Mr. Keene, I wanted to thank you for this video. I watched it a few months back and decided I needed one myself. I ended up buying a Honda GX200 and the local fire department donated 200’ of 1.5” hose to me. I bought a nozzle on Amazon last week, it arrived Thursday and I tested it Friday. Yesterday (Saturday 6/6/2020), only 24 hours after my little system became operational, the Quail Fire in Winters, CA broke out. I used the system to soak my property before evacuating. I called dispatch and told them where it was located and that I had it hooked up to a 7,000 gallon pool ready to go. Last night the fire department used it to defend the house, draining all but several hundred gallons during high-winds on the top of my hillside. This video inspired me to take this step. I still have a home because of this. Thank you and please add this to your list of homes saved!
I found this video a few months ago after researching home fire protection, and decided after both the Hill/Woolsey fires last year and the recent fire in Saddleridge, it was time to make the purchase. I bought this same unit with the Honda motor from Mark and Pat Keene this past week. They spent a lot of time on the phone and in-person teaching me best practices for preparing for this fire season, and making sure I have the right set up for our property. I fired it up for the first time today and it worked perfectly. The build quality is first class, and I’m glad it’s locally made. Thanks again Pat and Mark. And Mark, thanks for helping load it up in my truck! Tom
Kevin is so important to be prepared. Honestly, I do not understand why more people do not buy these. If you have a pool this is cheap insurance and peace of mind. I was at a local Starbucks in malibu the other day and a guy recognized my Keene T shirt and came up to me and showed me pictures of him using a Keene firefighter to save his home. You should have seen these amazing pictures the red glowing clouds of smoke, him spaying water down his yard. I believe he said that he also save the neighbors on both sides of him as well. Most of the other homes in the local area were lost. I requested him to share the pictures with me and he told me not yet we are doing a documentary with one of the big tv shows. Another reason to buy a Keene pump everything is made here in the usa and pumps are made right here in our factory. Most of the other system is using chines motors pumps etc good luck every getting service or spare parts. This is quality stuff and we can service if locally. I am even dropping one-off in the morning after a quick surf session.
After the 2017 Wine Country fires and LA fires in December 2017 these units should be flying out the door. I'd buy one if I had a pool! That's a dirt cheap price to pay to save your home. In 1965 I was 12 years old and took the LA County SCUBA course at a pool and dive store in the San Fernando Valley, maybe Sherman Oaks? The pool had Keene floating gold dredges in the shop and I think the fellow there was Bill Keene who built them. Something tells me that you guys are related.... My dive instructor was Dave Bunch. Those were good times. Where did 53 years go?
I agree a tft nozzle would be great however the cost would drive the price of the product up by several hundred dollars. I have used the nozzle in a fire and it worked amazing well.
There are all kinds of foam nozzles that can be used and added to our system. They have backpack type foam containers, 5-gallon jugs you can place on the ground, and suck the foam or gell concentrate can be hooked up to the discharge end hose. We use the one in the video due to the simplicity and easy handling. My late father, Jerry Keene, had to put out a fire when he was 80 years old and the lightweight double-handled bazooka looking device worked great and weighs almost nothing. My dad Jerry would have had a rough time carrying a backpack or having to dolly around 5-gallon containers. So we settled on the fast foam applicator. The fast foam gun has a 1" diameter by 12" long bar of soap that provides the foam. As the high-pressure water passes the bar of soap in the long chamber and breaks down the foam cartridge and mixes with the water and the second half of the bazooka creates the frothy foam. The foam is ideal for the wooded areas and any surface that can hold water. I sprayed water on my mom's rooftop for 60 seconds, and 90% of the water rolled right off the roof. I then added the fast foam applicator and sprayed on top of the roof for a few minutes, and no water came off the roof. The combination of the foam and wetting agents allowed the water to quickly soak into the roof rather than roll right off. This can be a big game-changer in some conditions
Just a thought on the video production, if you revise this version: If you had two people in the video, you could show how one person is using the hose for the hillside and the other using the garden hose connection to water down the spot fires and embers. Also, if you have two people I presume that you could wheel the unit to the other side of the pool while still fighting the fire with the hose, and without pulling the intake hose out of the pool. Might be a good selling point. Just a thought.
