Chapter 15: Fire Hose, Appliances, And Nozzles Flashcards
Most fire departments use either 1 1/2 or 1 3/4 inch hose as their primary attack hose. They both have the same size couplings. What size are they?
1 1/2 inch couplings
What is the primary difference between 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 inch hose?
The amount of water that can flow through the hose.
Depending on the pressure in the hose and the type of nozzle being used, what is the range of an 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 inch hose can flow?
1 1/2 inch hose can flow between 60-125 gpm.
1 3/4 inch hose can flow between 120-180 gpm.
Booster Hose Line
A 1 inch diameter hose, usually carried on a hose reel that holds 150 ft or 200 ft of hard rubber hose. Contains a reinforcement material that gives it a ridged shape, in which this rigid shape allows the hose to flow water without pulling all of the hose off the reel. Flow range 40 to 50 gpm. Used typically for small outdoor fires and trash dumpster fires. Should not be used for structural fires.
- How much can a 2 1/2 flow?
- How much does a 50 ft dry length of 2 1/2 inch hose weigh?
- How much does a 50ft charged 2 1/2 inch hose weigh?
- 250 gpm
- 30 Lbs
- 140 Lbs
2 1/2 inch hose
Can be used as an attack or supply hose, but most often and attack hose. Used as an attack hose for interior attacks in large buildings and for exterior attacks.
3 Inch Hose
Often used as a supply hose. When used as an attack line, it is often used to deliver water to portable monitors, deck guns, and aerial master stream appliances.
Large Diameter Hose (LDH)
Ranges in diameters from 3 1/2-6 inches. Standard length of 50 ft per length or sometimes 100 ft. Water flow ranges from 350-1500 gpm. Used to deliver water to master stream appliances. NFPA recommends that a fire pumper carry at least 800 ft to 1250 ft of supply hose.
Subtitle: Hose Construction (Answer)
Most fire hose is constructed with an inner waterproof liner surrounded by either one or two outer layers or reinforcements. The outer layer is commonly referred to as the jacket. The jacket provides the strength needed to withstand the high pressure exerted by the water inside the hose.
- Single Jacket Hose
- Multiple Jacket (Double Jacket Hose)
- A hose constructed with one layer of woven synthetic fiber.
- A hose constructed with two or more layers. The outer layer is bonded to the inner woven layer. The jacket served as a protective covering, while the inner layer provided most of the strength needed to keep the hose from rupturing under pressure.
Hose Liner
Inner part of layer of the hose. Prevents water from leaking out of the hose and provides a smooth inside surface for water to move against. Without this smooth surface, excessive friction would arise between the moving water and the inside of the hose, reducing the amount of pressure that could reach the nozzle.
Threaded Hose Couplings
Used on most hose that are up to 3 inches in diameter. A length of fire hose has a male hose coupling with threads on the outside on one end and a female hose coupling with threads on the inside of the other end of the hose. The females hose coupling has a swivel, enabling a female end to secure around a male end without twisting the hose. Because a length of fire hose has a male and female coupling, the use of double male and double female adaptors is necessary in some situations.
Five Piece Coupling Set
When FF need to attach a smaller hose to a larger hose or when they need to connect two hose that possess different threads, a reducer or adaptor can be added to both male and female hose couplings. They call this a Five Piece Coupling Set.
What’s a disadvantage of threaded hose couplings?
They are prone to cross threading, which can result in leakage and possible separation.
Spanner Wrench
Threaded Hose Coupling’s are constructed with lugs (extensions or indentations) that provide leverage to aid in the coupling and uncoupling of hose couplings. There are 3 types of Lugs. What are they?
- Pin Lugs
- Recessed Lugs
- Rocker Lugs
Higbee Indicator
A notch or cut in the outside of one of the luge that indicates the position of the first thread on a coupling.
Rubber Swivel Gasket (O- Ring)
An O shape piece of rubber that sits inside the swivel section of the female hose coupling. When a male hose coupling is tightened against it, it forms a seal that prevents water from leaking. If it is damage or missing, the hose couplings will leaks
Storz-type Hose Coupling (Nonthreaded)
Designed so that the couplings on both end of the hose are the same. There is no male or female end. Each coupling can be attached to any other coupling of the same diameter. To connect, turn clockwise to lock in position and to disconnect, counter clockwise. Fire hydrants are not equipped with Storz-type hose couplings, so FF need to bring an Storz-type adaptor to connect to the LDH.
