Simulation Engine

Real Hydraulics — Not Arcade Physics

PumpForge models real hydraulic behavior so operators build correct intuition. Same inputs always produce the same outputs. Operators who pass here can pump on the fireground.

Standards

NFPA & NFA aligned

Consistent

Same inputs = same outputs

Failure Modes

Cavitation, burst, overheat

Validation

NFPA 1002 aligned

NFPA-Aligned Simulation

The hydraulics model is grounded in NFPA 1002 and NFA curriculum standards. Operators who train on PumpForge build the same intuition they need on the fireground.

NFPA 1002 • NFA curriculum

Consistent & Repeatable

No randomness, no arcade mechanics. Given the same scenario parameters and the same operator inputs, the simulation produces identical results every time. This makes scoring fair and repeatable.

Repeatable • Auditable • Fair

Realistic Failure Modes

Operators experience every failure mode they could encounter on a real apparatus: cavitation from low intake pressure, hose bursts from over-pressure, pump overheating from closed recirculation, and tank depletion from poor water management.

Cavitation • Burst • Overheat • Tank depletion

Pump Curve Behavior

The simulator models realistic pump performance. As flow increases, available pressure decreases according to the pump's rated capacity. Operators learn to work within the pump's actual performance envelope.

Flow vs. pressure • Rated capacity limits

Multiple Supply Types

Hydrant supply with residual pressure, tank water with declining level, draft operations with primer and vacuum, and relay pumping with intake boost. Each supply type behaves differently and requires different operator techniques.

Hydrant • Tank • Draft • Relay

Real-Time Gauge Response

Gauges respond to operator inputs the way a real pump panel does. Throttle changes don't produce instant pressure jumps — operators learn the feel of a real panel where changes take time to stabilise.

Realistic response • Natural feel

Pressure Governor & Intake Gate

Run the engine by RPM or switch the governor to pressure mode and let it hold a set discharge pressure. The intake gate behaves like a butterfly valve: it passes little water until it is well open, and slamming it open on a charged supply line sends a water hammer spike through the intake gauge.

RPM & pressure modes • Intake gate • Water hammer

Changing Water Sources

The water source transfer drill starts the line on tank water, then charges the hydrant supply line partway through the run. The operator opens the intake, closes tank-to-pump and refills the tank while holding the line at the right pressure, and the simulator watches the discharge for a swing during the change-over.

Tank to hydrant • NFPA 1002 §5.2.4

Want to try the same math without signing in? Use our free Pump Discharge Pressure (PDP) calculator — the identical friction-loss engine, open to anyone.

A Fire That Answers to Your Water

Free Practice, which instructors and department admins run on any panel, can put a fire on the fireground. The fire grows until enough water reaches it and darkens down once the flow is above what it needs. After knockdown the lines have to keep flowing for a while: shut the water off too soon and the fire rekindles. It answers only to the water the pump is actually putting out, so the same pressures always give the same fire. The result shows how the fire ended, any rekindles and the water used; it does not change the run's score.

Nine fire types

House fire, room and contents: about 100 gpm
House fire, half involved: 200 gpm
Fully involved house with a house beside it: 500 gpm, a master stream job
Vehicle fire: 125 gpm
Dumpster fire: 100 gpm, and it comes back if the water goes off too soon
Grass and brush fire: about 40 gpm a line while it is small, 80 if it spreads
Commercial fire in a store: 200 gpm, rising to 400 if the attack is slow
Upper-floor fire fought from the standpipe: about 240 gpm
Fuel spill fire: 50 gpm of foam solution, because water will not put it out

Where the numbers come from

The flows come from published fire service figures, such as the NFA fire flow formula and critical flow rates. The dumpster is the one exception: no published flow exists, so its 100 gpm is PumpForge's own figure. Each fire grows along one of the slow, medium, fast or ultra-fast growth curves fire protection engineers use. The Complete plan has all nine fires. The Essentials plan has the house fire (room and contents).

Free Practice • Knockdown • Soak • Rekindle

Common Questions

Hydraulics questions, answered

Is the hydraulics simulation deterministic?

Yes. The same scenario parameters and operator inputs always produce identical results, with no randomness or arcade mechanics, which makes scoring fair, repeatable, and auditable.

What failure modes does it model?

Operators experience cavitation from low intake pressure, hose bursts from over-pressure, pump overheating from closed recirculation, and tank depletion from poor water management.

Which water supply types are supported?

Hydrant supply with residual pressure, tank water with declining level, draft operations with primer and vacuum, and relay pumping with intake boost. Each behaves differently and requires different operator technique.

What standards is the engine based on?

The model is grounded in NFPA 1002 and National Fire Academy curriculum standards, and the gauges respond in real time.

Is there a fire to put out?

Yes, in Free Practice, which instructors and department admins run. The fire grows until enough water reaches it, darkens down once the flow is above what it needs, and rekindles if the water goes off too soon after knockdown. The Complete plan has nine fire types, from a room and contents house fire to a fuel spill that only foam puts out; the Essentials plan has the house fire. The fire is shown for training and does not change the score.

Hydraulics that hold up on the fireground

Run an evolution and check the hydraulics yourself — free for 30 days.

Subscribe Try free for 30 days ← Back to Features