Fire Hoses: One Of A Kind?

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Fire Hoses: One Of A Kind?

John Walker

[Date: Friday, November 06, 2009] [Viewed: 142] [Comments: 0]
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There are several different types of hoses used by fire fighters. Most commonly, fire hoses consist of at least one layer of woven material on the out layer, with in interior rubber lining.

There are two fields of fire hoses; those meant to operate under negative pressure, and those meant to operate under positive pressure. Positive pressure hoses include the attack hose, supply hose, relay hose, forestry hose, and booster hose.

• Attack hose – A flexible hose used to transfer water from the fire pumper to the nozzle. These hoses have a standard length of 50 feet and are designed to operate at pressures topping out at approximately 400 psi.
• Supply and Relay Hoses – Generally a large diameter hose used to move water from a far-off fire hydrant to the fire pumper, or to pass water from one pumper to another over a long distance. The average length of supply and relay hoses are 100 feet, and they are designed to operate at a maximum pressure of 300 psi.
• Forestry Hose – As the name suggests, forestry hoses are used to combat fires in heavily wooded areas, grass, or brush. These hoses are lightweight which allows firefighters to move it through rugged terrain. Forestry hoses are usually 100 feet long and operate at pressures up to 450 psi.
• Booster hose – A rubber covered, strong hose used in fighting small fires. Like the former two, this hose has a standard length of 100 feet, although it can operate at pressures up to 800 psi.

Each of these positive pressure hoses are used to irrigate fires by transferring water from a source (fire hydrant, fire pumper) to the fire. Negative pressure hoses, or suction hoses, are used to suck water from unpressurized sources -- usually a body of water (lakes or rivers). Acting like a vacuum, these hoses have a standard length on only 10 feet.

Fire hoses differ from all other hoses in that they are designed to be rolled flat when they are not in use. This minimizes the storage space and allows for a more effective fighting of fires. Creating these unique hoses is an intricate process that is complete only after certain fire hose testing is done on the product. The time that goes into producing fire hoses allows firefighters to be confident and self-assured when on the job.

Article Tags: fire hose testing, fire hose nozzle, florida fire equipment

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Fire hoses differ from all other hoses in that they are designed to be rolled flat when they are not in use. This minimizes the storage space and allows for a more effective fighting of fires. Creating these unique hoses is an intricate process that is complete only after certain firehosetesting is done on the product. The time that goes into producing fire hoses allows firefighters to be confident and self-assured when on the job.

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