CVFD Training – Hose Practices

CVFD Training – Hose Practices SFFMA Training Objectives: 4-01.01,.02,.05,.06,.07,.08,.09,.10,.11,.13,.14

Fire Hose • Produced in different diameters, each for specific purposes • Size refers to outside diameter • Most commonly cut, coupled into pieces of 50 or 100 feet (15 or 30 m) (Continued) Firefighter I

Fire Hose Firefighter I

Intake Hose • Used to connect fire department pumper or portable pump to water source • Two groups • Soft intake hose • Hard intake hose Firefighter I

NFPA® Standards • NFPA® 1961, Standard on Fire Hose, lists specifications for fire hose • NFPA® 1963, Standard for Fire Hose Connections, lists specifications for fire hose couplings and screw threads (Continued) Firefighter I

NFPA® Standards • NFPA® 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, requires pumpers to carry varying sizes/amounts of hose Firefighter I

Fire Hose Damage — Mechanical • Slices, rips, abrasions on coverings • Crushed/damaged couplings • Cracked inner linings • Certain practices prevent damage Firefighter I

Fire Hose Damage — Thermal • Excessive heat/direct flame contact can char, melt, weaken outer jacket and dehydrate rubber lining • Inner linings can be dehydrated when hose hangs to dry too long • Certain practices prevent damage Firefighter I

Fire Hose Damage — Organic • Rubber-jacket hose not subject to damage caused by living organism, but this is a problem on hose with woven jacket of natural fiber if stored wet • Mildew, mold rot fibers of hose jacket, causing hose to rupture under pressure (Continued) Firefighter I

Fire Hose Damage — Organic • If outer jacket made of synthetic fibers, will resist organic damage • Outer jacket of some natural-fiber hose has been chemically treated to resist mildew, mold; not always 100 percent effective • Certain practices prevent damage Firefighter I

Fire Hose Damage — Chemical • Chemicals, chemical vapors can damage outer jacket on hose or cause rubber lining to separate from inner jacket • When hose exposed to petroleum products, paints, acids, alkalis, may be weakened (Continued) Firefighter I

Fire Hose Damage — Chemical Runoff water from fire may carry foreign materials that can damage hose Certain practices prevent damage Firefighter I

Washing Hose • Method depends on type of hose • Hard rubber booster hose, hard intake hose, rubber-jacket collapsible hose • Woven-jacket fire hose (Continued) Firefighter I

Washing Hose • When jacket exposed to oil • Wash with mild soap/detergent using common scrub brush • Make sure oil completely removed • Thoroughly rinse with clear water (Continued) Firefighter I

Washing Hose • Hose washing machines • Can make care, maintenance easier • Wash almost any size fire hose up to 3 inches (77 mm) • Flow of water into device can be adjusted as desired • Movement of water assists in propelling hose through device (Continued) Firefighter I

Washing Hose • Hose washing machines • Hoseline that supplies water can be connected to pumper or used from hydrant • Higher water pressure equals better results • Cabinet-type machine Courtesy of Thomas Locke and South Union Volunteer Fire Company. Firefighter I

Drying Hose • Woven-jacket must be thoroughly dried before being reloaded on apparatus • Methods depend on type of hose • Should be in accordance with SOP, manufacturer’s recommendations • Some may be placed on apparatus wet with no ill effects Firefighter I

DISCUSSION QUESTION How is hose washed in your department? Firefighter I

Storing Hose • After hose has been brushed, washed, dried, should be rolled and stored in suitable racks unless it is to be placed back on apparatus (Continued) Firefighter I

Storing Hose • Hose racks • Located in clean, well-ventilated room or close to apparatus • Can be freestanding on floor or mounted permanently on wall • If mobile, can be used to store and move hose Firefighter I

Threaded Fire Hose Couplings • Consist of two major components • Male — External threads • Female — Internal threads (Continued) Firefighter I

DISCUSSION QUESTION Why is it important to be able to differentiate between the male and female couplings during search and rescue operations? Firefighter I

