Fire Hose, Nozzles, Streams, and Foam

16Fire Hose, Nozzles, Streams, and Foam

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Objectives (1 of 4)

• Describe fire hydraulics.

• Describe how to prevent water hammers.

• Describe the types of hoses used in the fire service.

• Describe how a hose is constructed.

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Objectives (2 of 4)

• Describe how to clean and maintain a hose.

• Describe how to inspect a hose.

• Describe hose appliances.

• Describe how to lay a supply line.

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Objectives (3 of 4)

• Describe how to load a hose.

• Describe how to connect a hose to a water supply.

• Describe how to carry and advance a hose.

• Describe the types and designs of nozzles.

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Objectives (4 of 4)

• Describe pressure effects and flow capabilities of nozzles.

• Describe how foam works.

• List the types of foam.

• Describe how to make foam.

• Describe how to apply foam.

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Fire Hydraulics

• Deal with properties of energy, pressure, and water flow as related to fire suppression.

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Flow

• Volume of water that is being moved

• Measured in gallons per minute (gpm)

• Metric measured in liters per minute (lpm)

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Pressure

• Amount of energy in a body or stream of water

• Measured in pounds per square inch (psi)

• Required to push water through a hose or to lift water up to a higher level

• Pump adds energy to a water stream, causing an increase in pressure

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Friction Loss

• Loss of pressure as water moves through a pipe or hose

• Loss represents the energy required to push the water.– With any combination of flows and diameter,

friction loss is proportional to the distance

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Elevation Pressure

• Elevation affects water pressure.

• Elevated water tanks supply pressure to pipes due to elevation.

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Water Hammer

• Surge in pressure caused by sudden stop in the flow of water

• Shock wave is transmitted back through the hose.

• Can damage hose, couplings, and plumbing

• To prevent, open and close valves slowly.

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Functions of Fire Hoses• Supply hose

– Carries water to the engine– May come from a hydrant or another engine– Carries large quantities at lower pressures

• Attack hose– Carries water from engine to the nozzle– Carries water from engine to master streams– Carries water to standpipe system

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Sizes of Hose (1 of 3)

• Small-diameter hose– 1" to 2" in diameter– Used as attack lines– Each section is usually

50' long.

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• Medium-diameter hose– 2 ½" or 3" in diameter– Used as attack line or supply line

• Master stream and fire department connections often use 3" hose.

– Each section is usually 50' long.

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• Large-diameter hose– 3 ½" to 6" in diameter– Standard diameter is

4" or 5".– Standard length is 50'

or 100' long.

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Pressure Testing

• Attack hose– Tested annually– Tested to 300 psi– Designed for use up to 275 psi

• Supply hose– Tested annually– Tested to 200 psi– Designed for use up to 185 psi

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Hose Construction (1 of 2)

• Fire hose constructed of inner waterproof liner and one or two outer layers

• Outer layers

• Can be double-jacket hose

• Can be rubber-jacket hose

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Hose Construction (2 of 2)

• Inner waterproof liner– Prevents water

leakage– Provides smooth

surface to reduce friction

– Attached to outer covering

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Hose Couplings

• Used to connect individual lengths of hose

• Used to connect hose line to hydrants, valves, nozzles, fittings, and appliances

• Two types– Threaded– Nonthreaded (Storz-type)

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Threaded Couplings (1 of 2)

• Used on most hose up to 3"

• A set consists of male and female

• Male threads are on the outside.

• Female threads are on the inside.

• Female couplings swivel.

• Fire hose has a male on one end and a female on the other.

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Threaded Couplings (2 of 2)

• Higbee indicators indicate proper thread alignment.

• Female couplings have a gasket to prevent leaks and require periodic replacement.

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Storz-type Couplings

• Has neither male nor female ends

• Couplings are mated face-to-face.

• Adapters

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Attack Hose (1 of 4)

• 1 ½" and 1¾"– Most common attack line– Both use 1½" couplings– Can be operated by one fire fighter– Most common preconnect lengths of 150' to

350'– 1½" generally flows 60–125 gpm– 1¾" generally flows 120–180 gpm

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• 2 ½" hose– Used to attack larger fires– Generally flows about 250 gpm– Takes at least two fire fighters inside a

building– Can flow up to 350 gpm

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• Booster hose– Usually carried on a hose reel with 150' to

200’– Made of rubber with steel wire to give shape– Can be advanced by one fire fighter– 1" line flows 40–50 gpm– Used for small outdoor fires and trash

dumpsters

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• Forestry hose– Typically 1" or 1½"– Used for wildland and ground fire

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Supply Hose• Used to supply attack

engine• Ranges from 2½" to

6"• Larger diameter is

more efficient• Two types

– Soft suction– Hard suction

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Types of Damage to Hose (1 of 4)

• Mechanical– Abrasion– Broken glass and

sharp objects– Abrasion from hose

reloaded dirty– Vehicles running over – Couplings being

damaged or dragged

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• Heat and cold– Direct contact from fire– Burning coals and embers– Hot surfaces such as heating units and

exhaust pipes– Freezing can rupture inner liner and break

outer liner fibers.

