BOF FF1 Chapter 13*21 Fire Hose, Hose Operations, and Hose Stream

Accordion Load

Arrangement of fire hose in a hose bed or compartment in which the hose lies on edge with the folds adjacent to each other.

Adapter

Fitting used for connecting hose couplings.

Attack Hose

Hose between the attack pumper and the nozzle(s); also, any hose used in a handline to control and extinguish fire. Minimum size is 1½ inch (38 mm).

Ball Valve

Valve having a ball-shaped internal component with a hole through its center that permits water to flow through when aligned with the waterway.

Booster Hose

Noncollapsible rubber-covered, rubber-lined hose usually wound on a reel and mounted somewhere on the apparatus and used for extinguishment of incipient and smoldering fires.

Broken Stream

Stream of water that has been broken into coarsely divided drops.

Charged Handline

Hose loaded with water under pressure and prepared for use.

Critical Flow Rate

Minimum flow rate at which extinguishment can be achieved.

Dry-Barrel Hydrant

Fire hydrant that has its operating valve at the water main rather than in the barrel of the hydrant. When operating properly, there is no water in the barrel of the hydrant when it is not in use. These hydrants are used in areas where freezing may occur.

Dry Hydrant

Nonpressurized pipe assembly permanently installed at a static water source (lake or pond); the assembly connection allows vacuum pumpers to withdraw water from the static source.

Finish

Arrangement of hose usually placed on top of a hose load and connected to the end of the load.

Fire Department Connection (FDC)

Point at which the fire department can connect into a sprinkler or standpipe system to boost the water pressure and flow in the system. This connection consists of a clappered siamese with two or more 2½-inch (65-mm) intakes or one large diameter (4-inch [100-mm] or larger) intake.

Fire Hose

Flexible, portable tube manufactured from water-tight materials in 50- to 100-foot (15- to 30-m) lengths that is used to transport water from a source or pump to the point it is discharged to extinguish fire.

Fire Hydrant

Upright metal casing that is connected to a water supply system and is equipped with one or more valved outlets to which a hoseline or pumper may be connected to supply water for fire fighting operations.

Fitting

Device that facilitates the connection of hoselines of different sizes to provide an uninterrupted flow of extinguishing agent.

Flat Load

Arrangement of fire hose in a hose bed or compartment, in which the hose lies flat with successive layers one upon the other.

Fog Nozzle

Adjustable pattern nozzle equipped with a shutoff control device that can provide either a fixed or variable spray pattern.

Fog Stream

Water stream of finely divided particles.

Four-Way Hydrant Valve

Device that permits a pumper to boost the pressure in a supply line connected to a hydrant without interrupting the water flow.

Friction Loss

That part of the total pressure lost as water moves through a hose or piping system; caused by water turbulence and the roughness of interior surfaces of hose or pipe.

Gate Valve

Control valve with a solid plate operated by a handle and screw mechanism. Rotating the handle moves the plate into or out of the waterway.

Hard-Suction Hose

Rigid, noncollapsible hose that operates under vacuum conditions without collapsing, allowing a pumping apparatus or portable pump to draft water from static or nonpressurized sources (lakes, rivers, wells, etc.) that are below the level of the fire pump, usually available in 10-foot (3-meter) sections.

Higbee Cut

Special cut at the beginning of the thread on a hose coupling that provides positive identification of the first thread to eliminate cross threading. Also known as Blunt Start.

Higbee Indicators

Notches or grooves cut into coupling lugs to identify by touch or sight the exact location of the Higbee cut.

Hose Bed

Main hose-carrying area of a pumper or other piece of apparatus designed for carrying hose.

Hose Stream

Stream of water or other water-based extinguishing agent after it leaves the fire hose and nozzle until it reaches the desired point.

Hydrant Wrench

Specially designed tool used to open or close a hydrant and to remove hydrant caps.