Threaded Fire Hose Couplings • Disadvantage — One male, one female necessary to make connection unless double-male or double-female adapter used (Continued) Firefighter I

Threaded Fire Hose Couplings • Intake hose • Sometimes equipped with two-piece female hose couplings on each end • Threaded hose couplings on large intake hose equipped with extended lugs providing handles for attaching to hydrant outlet/pump intake • Shank — Portion of coupling that serves as point of attachment to hose (Continued) Firefighter I

Threaded Fire Hose Couplings • Lugs • Aid in tightening, loosening couplings • Aid in grasping coupling when making, breaking coupling connections • Types (Continued) Firefighter I

DISCUSSION QUESTION Which lugs do you think are the best to use? Why? Firefighter I

Threaded Fire Hose Couplings • Higbee cut • Special type of thread design • Eliminates cross-threading • One rocker lug on each half has small indentation to mark where Higbee cut begins Firefighter I

Storz Couplings • Referred to as sexless couplings • No distinct male/female components • Identical to, may be connected to other Storz couplings of same size • Designed to be connected/disconnected with quarter turn (Continued) Firefighter I

Storz Couplings • Have lugs, slots built into swivel rings of each coupling for locking • Must have locking devices if attached to large-diameter hose Firefighter I

Rules for Care of Fire Hose Couplings • Avoid dropping/dragging • Do not permit vehicles to run over hose • Inspect couplings when hose washed/dried • Remove gasket, twist swivel in warm, soapy water (Continued) Firefighter I

Rules for Care of Fire Hose Couplings • Clean threads to remove tar, dirt, gravel, oil • Inspect gasket, replace if cracked/creased Firefighter I

Cleaning Fire Hose Couplings • Hose-washing machines will not clean sufficiently • Swivel part should be submerged in warm, soapy water and worked forward and backward (Continued) Firefighter I

Cleaning Fire Hose Couplings • Male threads should be cleaned with stiff brush • Wire brush may be necessary • Swivel gasket • Expansion-ring gasket Firefighter I

DISCUSSION QUESTION What is a complete hose layout? Firefighter I

Hose Appliances • Any piece of hardware used with fire hose to deliver water (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Appliances • Valves • Control flow of water in hoselines, at hydrants, at pumpers • Ball valves • Gate valves • Butterfly valves • Clapper valves (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Appliances • Valve devices • Allow number of hoselines operating on fire ground to be increased/decreased • Wye appliances • Siamese appliances (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Appliances • Valve devices • Water thief appliances • Large-diameter hose appliances • Hydrant valves (Continued) Firefighter I

DISCUSSION QUESTION What are some other names for hydrant valves? Firefighter I

Hose Appliances • Fittings (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Appliances • Intake strainers • Devices attached to drafting end of hard intake to keep debris from entering fire pump • Guidelines for use Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Hose roller • Prevents damage to hose that can occur when dragged over sharp corners such as roof edges, windowsills (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Hose roller • Consists of metal frame with two or more rollers • Can be used for protecting rope from similar edges (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Hose jacket • Can be installed on ruptured section of hoseline to temporarily close rupture (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Hose jacket • Consists of hinged two-piece metal cylinder • Made in two sizes • Encloses hose so can operate at full power • Can be used to connect mismatched hose (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Hose clamp • Can be used to stop flow of water in hoseline (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Hose clamp • Three types — Screw-down, press-down, hydraulic press • Can injure firefighters/damage hose • Several general rules for use (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Spanner • Used to tighten/loosen couplings • May have other built-in features (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Hydrant wrench • Used to remove caps from hydrant outlets, open hydrant valves • Equipped with pentagonal opening fitting most standard hydrant operating nuts • May be equipped with spanner (Continued) Firefighter I

Hose Tools • Rubber mallet — Strike lugs to tighten/loosen couplings • Hose bridge/ramp • Helps prevent damage to hose • Should be used where hose laid across street • Can be positioned over small spills • Can be used as chafing blocks (Continued) Firefighter I

CVFD Training – Hose Practices