Always use non-ethanol fuel to stand by. Ok to run and test with standard fuel; however, burn all the fuel out of the engine before placing back into storage.
Keene Engineering manufactures the pump right here in Chatsworth California USA. The pump is a single stage pump, a 2 stage pump would be nice however we are trying to keep in light, portable and cost effective for the customer. IF you have a 2 stage you would add more cost, more weight and make it harder for the operator to use and handle. The engine we use is a GX200 Honda and this provides an abundance of power. We also offer the Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine 6.5 hp. You do not need 200 foot of head any more power the operator could not handle the system. A professional fire fighter may use a 200 foot head pump, but not everybody has the strength or stamina of a professional a fire fighter. This package has saved many homes over the years including my dad’s house. I have used up to 800 foot of hose however we did step up the hose diameter up to 2" to reduce the friction loss in the line. We also make some customer larger machines on request we have a full line of pump that we manufacture. You will not find a better system out there for average homeowner.
If you live in Malibu and have a pool there is no excuse to not own a pump. I was in Malibu Nov. 2018 and helped a friend fight the fire I was running 2 portable pumps each putting out 150 psi with four 1 1/2 lines and rooftop sprinklers one pump provided water for the sprinklers. NOW READ THIS the next fire in Malibu you will have NO electric or water due to Edison now cutting power in high winds plus no water due to high usage or pumping stations loosing power. Also for protection have goggles, Breathing filters I use 3m from Home depot there $20 and clothing that is burn resistant. There is NO better feeling then saving a home from fire.
Who manufactures the pumps? Is it single and double impeller, what model of the Honda GX engine? Do you know you will need more than 100ft of hose? You need to use a pump and engine that can do closer to 100psi. You need at least 200 ft of head. The best you can do is use this pump with a structure gel, like barricade gel and you should apply it to your property and home. Wet down first for a good 30 minutes to a hour, depending on your water supply. After a good wet down, cover that in the foam/gel. Also, invest in sprinklers. Not the 5/8 or 3/4" ones, get a 1" brass impact rainbird sprinkler. You need the volume and pressure. Also in a raging fire you have winds too, so be sure to cover a full 360 on your property. To protect your home too, you need to remove any drapes from the windows and put up mylar space blankets on the windows or aluminum foil. It will reflect the heat away. Most of the fires start from the radiant heat inside catching furniture and drapes on fire. Remember, your life is more important than your home, do all you can and then leave. Once you know you will use the pump, put as many garden hoses into your pool as you can, to keep it filling. It may give you 8 hours of water to the pump, but if you have your pool filling while its being drained, it helps gain you time. Plus if you leave, the fire teams come in, use the pump and pool, they wont care to refill your pool, if your hoses are already in and refilling then when you get home, your pool will be full again, and ready for use again. Stay Safe
Keene Engineering manufactures the pump right here in Chatsworth California USA. The pump is a single stage pump, a 2 stage pump would be nice however we are trying to keep in light, portable and cost effective for the customer. IF you have a 2 stage you would add more cost, more weight and make it harder for the operator to use and handle. The engine we use is a GX200 Honda and this provides an abundance of power. We also offer the Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine 6.5 hp. You do not need 200 foot of head any more power the operator could not handle the system. A professional fire fighter may use a 200 foot head pump, but not everybody has the strength or stamina of a professional a fire fighter. This package has saved many homes over the years including my dad’s house. I have used up to 800 foot of hose however we did step up the hose diameter up to 2" to reduce the friction loss in the line. We also make some customer larger machines on request we have a full line of pump that we manufacture. You will not find a better system out there for average homeowner.
