USES OF FIRE HOSE

Fire Attack Relaying - Supplying

Drafting or Intake

2½” to 6”

Hard Suction

Intake Hose

Used to draft water from a open water source

Rubber covered, fabric and wire reinforced, and rubber lined

Designed to withstand the partial vacuum created when drafting without collapsing

4” to 6” Woven Jacket Intake Hose

Primarily used for connecting to hydrants

11/2" to 5" Impregnated

Single-Jacket,

Polymer Covered,

Fabric Reinforced,

Polymer line

Smaller sizes are used for attack lines

Larger sizes are typically used as supply lines

1” to 3”

Woven

Jacket

Attack lines

3/4" or 1"

Rubber-covered

Rubber-lined

Booster Hose

Avoid sharp and rough corners

Prevent vehicles from crossing

Prevent water hammer

Avoid excessive pressures

Protect from excessive heat

Don’t dry on hot pavement

Keep from vehicle exhaust

Remove all wet hose and replace with dry hose

All hose should have water run through it every 90 days

Avoid laying hose in gutters or where vehicles have parked

Higbee Cut

Higbee

Indicator

Threaded Couplings

Storz-type

Couplings

Couplings are identical

Connected or disconnected with a one-quarter turn

COUPLING HOSE

Foot Tilt

Method

Place one foot behind the male coupling

Apply pressure to tilt it upward

Bring the couplings together and turn the swivel completely onto the male end and align the flat sides of hose in same plane

COUPLING HOSE

Knee-Press

MethodStand male coupling on end

Place the female coupling onto the male and place a knee onto the hose above the female coupling

Keep thigh in vertical plane with coupling and apply body weight to connections

COUPLING HOSE

Two-Fire

Fighter

Method

One fire fighter holds the male coupling with both hands against the upper thigh

This fire fighter looks away to prevent trying to help align the couplings

The second fire fighter brings the female coupling to the male coupling and completes the connection

UNCOUPLING HOSE

Knee press

method

Stiff arm

method

HOSE APPLIANCES: allow water to flow through

Valves

Control the flow of water

Gated Wye Appliances

Divides one hose

into two or more

with ball valves to

control the flow

Used to combine two or more hoses into one hoseline or appliance

Siamese Appliances

Adapters

Reducers

AdaptorsUsed to connect hose couplings with the same

size with similar threads

Double

female

Double

male

Reducers

Used to reduce

an outlet to a

smaller size

Solid

Stream

Nozzles

Greater reach and

penetration than fog nozzles

A stream of water shaped

previous to discharge

Less likely to disturb thermal layer

Create a stream of fine

water droplets to expose

the maximum water

surface for heat

absorption

FOG STREAM NOZZLES

Discharge pattern and

amount of water can be

adjusted

Cellar nozzle

Distributor nozzle

Foam nozzles

Penetrating/

Piercing

nozzles

Hydrant wrenches:

Used to remove caps

from hydrants and

open hydrant valves

Spanner wrenches:

To tighten and loosen couplings

As wedge for prying

Opening to fit gas utility valves

Used to stop the flow of water in a

hoseline

HOSE CLAMP

Hose strap, hose rope, and hose chain:

Aids in carrying and handling charged hoselines

STRAIGHT ROLL

Used for:

Storage

Carrying hose

to quarters

Loading hose

on apparatus

STRAIGHT ROLL

Start at male end to protect

threads

Roll hose from male to female

end

DONUT ROLL

For situations when hose is going to be deployed from the roll for use

DONUT ROLL

Lay the hose in straight line

Start the roll about five feet off center closer to male coupling

Roll toward the female end

TWIN DONUT ROLL

A compact roll transportable for special applications, such as high-rise situations

TWIN DONUT ROLL

Place the male and female couplings together and lay the hose flat forming two parallel lines

Fold the loop end over and on to the two lines

Roll both lines simultaneously toward the couplings

Check gaskets and swivel before connecting a coupling

Keep flat sides in same plane

Do not use spanners to tighten couplings

Remove wrinkles from inside of bends

Use “dutchmen” where necessary

Do not pack hose too tightly

Hose Loading Factors

Easy to load and advance

Hose sets on edge

Places bends at each end of

hose bed

All flakes are about the same

length

Accordion Load

Accordion Load

Lay the first section of hose in the bed on edge against the bed side

Fold the hose at the front of the bed and back on itself

Lay the hose back to the rear next to the first length

Continue laying lengths of the hose to the front and rear

Hose is

subject to

wear by

vibration

FLAT LOAD

Easiest to

load

Lay the first length flat along the side of the bed or partition

Fold the hose at the rear

Lay the next length back to the front, angling it to the side of the first length for the next length