Subtitle: Supply Hose (Answer)
Used to deliver water to an attack engine from a pressurized source, such as a fire hydrant, or from a supply engine that may be operating from a hydrant or from a static water source. NFPA recommends that a fire pumper carry at least 800 ft to 1250 ft of supply hose. Must be tested annually at least 200 psi or at a pressure not to exceed the service test pressure marked on the hose. It is intended to be used at pressures up to 185 psi.
Forward Hose Lay
Hose laid out from the fire hydrant or supply engine, to the fire.
Reverse Hose Lay
Hose lay from the fire to the hydrant or supply engine.
Suction Hose
Used to supply water to the suction (or intake) side of the fire pump. There are two different types of suction hose, a soft sleeve suction hose and a hard suction hose.
Soft Sleeve Suction Hose (Soft Suction Hose)
Is a short section of large diameter supply hose that is used to provide water from the large steamer outlet (the large port) on a fire hydrant or other pressurized water source to the suction side of the fire pump.
Hard Suction Hose
A short section of a ridged hose that is used to draft water from a static source such as a river, lake, or portable drafting basin to the suction side of the fire pump on a fire department engine or into a portable pump. It can also be used to carry water from a fire hydrant to the pumper. Usually come in 10ft or 20ft sections and can be as large as six inches. Can be made by rubber or plastic, but the plastic version is much lighter and more flexible. Long handles are provided on the female couplings of a hard suction hose to assist in tightening the hose. To draft water, it is essential to have an airtight connection at each coupling. Sometimes you will need a mallet to tighten or loosen it. Tapping it with anything metal can cause damage.
Subtitle: Hose Rolls
Straight or Storage Hose Roll
Used generally for handling or transporting a hose, as well as for rack storage of hose. Male coupling is at the center of the roll and the female coupling is on the outside of the roll
Single- Doughnut Hose Roll
Used when the hose will be out into use directly from the rolled state. With this arrangement, and for easy access, both couplings are on the outside of the roll. The hose can be connect and extended by one FF. The hose unrolls as it is extended.
- Lay the hose flat and in a straight line.
- Locate the midpoint of the hose and from the midpoint, move 5 ft toward the make coupling end. From this point, start rolling.
- At the end of the roll, wrap the excess hose of the female end over the make coupling to protect the threads on the male coupling. With this arrangement, and easy access, both couplings are on the outside of the roll.
Twin-Donut Hose Roll
Used primarily to make a small compact roll that can be carried easily.
- Lay the hose flat and in a straight line and then bring the male coupling alongside the females coupling.
- Fold the far end over, and roll both sections of hose toward the couplings, creating a double roll. It can be carried by hand, by rope or by a hose strap.
Self Locking Twin-Doughnut
Similar to a twin doughnut, but it forms it’s own loop.
- Lay the hose flat and bring the couplings alongside of each other.
- Move one side of the hose over the other, creating a loop. This creates the carrying shoulder loop.
- Bring the loop back toward the couplings to the point where the hose crosses.
- From the point where the hose crosses, begin to roll the hose toward the couplings.
- Position the loops so that one is larger than the other. Pass the larger loop over the couplings and through the smaller loop, which secured the rolls together and forms the shoulder loop. The finished result is the self-locking twin doughnut roll.
Gated Wye
Equipped with two quarter turn ball valves so that the flow of water to each of the split lines or outlets can be controlled independently. The use of a gated wye avoids the need to shut down the hose supplying the eye to attach the second hose.
Water Thief
Similar to a gated wye, but includes a 2 1/2 inch inlet, a 2 1/2 inch outlet, and two 1 1/2 inch outlets. It is used to supply many hose from one source. Used primarily on attack hose, and larger one’s are used with LDH. The water that comes from a single 2 1/2 inch inlet can be directed to two 1 1/2 inch outlets or one 2 1/2 inch outlet. Under most conditions, it is not possible to supply all three outlets at the same time because the capacity of the supply hose is limited. It can be placed near the entrance of a building to provide the water for interior attack hose. One 1 1/2 or two 1 1/2 can be used as an attack line, or they both can be shut down and a 2 1/2 inch hose can be used. Sometimes the 2 1/2 is used to knock down the fire and the two 1 1/2 are used for overhaul.