Add a camlock fitting for the suction which is easier than that hose clamp and more universal, use premium grade gasoline to avoid drying out your carb gaskets with the ethanol gas now used, and even get a gated wye so you can run two hoses, and even get adapters so you can go down to 1" forestry hose.
The cam lock would be a good idea however we have intake that has proven to be a solid design. We use a T handle clamp design that works just fine and only takes seconds to attach and requires no tools. I am a firm believer that you do not leave fuel in the engine if possible or at least burn the fuel out of the carburetor and use a fuel stabilizer. I have tested our system with dual hoses 1" and to be honest I did prefer the single 1.5" hose. The 1" hose simply did not have the distance or flow, too much friction loss. I have used our fire fighter about 10 year ago at the same location you see in the video. My Dad Jerry Keene's home and with the foam injection it saved his house. The foam system was a little bit more primitive back 10 years ago but the wetting agent in the foam really saturated the hill side.
I shut off the fuel and run EVERYTHING out of fuel before long term storage....generator sets, motorcycles, 4 stroke garden equipment. After years of storage these things start right up. I'm glad you do that, too.
To let you know not all fire dep'ts can connect to your pump cause they use pipe thread or quick connect type of connection ..Wranglerstar has a unit you can see type of connections ..
Mark - who is promoting your firefighting unit in Reno, Nevada? I am interested in promoting it because we are having the level of fires that California is experiencing. How do I get in contact with you? Thanks for your time and efforts to protect home owners! Blessings!
There are all kinds of foam nozzles that can be used and added to our system. They have backpack type foam containers, 5-gallon jugs you can place on the ground, and suck the foam or gell concentrate can be hooked up to the discharge end hose. We use the one in the video due to the simplicity and easy handling. My late father, Jerry Keene, had to put out a fire when he was 80 years old and the lightweight double-handled bazooka looking device worked great and weighs almost nothing. My dad Jerry would have had a rough time carrying a backpack or having to dolly around 5-gallon containers. So we settled on the fast foam applicator. The fast foam gun has a 1" diameter by 12" long bar of soap that provides the foam. As the high-pressure water passes the bar of soap in the long chamber and breaks down the foam cartridge and mixes with the water and the second half of the bazooka creates the frothy foam. The foam is ideal for the wooded areas and any surface that can hold water. I sprayed water on my mom's rooftop for 60 seconds, and 90% of the water rolled right off the roof. I then added the fast foam applicator and sprayed on top of the roof for a few minutes, and no water came off the roof. The combination of the foam and wetting agents allowed the water to quickly soak into the roof rather than roll right off. This can be a big game-changer in some conditions
Inline eductor with the cheapest shitty soap works. I mean find the cheapest bulk laundry and or dish soap at costco and use that. It breaks the surface tension
Can you run the engine on 100LL aviation gas? I run all my dirt bikes and power equipment on 100LL in order to avoid ethanol that we get with gasoline. And it smells nice.,
We have bigger stronger pumps available. This is perfect for homeowners simple, lightweight easy to use, very reliable, serviceable, American-made, and overkill for most people. Now if you are a professional used to fire fighting is on the low-end side. We have been selling these for roughly 60 years and have saved hundreds of homes over the decades.
BUY VP FUEL ....NON ETHANOL 94 OCTANE 4 CYCLE SMALL ENGINE FUEL..... GUARANTEED FOR 5 YEARS UNOPENED....TH-camRS SAY 10 YEARS....AND OPENED 2 YEARS.... IT'S VERY Expensive BUT IN A EMERGENCY YOUR PUMP WILL START....
Mr. Keene, I wanted to thank you for this video. I watched it a few months back and decided I needed one myself. I ended up buying a Honda GX200 and the local fire department donated 200’ of 1.5” hose to me. I bought a nozzle on Amazon last week, it arrived Thursday and I tested it Friday. Yesterday (Saturday 6/6/2020), only 24 hours after my little system became operational, the Quail Fire in Winters, CA broke out. I used the system to soak my property before evacuating. I called dispatch and told them where it was located and that I had it hooked up to a 7,000 gallon pool ready to go. Last night the fire department used it to defend the house, draining all but several hundred gallons during high-winds on the top of my hillside. This video inspired me to take this step. I still have a home because of this. Thank you and please add this to your list of homes saved!