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• Chemicals– Encountered at many incidents, including

vehicle fires and accidents– Wash hose as soon as possible with

approved detergent.

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• Mildew– Grows on fabrics in warm, moist conditions– Feeds on natural fibers and causes the hose

to rot– Synthetic fibers and resist mildew.– Rubber-covered hose fibers are protected

from mildew.

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Cleaning, Maintaining, and Inspecting Hose

• Cleaning and maintaining hose– Clean contaminated

hose.

• Hose inspections– Perform quarterly and

after each use.

• Hose records

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Hose Appliances (1 of 9)

• Wyes– Split the stream into

two hose streams– Commonly split a 2 ½"

hose into two 1 ½"– Gated wyes have two

quarter-turn valves.

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• Water thief– Similar to a gated wye– Has an additional 2 ½”

outlet

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• Siamese– Combines two hose

lines into one– Has two female inlets

and one male outlet– Often used on engine

outlets, master streams, and fire department connections

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• Adaptors – Used to connect same

size hoses but with dissimilar threads

– Are double-female or double-male

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• Reducers– Used to attach smaller

hoses to larger hoses– Commonly used to

reduce a 2½" hose to a 1½" hose

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• Hose jacket– Used to stop a leaking

section of hose– Consists of a split

metal cylinder that fits tightly over the hose

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• Hose roller– Used to protect a line

being hoisted over an edge

– Prevents chafing and kinking

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• Hose clamp– Used to temporarily

stop the flow of water in a hose:

• So the hydrant can be opened

• That has burst

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• Valves– Control the flow of

water through hose or pipe

– Must be opened and closed slowly

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Types of Valves (1 of 2)

• Ball valves– Used on nozzles,

gated wyes, and engine discharges

– When hole is in-line with inlet and outlet, water flows.

– When ball is rotated, flow shuts off.

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Types of Valves (2 of 2)

• Gate valves– Used on hydrants and

sprinklers– Rotating spindle

causes gate to move across opening

• Butterfly valves– Used on large pump

intake

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Hose Rolls

• Hose roll is an efficient way to transport a single section of fire hose.

• Hose can be rolled in many different ways, depending on how it will be used.

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Supply Hose Evolutions (1 of 4)

• Forward hose lay– Allows first engine to

establish a water supply without assistance

– Places the attack engine close to the fire

– Can be used with medium- or large-diameter hose

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• Four-way hydrant valve– Used when a supply engine may be needed

at the hydrant– When four-way is placed on the hydrant,

water initially flows.– A second engine can then hook to the four-

way and boost pressure to the supply hose.

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• Reverse hose lay– Hose is laid from the

fire to the hydrant.– Used when attack

engines begin attack without a supply line

– Later arriving company stops at the attack engine and lays line to the hydrant.

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• Split hose lay– Performed by two

engines– Used when hose must

be laid from two directions

– Requires coordination by two-way radio

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Loading Supply Hose (1 of 4)

• Hose can be loaded in different ways, depending on the way the hose is planned to be laid out.

• Learn the specific hose loads used by your department.

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• Flat hose load– Limits wear on hose

edges– Used with single and

split hose beds

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• Horseshoe hose load– Forms a U-shape– Cannot be used for large diameter hose– Causes more wear on hose edges– Tends to lay out in a wavelike manner– Has fewer sharp bends

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• Accordion hose load– Easy to load– Creates sharp bends

in the hose– More wear than the

flat load– Not recommended for

large diameter hose

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Connecting an Engine to a Water Supply

• Supply hose must be used to deliver water from the hydrant to the engine.

• In most cases, soft suction hose is used to connect directly to a hydrant.

• Connection can also be made with a hard suction hose.

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Attack Line Evolutions

• Attack lines are used to deliver water from an attack engine to a nozzle.

• Most engines are equipped with preconnected attack lines.

• Additional supply of attack hose is usually carried in a hose bed or compartment that is not preconnected.

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Preconnected Attack Lines

• Intended for immediate use

• A preconnected hose line with a nozzle attached

• Commonly 1¾" in diameter and 150' to 250' in length

• May also be 2½"

• A variety of loads can be used.

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Wye Lines

• May be necessary to first advance a large diameter line and then split it into two attack lines– Accomplished by attaching a gated wye or a

water thief to the end of the large-diameter line

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Hose Carries and Advances

• Best technique for carrying and advancing fire hose depends on size of hose, distance it must be moved, and number of fire fighters available.