Siamese Connection
A hose appliance that combined two or more hose lines into one. The most commonly used type of Siamese connection combines two 2 1/2 inch hose lines into a single 2 1/2 inch hose line. This scheme increases the flow of water on the outlet side of the Siamese connection. A Siamese connection that is used with threaded couplings has two female inlets and one male outlet. It may be equipped with quarter turn ball valves or clapper valve mechanisms. Used to supply hose and as an attack hose. A Siamese connection is sometimes used on an engine inlet to allow water to be received from two different supply lines. Also used to supply master stream appliances and ladder pipes. They are also commonly installed in the FDC that are used to supply water to standpipe and sprinkler system buildings.
Adaptors: There are two types of adaptors. What are they?
Are devices that allow fire hose couplings to be safely interconnected with couplings of different sizes, threads, or mating surfacing or that allow fire hose couplings to be safely connected to other appliances.
Double female adaptor: Used to join two male hose couplings.
Double male adaptor: Used to join two female hose couplings.
They both are often employed when performing a reverse hose lay.
Reducers
A type of adaptor used to attach a smaller- diameter hose to a larger- diameter hose. Usually the larger end has a female connection and the smaller end has a male connection. One type of reducer is used to attach a 2 1/2 inch hose to a 1 1/2 inch hose. Many 2 1/2 inch nozzles are constructed with a built in reducer so that a 1 1/2 inch hose can be attached for overhaul. Reducers are also used to attach a 2 1/2 inch supply hose to a larger suction inlet on a fire pumper.
Hose Jacket
A device that is placed over a leaking section of hose to stop a leak. It provides a temporary fix until the section of the hose can be replaced. Should only be used when it is not possible to quickly replace the leaking section of hose. Can be used for both supply and attack hose.
Hose Roller
A metal device used to prevent chafing or kinking at a sharp edge when the hose is being hoisted over the edge of a roof or over a windowsill.
Hose Bridge
Protects a hose when it is necessary to drive a vehicle over a hose line.
Hose Clamp
Used to temporarily stop the flow of water in a hose line. Often applied to supply hose, allowing a hydrant to be opened before the line is hooked up to the suction side of the attack engine. The FF at the hydrant does not have to wait for the pump operator to connect the line to the engine before opening the hydrant. As soon as the hose is connected, you can then release the clamp. It can also be used to stop the flow in a line if a hose ruptured or if an attack hose needs to be connected to a different appliance.
Ball Valve
Used in nozzles, gated wyes, and engine discharge gates. Consist of a ball with a hole in the middle. When the hole is lined up with the inlet and the outlet, water flows through it. As the ball is rotated, the flow of water is gradually reduced until it is shut off completely.
Clapper Mechanism (Valve)
Prevents water from flowing in a backwards direction. They close automatically if water flows against them. Some Siamese valves are equipped with clapper mechanisms. The most common use of a clapper mechanism is in FDC’s standpipe systems and automatic sprinkler systems. They allow the FF to connect a hose to one side of the FDC and flow water while the other side of the FDC is uncapped. Discussed more in Chapter 26 Fire, Detection, Suppression and Smoke Control Systems.
Gate Valve
Found on hydrants and on sprinkler systems. Rotating a spindle causes a gate to move slowly across the opening. The spindle is rotated by turning it with a wrench or a wheel-type handle.
Butterfly Valve
Often found on the large pump intake connections where a hard suction hose or soft suction sleeve hose is connected. They are opened or closed by rotating a handle one quarter turn.
Four-way Hydrant Valve
This appliance which is attached to a fire hydrant, enables water to flow directly from the fire hydrant to the attack engine close to the fire. By placing a second fire pumper at the fire hydrant, it is possible to boost the pressure in the supply hose line by changing the position of the four way hydrant valve to enable the second arriving fire pumper to pump from the hydrant into the supply line. It can boost pressure in a supply hose without interrupting the flow of water. The use of a four-way hydrant valve is covered more in chapter 16 Supply Line and Attack Line.
Remote-controlled Hydrant Valve
Attached to a fire hydrant. They allow the operator to turn the hydrant on without flowing water into the hose line. These valves are operated by the pump operator using radio control. They free up all personnel assigned to hydrant duty for other tasks and give the pump driver/operator control over the hydrant from a distance.