Every LA homes need this
I found this video a few months ago after researching home fire protection, and decided after both the Hill/Woolsey fires last year and the recent fire in Saddleridge, it was time to make the purchase.
I bought this same unit with the Honda motor from Mark and Pat Keene this past week. They spent a lot of time on the phone and in-person teaching me best practices for preparing for this fire season, and making sure I have the right set up for our property.
I fired it up for the first time today and it worked perfectly. The build quality is first class, and I’m glad it’s locally made.
Thanks again Pat and Mark. And Mark, thanks for helping load it up in my truck!
Tom
Kevin is so important to be prepared. Honestly, I do not understand why more people do not buy these. If you have a pool this is cheap insurance and peace of mind. I was at a local Starbucks in malibu the other day and a guy recognized my Keene T shirt and came up to me and showed me pictures of him using a Keene firefighter to save his home. You should have seen these amazing pictures the red glowing clouds of smoke, him spaying water down his yard. I believe he said that he also save the neighbors on both sides of him as well. Most of the other homes in the local area were lost. I requested him to share the pictures with me and he told me not yet we are doing a documentary with one of the big tv shows. Another reason to buy a Keene pump everything is made here in the usa and pumps are made right here in our factory. Most of the other system is using chines motors pumps etc good luck every getting service or spare parts. This is quality stuff and we can service if locally. I am even dropping one-off in the morning after a quick surf session.
great to see you guys using the internet finally to promote your products!
After the 2017 Wine Country fires and LA fires in December 2017 these units should be flying out the door. I'd buy one if I had a pool! That's a dirt cheap price to pay to save your home.
In 1965 I was 12 years old and took the LA County SCUBA course at a pool and dive store in the San Fernando Valley, maybe Sherman Oaks? The pool had Keene floating gold dredges in the shop and I think the fellow there was Bill Keene who built them. Something tells me that you guys are related....
My dive instructor was Dave Bunch. Those were good times. Where did 53 years go?
I agree a tft nozzle would be great however the cost would drive the price of the product up by several hundred dollars. I have used the nozzle in a fire and it worked amazing well.
I never saw the balance of your comments, very informative and will be sure to pass it on.
There are all kinds of foam nozzles that can be used and added to our system. They have backpack type foam containers, 5-gallon jugs you can place on the ground, and suck the foam or gell concentrate can be hooked up to the discharge end hose. We use the one in the video due to the simplicity and easy handling. My late father, Jerry Keene, had to put out a fire when he was 80 years old and the lightweight double-handled bazooka looking device worked great and weighs almost nothing. My dad Jerry would have had a rough time carrying a backpack or having to dolly around 5-gallon containers. So we settled on the fast foam applicator. The fast foam gun has a 1" diameter by 12" long bar of soap that provides the foam. As the high-pressure water passes the bar of soap in the long chamber and breaks down the foam cartridge and mixes with the water and the second half of the bazooka creates the frothy foam. The foam is ideal for the wooded areas and any surface that can hold water. I sprayed water on my mom's rooftop for 60 seconds, and 90% of the water rolled right off the roof. I then added the fast foam applicator and sprayed on top of the roof for a few minutes, and no water came off the roof. The combination of the foam and wetting agents allowed the water to quickly soak into the roof rather than roll right off. This can be a big game-changer in some conditions
By the way, the foam cartridges last for roughly one hour
Just a thought on the video production, if you revise this version:
If you had two people in the video, you could show how one person is using the hose for the hillside and the other using the garden hose connection to water down the spot fires and embers.
Also, if you have two people I presume that you could wheel the unit to the other side of the pool while still fighting the fire with the hose, and without pulling the intake hose out of the pool. Might be a good selling point. Just a thought.
