How to Load a Fire Hose
Loading fire hose is an essential part of a firefighters duties. While firefighters will be taught this in the fire academy or in-house at the fire station, it is fairly uncommon that civilians need to learn this skill. However, the following will teach anybody how to properly load a flat-lay of fire hose. This skill must be practiced continuously in order to achieve proficiency.
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Things You'll Need
- Fire hose
- Couplings (brass attachments on fire hose)
- Hose bed
- Hose cabinet (optional)
Instructions
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1
Female end of couplings--you want the opposite end. Start with the first section of fire hose and find the male end. This is the part with the raised threads on the outside.
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2
Lay the male end of the hose on the right side of the supply bed, also called the hose bed, closest to the rear of the truck. If using a single cabinet, lay the hose straight in the middle.
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3
Confirm that the hose is laying flat, and feed it through until the front of the truck is reached.
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4
Fold the hose over onto itself, and loop it back to the beginning. Lay this line directly next to the first row you have created.
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5
Continue to create folds and layers from Step 4 until the full length of hose has been put away. Connect additional pieces if need be.
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6
Screw the nozzle onto the last coupling, and place it on top of the load in order to finish.
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Tips & Warnings
It is recommended to use two firefighters to complete this load; one on each end of the bed or cabinet. A third firefighter may be used in the middle to facilitate the feeding of the hose, while the two on the end create the folds and layers.
Make sure the hose has been fully dried before attempting to load fire hose, as it may crack and warp if it is loaded wet and allowed to dry in this formation.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit fire hose image by Ken Hurst from Fotolia.com Fire Hoses image by Jim Mills from Fotolia.com