Intake Strainer

Devices attached to the drafting end of a hard-suction hose when pumping from a static water source; designed to keep debris from entering the apparatus or portable pump.

Jet Siphon

Section of pipe or hard-suction hose with a 1-inch (25-mm) discharge line inside that bolsters the flow of water through the tube. Used between portable tanks to maintain a maximum amount of water in the tank from which the pumper is drafting.

Master Stream

Large-caliber water stream usually supplied by combining two or more hoselines into a manifold device or by fixed piping that delivers 350 gpm (1 325 L/min) or more.

Nonthreaded Coupling

Coupling connected using locks or cams rather than screw threads; may be either two-way couplings or have male and female ends.

Nozzle Pressure

Velocity pressure at which water is discharged from the nozzle.

Nozzle Reaction

Counterforce directed against a person holding a nozzle (or a device holding a nozzle) by the velocity of water being discharged.

Portable Tank

Collapsible storage tank used during a relay or shuttle operation to hold water from water tanks or hydrants; this water can then be used to supply attack apparatus.

Preconnect

Attack hose connected to a discharge when the hose is loaded; this shortens the time it takes to deploy the hose for fire fighting.

Pumper Outlet Nozzle

Fire hydrant outlet that is 4 inches (102 mm) in diameter or larger.

Quarter-Turn Coupling

Nonthreaded coupling with two hooklike lugs that slip over a ring on the opposite coupling and then rotate 90 degrees clockwise to lock.

Ramp Groove

A feature of a nonthreaded coupling that allows the couplings to connect together.

Reducer

Adapter used to attach a smaller hose to a larger hose; the female end has the larger threads, while the male end has the smaller threads.

Rotary Control Valve

Valve with an exterior barrel that can be rotated to adjust the nozzle's pattern.

Shank

Portion of a coupling that serves as a point of attachment to the hose.

Siamese

Hose appliance used to combine two or more hoselines into one. Has multiple female inlets and a single male outlet.

Slide Valve

Valve with a movable cylinder seated against a shaped cone; the cylinder slides against the cone to turn on or off the flow of water.

Smooth Bore Nozzle

Nozzle with a straight, smooth tip, designed to produce a solid hose stream.

Soft-Sleeve Hose

Large-diameter, collapsible piece of hose used to connect a fire pump to a pressurized water supply source

Solid Stream

Hose stream that stays together as a solid mass, as opposed to a fog or spray stream; produced by a smooth bore nozzle and should not be confused with a straight stream.

Spanner Wrench

Small tool primarily used to tighten or loosen hose couplings; can also be used as a prying tool or a gas key.

Static Water Source

Supply of water at rest that does not provide a pressure head for fire suppression but may be employed as a suction source for fire pumps; for example, water in a reservoir, pond, or cistern.

Steamer Connection

Large-diameter outlet, usually 4½ inches (115 mm), at a hydrant or at the base of an elevated water storage container.

Storz Coupling

Nonthreaded coupling commonly found on large-diameter hose. With this type of coupling, the mating of two couplings is achieved with locks or cams without the use of screw threads.

Straight Stream

Most compact discharge pattern that a fog nozzle can produce; similar to but not as compact as a solid stream.

Suction Hose

Intake hose that connects pumping apparatus or portable pump to a water source.

Supply Hose

Hose that is designed for the purpose of moving water between a water source and a pump that is supplying attack hoselines or fire suppression systems.

Threaded Coupling

Male or female coupling with a spiral thread.

Water Hammer

Force created by the rapid deceleration of water, causing a violent increase in pressure that can be powerful enough to rupture piping or damage fixtures. Generally results from closing a valve or nozzle too quickly.

Water Shuttle Operation

Method of water supply by which mobile water supply apparatus continuously transport water between a fill site and the dump site located near the emergency scene.

Water Thief

Any of a variety of hose appliances with one female inlet for 2½-inch (64-mm) or larger hose and with three gated outlets, usually two 1½-inch (38-mm) outlets and one 2½-inch (64-mm) outlet.