Fold the hose back on itself at the front and lay it back to the rear on top of the first length

Apply a water stream directly to

the burning material

Purposes of Fire Streams

Reduce high atmospheric

temperature and disperse hot

smoke and gases

Permit closer proximity

Protect fire fighters and property

from heat

Keep nozzles closed during makeup or

movement of the line

Nozzle Handling Precautions

Do not drop or drag nozzles

Keep nozzles closed during makeup or

movement of the line

Release trapped air from hoselines before moving

into fire area

Do not drop or drag nozzles

Operate all valves and nozzles slowly to prevent

water hammer

Nozzle Handling Precautions

Move forward of nozzle if control of the line is lost

Operate all valves and nozzles slowly to prevent

water hammer

Improper use of nozzle may upset the thermal balance

Move forward of nozzle if control of the line is lost

Fire Stream Handling Precautions

Wear protective equipment

Feel way and keep low

Wear protective equipment

Work in pairs

Feel way and keep low

Always advance with a charged line

Work in pairs

If in retreat, close nozzle & follow hose out

Always advance with a charged line

Handling Fire Streams

Hold the nozzle with one hand with the other hand on the hose behind the nozzle

The hose should be straight for about 10-feet behind the nozzle

Cradle the hose against the inside of the closest leg or hold it against the hip

Place a foot on the hose to anchor it in place

11/2” or 13/4” Attack Lines

One Fire Fighter Method

11/2” or 13/4” Attack Lines

Two Fire Fighter MethodHandling Fire Streams

The backup fire fighter stands on the same side of the hose about three feet behind the nozzleperson

The second fire fighter holds the hose with both hands and rests it against the hip or braces it with a leg

The backup fire fighter should keep both hands on the hose and not place a hand on the back of the nozzleperson

The backup fire fighter's job is to keep the hose straight and take some of the pressure off of the nozzleperson

HYDRANT

OPERATION

Turn operating nut in direction of arrow (usually counterclockwise)

Open and close hydrant slowly and fully

If time permits, flush the hydrant before connecting hoses

To test the ability for a hydrant to drain:

After flowing water, close the hydrant and cap all discharges except one

Place a hand over the open discharge

A slight vacuum should be felt on the hand as the barrel drains

FORWARD LAY PROCEDURE

Fire fighter wraps hose around hydrant and signals driver to lay line

After several sections are laid, the hose is unwrapped and attached to the hydrant

The person at the hydrant should be in radio contact with the pump operator to know when to charge the supply line

Pumper stops about 10’ past hydrant

Enough hose is pulled to wrap around hydrant (about 30’ of hose)

Pumper stops at scene or attack pumper

REVERSE LAY PROCEDURE

When signaled, driver lays line to hydrant

Pumper stops at hydrant and makes connection with suction hose

Fire fighter connects supply line to intake on attack pumper at scene

Fire fighter pulls enough hose to reach intake of attack pumper and anchors hose

Debris, sediment, and rocks can clog strainers and nozzles and damage pumps

Hard suction hoses must have strainers in place when drafting from a natural source

Strainers can be supported by a ladder or floating strainer used to prevent hose from drawing in sediment

Any static water source can be used for drafting if there is enough water and no contamination

Drafting

Operations

Suitable water source must be located for adequate water supply and to allow positioning of pumper nearby

Hard suction hose is attached to intake on pumper

Strainer or floating strainer is attached to hard suction

All connections must be air tight to allow for adequate draft

Pumper pulls a draft by priming the pump until positive pressure is indicated

Drafting

Operations

If unable to achieve draft, tighten connections with rubber mallet

Drafting

Operations

If still unable to get draft, lift of water may be too great for pumper to overcome

Rural operations usually consist of tanker shuttle operations

Water is hauled from a supply to portable tanks where it can be drawn to the attack

pumper

Water supply officers should be both the fill site and dump site

Personnel should be assigned to traffic control, fill site connections and dumping

To be

successful,

fast-fill and

fast-dump

times are

required

If possible, tanker drivers should stay in their vehicles during the operations

Dump site -normally near the fire scene

Portable tanks

Pumper drafting from tanks

Low-level strainers may be used to get the most water from the portable tanks

Water supply officer

ESTABLISHING A TANKER SHUTTLE

DESIGNATION OF KEY ELEMENTS

Fill site(s)

Dump siteEquipment assignments

Direction of travel

Set up portable tanks

ESTABLISHING A TANKER SHUTTLE

Protect bottom by placing a tarp on the ground

Open tank

Position of drain downhill

Gravity dumping through large dumps

Jet dumps increase the flow from dump valves

Pumping off water

TANKER UNLOADING OPERATIONS