that was good, but what about the competition rules? The membership present was broken into event committees to work on new dry rules. An hour later each event had new rules. The use of water was going to be reduced by 95% or more. The bucket brigade went completely dry. Using the same 20 foot course, the team used buckets filled with bags of sand, simulating the usual weight of water. One bucket of the five used would be painted another color. There would be four reds and one white bucket. The white bucket was counted the number of times it went up and down the brigade line. Moving the white bucket six times down the line in the fastest time won. The hose cart and motorized events remained the same but without water. Teams ran the course making their hose lead to the hydrant, but did not charge the line. The team was required to uncouple their hose, roll it back into rolls, as if they were picking up at a fire, and cross a finish line to stop the time. The hand engnes did use water but even then the amount of water used was saved. Two drafting tanks were set up close to each other. Four hundred gallons of water was placed into one tank. At the drop of the start flag, time started and the hand engine team pumped the water into the empty tank. Time stopped when this task was completed. The next team drafted from the full tank and pumped water into the empty tank. Back and forth, using the same water, the competition proceeded. At the end of the event the remaining water was pumped into a fire department water tender and returned for in service use. The full sanctioned season was completed, state records were set and state championships awarded. The rules for a dry competition remain withn the archives of the association ready to be used during the next drought. The young association passed a major test. It could have been the end of the organization, if the association had not been so flexible and creative.