Tank to Pump

Pump Operations

Reverse Lay

A reverse lay runs supply hose from the fire back to the water source, dropping the attack line at the scene and laying out to the hydrant. It puts the pumper at the hydrant, boosting the supply into the lay.

A street schematic with a water source (hydrant) on the left, a burning building on the right, and a supply line laid between them. A "drop here" marker, the engine's position, and a drive-direction arrow flip end-for-end between the two lays: a reverse lay anchors the line at the fire and drives the engine back to the source, while a forward lay anchors at the source and drives the engine to the fire.

Forward vs reverse lay · interactive

REVERSE LAYDrop the supply line at the fire, then drive back to the water source. The rig finishes at the source and boosts the supply forward — handy when the first-in company must establish the source itself.

Lay type

Reverse lay: you drop the line AT THE FIRE and drive BACK to the water. Use it when the first-arriving engine has to go establish the supply itself.

Both lays are correct techniques — the choice is dictated by where the water sits relative to the fire and what the first-arriving company must do. A working hydrant feeds the supply line at about 70psi static; the lay only decides which end you anchor and which way you drive. This is a training aid; follow your department's SOPs and apparatus placement guidelines.

Reverse lay drops the supply line at the fire and drives back to the water source; forward lay drops at the source and drives to the fire. Pick a lay to flip the dropped end, the engine's finishing spot, and the drive-direction arrow.

In a reverse lay the apparatus drops attack equipment at the fire and drives back to the source, laying supply hose behind it. The engine then sits at the hydrant or draft, pumping water forward through the line it just laid.

Putting the pumper at the source lets it boost a weak hydrant or draft from static water, which a forward lay cannot do. The trade is that the attack lines work off whatever was dropped at the scene until the supply is charged.

See also