Pump Ops
Fire Pump Operator Training Simulator

The safety and success of a fire pump operator can’t come from classroom training alone. Pump operators need to be able to respond quickly to their entire environment—not just what they see on the panel. They need to be able to recognize cavitation sounds (the sound of changes in pressure leading to the formation of bubbles or “cavities”), feel shifts in how the pump is running, recognize equipment failures, and rapidly respond to radio communications.

But how do you train a pump operator to operate a pump without taking vital apparatus out of service? How do you teach them to flow water in an Alaskan winter without risking frostbite? How do you teach them to recognize the sound of cavitation without potentially damaging your pumps?

FAAC’s Pump Operator Simulator is a full-size replica of a fire engine pump panel. Its authentic components and functionality provide safe, economical, and highly realistic training on pump panel operation in a controlled, repeatable environment.

Pump Ops provides a clear, safe fire training environment. It reinforces hands-on pump operation training for new and seasoned pump operators alike. Using fire simulations prevents equipment wear and tear and firefighter injury, as well as environmental impact. With Pump Ops, you can train in any weather, keep units in service, and reduce support personnel.

FAAC has a long track record for delivering immersive simulation solutions, continuously advancing and expanding our sims while increasing integration across them. We are the leading pump operations simulator provider with one-of-a-kind product in active use in 100+ installations.

Pump Ops: Low-Risk, High-Reward Pump Operator Training

Pump Ops is a combination hardware and software simulator. Designed to accurately emulate hydraulics with different water sources (both pressurized and static), it can be used with a variety of nozzle and hose configurations. We can build Pump Ops units that are perfect facsimiles of your preferred firefighting equipment and environment: top-mount or side-mount with the same physical size, panel layout, and gauges, switches, and other hardware that exactly match your equipment.

Pump Ops provides a “sequential approach” to multifaceted tasks. Trainees don’t just learn by-the-book operations, but instead practice understanding the “real” situation—including the impact of hose configuration, managing water sources, water flow, friction coefficients, foam concentration—while responding to radio communication and changing conditions. The Instructor Operator Station (IOS) allows an instructor to control the simulation, setting conditions and faults and monitoring the performance of the trainee.

Unlike traditional pump units that require the use of thousands of gallons of water, FAAC’s pump panel simulator does not require it, reducing the environmental impact and allowing you to save water and conduct training even when water usage restrictions and bans are enforced or during sub-zero outdoor conditions. With the Pump Ops simulator, you can train in any weather and keep all units in service, without having to pull a fire engine for training.

Training firefighters to use aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) is a special concern in many communities. Foam is an essential tool during aviation accidents, hydrocarbon fires, and on military bases. But Class-B firefighting foams contain PFAS “forever chemicals,” now known to be hazardous, and demand careful handling during training. With Pump Ops, you can train pump operators to mix and deliver foam in a variety of concentrations, spray settings, and branch types without exposing them to its dangerous chemical components.