Deck Gun
Permanently mounted on and operated from a vehicle, and it is equipped with a pipping system that delivers water to the guns. Sometimes a hose must be connected to the deck gun in order to place it in operation.
Portable Monitor
A master stream appliance that can be carried on an apparatus and removed from an apparatus when needed. It places on the ground and hose lines are connected to the portable monitor to supply the water. Most of these devices comes equipped with either one, two, or three inlets. Portable monitors are built with 2 1/2 inch inlets or with a LDH inlet. Smaller portable monitors are sometimes set up attached to pre connected hose. This allows the monitor to be quickly placed in service by one FF.
Elevated Master Stream Appliances (Ladder Pipe)
Mounted on the aerial apparatus such as aerial ladders, tower ladders, elevated platforms, or specially hydraulically operated master stream booms.
A Ladder pipe is a removable elevated master stream device that is mounted close to the top of an aerial ladder or tower ladder and supplied by a hose. Aerial apparatus are usually equipped with permanently mounted waterways that supply the master stream appliances that are mounted close to the top of the aerial. (More in Chapter 17, Fire Suppression).
Break Away Fire Nozzle
The tip from this nozzle can be separated from the shut off valve. This nozzle allows FF to shut off the flow, unscrew the nozzle tip, and then add more lengths of hose to extend the hose without shutting off the valve at the engine.
What is a Smooth-bore Nozzle?
What are the 4 advantages?
What is the 1 disadvantages?
Produce a solid stream or a solid column of water. Manufactured to fit both hand lines and master stream appliances. Those that are used for master stream appliances often consist of a set of tips, where each successive tip in the stack has a smaller diameter opening. Tips can be quickly added or removed to provide the desired stream size.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Longer reach than a fog nozzle operating at a straight stream setting.
- They operate at lower pressures than fog nozzles. Most smoothbore nozzles are designed to operate at 50 psi, whereas fog nozzles generally require pressures of 75 to 100 psi. Lower nozzle pressure makes it easier for a FF to handle a nozzle.
- A straight or solid stream Extinguishes a fire with less air movement and less disturbance of the thermal layering than does a fog stream, which in turn makes the heating condition less intense for FF during an interior attack.
- It’s easier for the nozzle operator to see the pathway of a solid stream than a fog stream.
DISADVANTAGES
1. Smooth-bore nozzles are not as effective for hydraulic ventilation.
Fog-stream Nozzle
What are the 3 advantages?
What is the 1 disadvantages?
Can be adjusted to produce a straight stream or to separate the water into droplets to produce a variety of fog streams. The size of the droplets and the discharge pattern can be varied by adjusting the nozzle setting to a narrow fog cone of less than 45 degrees to a wide angle fog pattern that is close to 90 degrees. Fog nozzles cannot produce a solid stream, only straight or fog stream.
ADVANTAGES
1. They can easily be adjusted to produce a variety of streams.
- Effective at absorbing heat and can be used to create a water curtain to protect FF from extreme heat.
- Can be used to hydraulically ventilate to ventilate the room. To produce an effective fog stream the nozzle must be operated at the pressure recommended by the manufacturer.
DISADVANTAGES
1. Can be used to hydraulically ventilate, but can result in a sudden heat inversion in a room, which then pushes hot steam and gases down onto the FF. Research have shown that if used incorrectly, some applications of a fog pattern can push the fire into unaffected areas of a building by the addition of air flow.
Smooth-bore tip
A tip on a smooth-bore nozzle that gradually decreases the diameter is of the solid stream to a size smaller than the hose diameter.
There are four other type of nozzles. What are they and what do they do?
- Piercing Nozzle: Used to make a hole in automobile sheet metal, aircraft, or building walls or floors to extinguish the fires behind these surfaces.
- Cellar Nozzles: Used to fight fires in cellars or basements and other inaccessible places such as attics and cockloft. These nozzles discharge water in a wide circular pattern as the nozzle is lowered vertically through a hole into the cellar. They work like a large sprinkler head.
- Bresnan distributor nozzles: Used to fight fires in cellars or basements and other inaccessible places such as attics and cockloft. These nozzles discharge water in a wide circular pattern as the nozzle is lowered vertically through a hole into the cellar. They work like a large sprinkler head.
- Water Curtain Nozzle: Used to deliver a flat screen of water that then forms a protective sheet (curtain) of water on the surface of an exposed building