Wet-Barrel Hydrant

Fire hydrant that has water all the way up to the discharge outlets; may have separate valves for each discharge or one valve for all the discharges. This type of hydrant is only used in areas where there is no danger of freezing weather conditions.

Wye

Hose appliance with one female inlet and multiple male outlets; the outlets are usually smaller than the inlet. Outlets are also usually gated.

What is the difference between attack and supply hose?

An attack hose transports water or other agents at an increased pressue from - pump to eqipped apparatus to nozle/fire dep connection (FDC) or from a building standpipe to the point of fire. Supply hose transports water from a fire hydrant or other water supply source to a water supply to an apparatus equipped with a pump.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of nonthreaded couplings?

Fire hose can be connected more quickly, no risk of cross threading, double male or female adapters are not needed BUT spanners slow operations slightly, can become uncoupled violently, require an adapter to make conections, and debris can become lodged inside

What are some items to check when inspecting hose and couplings?

evidence of debris, damage to hose jacket, coupling loosened from hose, damage to either thread, obstructed swivel operation, and absense of a well fitting gasket in the swivel

What determines the methods used to wash and dry hose?

depends on the type of hose; hard rubber/hard intake/rubber jacket require clear water, woven jacket require dirt removal and scrubbing with brush and clear water, and oil needs detergent/soap and clear water

What types of damage can fire hose suffer if not properly maintained and stored?

mechanical, thermal, organic, or chemical damage, and corrosion, or age deterioration

What are some advantages of using a donut roll over a straight roll?

FF has control of both couplings - protecting them from damage, hose rolls out easier with fewer twists, and holding both couplings enables quicker connections

What are some general guidelines for loading hose?

check gaskets and swivel, keep flat sides of hose in same plane when two sections of hose are connected, tighten couplings hand tight, remove kinks and twists, make short fold or reverse bend - "Dutchman", ensure for load of large diameter hose with couplings toward front of bed, and do not pack hose too tightly

Which supply hose load is the best for large-diameter hose?

flat load

What are the types of preconnected hose loads?

preconnected flat load, triple layer load, minuteman load, and booster hose reels

How can you overcome friction loss in a hose when supplying water?

increasing hose size, adding parrallel hoselines, increasing pump pressure, and removing kinks or sharp bends from hose

In what locations are you likely to find dry-barrel hydrants?

climates with freesing temperatures

What are the three key components needed for water shuttle operations?

dump site at the fire, fill site at the water source, and mobile water supply apparatus to haul water from the fill site to the dump site

What is the difference between siamese and wye appliances?

Siamese apppliance combines multiple lines into one (single male) and wye divide single hose line into multiple (single female)

When would a reverse lay be used at an incident?

when a pumper must go to the fire location before laying a supply line

What are some guidelines when advancing hose into a burning structure?

open nozzle fully, select the desired pattern, check for and remove kinks, position nozzle and all hose team members on same side of hoseline, check for heat with thermal imager, stay low and avoid blocking doors/windows, keep doors closed until ready to enter, control openings to limit flow path effects, and chock self closing doors to prevent door from closing and pinching hoseline

What determines the shape of a hose stream?

Velocity of the water / extinguishing agent, flow rate of the water/ extinguishing agent, gravity, wind direction and velocity, air friction, operating pressure, nozzle design and adjustment, Condition of nozzle opening

Which type of nozzle produces a solid hose stream?

a smooth bore nozzle

What are the three main types of nozzle control valves?

Ball valve, slide valve, and rotary control valve

What are the four factors that limit the reach of a hose stream?

gravity, velocity loss, water droplet friction with air (drag), and wind

How can one firefighter operate a large hoseline?

hose strap or rope hose tool looped over the shoulder or reduce the nozzel flow if conditions allow

What situations may require the deployment of a master stream device?

the fire is beyond the effectiveness of handlines, or when there is a need for hose streams in areas that are unsafe for FF