Always use non-ethanol fuel to stand by. Ok to run and test with standard fuel; however, burn all the fuel out of the engine before placing back into storage.
Keene Engineering manufactures the pump right here in Chatsworth California USA. The pump is a single stage pump, a 2 stage pump would be nice however we are trying to keep in light, portable and cost effective for the customer. IF you have a 2 stage you would add more cost, more weight and make it harder for the operator to use and handle. The engine we use is a GX200 Honda and this provides an abundance of power. We also offer the Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine 6.5 hp. You do not need 200 foot of head any more power the operator could not handle the system. A professional fire fighter may use a 200 foot head pump, but not everybody has the strength or stamina of a professional a fire fighter. This package has saved many homes over the years including my dad’s house. I have used up to 800 foot of hose however we did step up the hose diameter up to 2" to reduce the friction loss in the line. We also make some customer larger machines on request we have a full line of pump that we manufacture. You will not find a better system out there for average homeowner.
If you live in Malibu and have a pool there is no excuse to not own a pump. I was in Malibu Nov. 2018 and helped a friend fight the fire I was running 2 portable pumps each putting out 150 psi with four 1 1/2 lines and rooftop sprinklers one pump provided water for the sprinklers. NOW READ THIS the next fire in Malibu you will have NO electric or water due to Edison now cutting power in high winds plus no water due to high usage or pumping stations loosing power. Also for protection have goggles, Breathing filters I use 3m from Home depot there $20 and clothing that is burn resistant. There is NO better feeling then saving a home from fire.
Who manufactures the pumps? Is it single and double impeller, what model of the Honda GX engine? Do you know you will need more than 100ft of hose? You need to use a pump and engine that can do closer to 100psi. You need at least 200 ft of head. The best you can do is use this pump with a structure gel, like barricade gel and you should apply it to your property and home. Wet down first for a good 30 minutes to a hour, depending on your water supply. After a good wet down, cover that in the foam/gel. Also, invest in sprinklers. Not the 5/8 or 3/4" ones, get a 1" brass impact rainbird sprinkler. You need the volume and pressure. Also in a raging fire you have winds too, so be sure to cover a full 360 on your property.
To protect your home too, you need to remove any drapes from the windows and put up mylar space blankets on the windows or aluminum foil. It will reflect the heat away. Most of the fires start from the radiant heat inside catching furniture and drapes on fire. Remember, your life is more important than your home, do all you can and then leave.
Once you know you will use the pump, put as many garden hoses into your pool as you can, to keep it filling. It may give you 8 hours of water to the pump, but if you have your pool filling while its being drained, it helps gain you time. Plus if you leave, the fire teams come in, use the pump and pool, they wont care to refill your pool, if your hoses are already in and refilling then when you get home, your pool will be full again, and ready for use again.
Stay Safe
Keene Engineering manufactures the pump right here in Chatsworth California USA. The pump is a single stage pump, a 2 stage pump would be nice however we are trying to keep in light, portable and cost effective for the customer. IF you have a 2 stage you would add more cost, more weight and make it harder for the operator to use and handle. The engine we use is a GX200 Honda and this provides an abundance of power. We also offer the Briggs and Stratton Vanguard engine 6.5 hp. You do not need 200 foot of head any more power the operator could not handle the system. A professional fire fighter may use a 200 foot head pump, but not everybody has the strength or stamina of a professional a fire fighter. This package has saved many homes over the years including my dad’s house. I have used up to 800 foot of hose however we did step up the hose diameter up to 2" to reduce the friction loss in the line. We also make some customer larger machines on request we have a full line of pump that we manufacture. You will not find a better system out there for average homeowner.
Add a camlock fitting for the suction which is easier than that hose clamp and more universal, use premium grade gasoline to avoid drying out your carb gaskets with the ethanol gas now used, and even get a gated wye so you can run two hoses, and even get adapters so you can go down to 1" forestry hose.
