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Marine Corps Base Hawaii - The Ulupa’u Crater Range serves as an integral part of military training operations for Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), providing military personnel with the skills necessary for combat. MCBH is committed to its role as stewards of the land it is responsible for and protecting the environment while also meeting the operational demands necessary to train. MCBH dedicates personnel and resources to maintain a safe and secure training environment. One safety measure that has been implemented as part of our commitment to safety is the use of the Water Cannon Secondary Fire Suppression System.
Water cannons on Crater Range play a crucial role in enhancing safety measures on the range and help protect the red-footed booby colony in the area. The water cannons are part of a “defense in depth” strategy that layers safety measures to prevent, slow, and control the spread of fires, fire breaks, and vegetation control. The water cannons are solar powered with battery attachments and are controlled remotely from a range tower. The range tower houses the electronic components of the controls for the water cannons and provides an elevated position to monitor the range. From the tower, staff can see the effects of the water cannons and direct the spray.
The Natural Resources staff performs monthly testing of the water cannons to ensure their integrity. Testing requires activating the water cannons and testing the water pressure shooting out of the cannon and ensuring the protective metal shroud on the cannon head both opens and operates horizontally and vertically. Once a quarter, a contractor comes out to perform a more detailed inspection and maintenance on the water cannons along with the electronics that control them. These inspections take care of the electronic components and protects them from insects that may short out the electronics or build nests in the water cannon heads.
Inspections would not be possible without coordination and collaboration of groups. “We have to coordinate with Facilities as operation of the water cannons activates the fire pump located across the Middaugh St. Ballfield and triggers an alarm,” says Lance Bookless, senior natural resources manager. “We also have to coordinate with Pearl Harbor Federal Fire dispatch to put the fire alarm in training mode because operation of the water cannons automatically triggers a fire call to Federal Fire departments. Finally, we coordinate access to the range with the range scheduler and require Explosive Ordnance Disposal and corpsman support to perform maintenance on the water cannons located in an explosive impact area.”
The water cannons at the Ulupa’u Crater Range are integral to range safety. Their implementation and meticulous maintenance they undergo exemplify a commitment to environmental and community safety by mitigating the risk of wildland fires and protecting the natural habitats within the range.
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2024 20:19 |
| Story ID: | 469803 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Suppressing Fire(s): Maintaining the water cannons on Crater Range, by LCpl Carlos Chavez-Flores, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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