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Working Hose Drag

• Used to deploy hose from a hose bed and advance the line a short distance

• Several fire fighters may be needed for the task.

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Shoulder Carry

• Used to transport full lengths of hose over a longer distance

• Useful for advancing a hose line around obstructions

• Requires practice and good teamwork

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Advancing an Attack Line (1 of 3)

• Advanced in two stages

• Flake extra hose in a serpentine pattern.

• Once the hose is ready: – Signal pump operator

to charge line.

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• Open nozzle slowly to bleed out air.

• Set nozzle to appropriate stream.

• Ensure personal protective equipment is secure.

• Check partner’s equipment.

• Start breathing from SCBA.

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• Stand to the side when opening the door.

• Stay low as you move in.

• If you can’t see, feel as you go.

• Communicate as you advance.

• Two members should be at the nozzle and one at the door feeding hose.

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Advance a Hose Up a Stairway

• Arrange an adequate amount of extra hose close to the bottom of the stairs

• Shut down the hoseline while advancing

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Advance a Hose Down a Stairway

• Keep as low as possible to avoid heat and smoke

• Never advance towards a fire unless the hose line is charged

• Move carefully

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Advance a Hose Up a Ladder

• Should be done before the line is charged

• Additional hose should be fed up the ladder

• Secure the hose to the ladder with a hose strap

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Connecting Hose Lines to a Standpipe System

• Fire fighters connect attack lines to outlets inside.

• Fire fighters outside supply water to the fire department connections.

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Advancing an Attack Line from a Standpipe Outlet

• Standpipe outlets are often located in stairways.

• Before charging the hose line, the hose should be flaked out on the stairs going up from the fire floor.

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Replacing a Defective Section of Hose

• A burst hose line should be shut down as soon as possible.

• A hose clamp can be used to stop the flow in an undamaged section of hose upstream from the problem.

• Replace the damaged section and replace it with two sections of hose.

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Nozzles

• Give fire streams shape and direction• Classified into groups:

– Low-volume– Handline– Master stream

• Shut-offs– Quarter-turn valve– Rotary control valve

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Smooth-Bore Nozzles (1 of 3)

• Consist of shut-off valve and smooth bore tips

• Fit handlines and master stream devices

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• Advantages:– Longer reach than combination fog nozzle– Capable of deeper penetration into burning

materials– Operate at lower pressures– Extinguishes fire with less air movement

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• Disadvantages:– Do not absorb heat as readily as fog streams– Not as effective as fog streams for hydraulic

ventilation– Cannot change setting to produce a fog

pattern

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Fog Stream Nozzles (1 of 4)

• Produce fine droplets of water

• Absorb heat quickly

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• Advantages:– Create a variety of stream patterns– Can be used to create a water curtain to

protect fire fighters from extreme heat– Can be used to exhaust smoke and gases

through hydraulic ventilation

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• Disadvantages:– Move large volumes of air, which can result in

a sudden heat inversion that pushes hot steam and gases onto fire fighters

– If used incorrectly, can push fire into unaffected areas

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• Types of fog stream nozzles:– Fixed-gallonage: Deliver a preset flow in gpm

at the rated discharge pressure.– Adjustable-gallonage: Allow the operator to

select a desired flow.– Automatic adjusting: Deliver a wide range of

flows.

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Other Types of Nozzles

• Piercing nozzle• Cellar nozzle• Water curtain nozzle

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Nozzle Maintenance and Inspection

• Nozzles should be:– Inspected regularly– Checked after each use– Kept clean and clear of debris

• Inspect fog nozzle fingers

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Summary (1 of 2)

• Fire hydraulics deal with properties of energy, pressure, and water flow as related to fire suppression.

• Fire hoses are used for two main purposes: supply and attack.

• Fire hoses range in size from 1 inch to 6 inches in diameter.

• Fire hoses should be regularly inspected and tested following the procedures in NFPA 1962.

• Hoses that are not properly maintained can deteriorate over time and eventually burst.

• A hose appliance is any device used in conjunction with a fire hose for the purpose of delivering water.

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Summary (2 of 2)

• Rolled hose is compact and easy to manage. • Hose evolutions involve specific actions that are

assigned to each member of a crew, depending on their riding positions on the apparatus.

• Nozzles are attached to the discharge ends of attack lines to give fire streams shape and direction.

• Nozzles are classified into three categories: low-volume nozzles, handline nozzles, and master stream nozzles.

• Firefighting foam can be used to fight several types of fires and to prevent the ignition of materials that could become involved in a fire.

Fire Hose, Nozzles, Streams, and Foam

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