The cam lock would be a good idea however we have intake that has proven to be a solid design. We use a T handle clamp design that works just fine and only takes seconds to attach and requires no tools. I am a firm believer that you do not leave fuel in the engine if possible or at least burn the fuel out of the carburetor and use a fuel stabilizer. I have tested our system with dual hoses 1" and to be honest I did prefer the single 1.5" hose. The 1" hose simply did not have the distance or flow, too much friction loss. I have used our fire fighter about 10 year ago at the same location you see in the video. My Dad Jerry Keene's home and with the foam injection it saved his house. The foam system was a little bit more primitive back 10 years ago but the wetting agent in the foam really saturated the hill side.
I shut off the fuel and run EVERYTHING out of fuel before long term storage....generator sets, motorcycles, 4 stroke garden equipment.
After years of storage these things start right up. I'm glad you do that, too.
To let you know not all fire dep'ts can connect to your pump cause they use pipe thread or quick connect type of connection ..Wranglerstar has a unit you can see type of connections ..
We use a NFT threads on our fire hose so yes the fire department should have no problem taping into our a fire thread on the pump.
Mark - who is promoting your firefighting unit in Reno, Nevada? I am interested in promoting it because we are having the level of fires that California is experiencing. How do I get in contact with you? Thanks for your time and efforts to protect home owners! Blessings!
Feel free to contact me at 8189930411 or email me a mark@keeneeng.com.
Can this be used with a foam machine
There are all kinds of foam nozzles that can be used and added to our system. They have backpack type foam containers, 5-gallon jugs you can place on the ground, and suck the foam or gell concentrate can be hooked up to the discharge end hose. We use the one in the video due to the simplicity and easy handling. My late father, Jerry Keene, had to put out a fire when he was 80 years old and the lightweight double-handled bazooka looking device worked great and weighs almost nothing. My dad Jerry would have had a rough time carrying a backpack or having to dolly around 5-gallon containers. So we settled on the fast foam applicator. The fast foam gun has a 1" diameter by 12" long bar of soap that provides the foam. As the high-pressure water passes the bar of soap in the long chamber and breaks down the foam cartridge and mixes with the water and the second half of the bazooka creates the frothy foam. The foam is ideal for the wooded areas and any surface that can hold water. I sprayed water on my mom's rooftop for 60 seconds, and 90% of the water rolled right off the roof. I then added the fast foam applicator and sprayed on top of the roof for a few minutes, and no water came off the roof. The combination of the foam and wetting agents allowed the water to quickly soak into the roof rather than roll right off. This can be a big game-changer in some conditions
Make sure you turn your pool power off to save your pool pump system
Inline eductor with the cheapest shitty soap works. I mean find the cheapest bulk laundry and or dish soap at costco and use that. It breaks the surface tension
Can you run the engine on 100LL aviation gas? I run all my dirt bikes and power equipment on 100LL in order to avoid ethanol that we get with gasoline. And it smells nice.,
I am not sure about the aviation gas. It sounds like it would work fine. My dad had a can of stabilized fuel that he kept on hand.
So let's say a person wanted to hydraulic mine a part of their own property to expose a quartz vein would this unit do the job?
Yes it would do the job. However, I would not since you could get in big trouble. We all need to work at keeping our environment pristine.
Under powered and lacking multiple attack lines. 60 psi is waaay to weak. Just sayin.
We have bigger stronger pumps available. This is perfect for homeowners simple, lightweight easy to use, very reliable, serviceable, American-made, and overkill for most people. Now if you are a professional used to fire fighting is on the low-end side. We have been selling these for roughly 60 years and have saved hundreds of homes over the decades.
Poor choice of Nozzle. Get a 1 inch TFT on that and see the difference
BUY VP FUEL ....NON ETHANOL 94 OCTANE 4 CYCLE SMALL ENGINE FUEL..... GUARANTEED FOR 5 YEARS UNOPENED....TH-camRS SAY 10 YEARS....AND OPENED 2 YEARS.... IT'S VERY Expensive BUT IN A EMERGENCY YOUR PUMP WILL START....