How to Lay a Hose at a Fire
There are three basic hose lays used when setting up hoses for a fire. The forward hose lay is when the hose is laid from the hydrant to the fire and is used when the fire engine company first reaches the scene. The second, the reverse hose lay, works in reverse in that the hose is laid from the fire back to the hydrant. The third hose lay is called the split hose lay and involves using one water source and splitting the hose line between two fire engines.
Of the three basic hose lays, the forward hose lay is used the most often.
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Instructions
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Forward Hose Lay
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Gather the hose. Collect enough hose to reach and surround the hydrant. Wait for the fire engine to come to a complete stop a few feet from the hydrant. Listen to the incident commander in charge to see which type of hose to unwind from the vehicle. Be sure to unroll the hose at a medium rate of speed to avoid having too much hose coming off the reel. Check to be sure the hydrant wrench and all other necessary tools are with you. Carefully step off the fire truck.
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Attack the hydrant. This is the phrase used by firefighters. Loop the hose around the hydrant. Signal the driver to advance the fire truck to the fire. Wait for the supply line to lie flat on the ground. Remove the corresponding hydrant cap that is nearest to the fire. Check the hydrant to be sure it is working properly. Attach the supply hose to the hydrant outlet.
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Open the hydrant. Wait for the driver of the fire truck to attach the end of the hose to the pump inlet. Slowly open the hydrant all the way once the driver gives the predetermined signal. Follow the hose back to the fire engine. Remove any kinks in the hose.
Reverse Hose Lay
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Perform the short strip. This is a basic drill where all the firemen grab their personal assigned equipment. One fireman grabs the manifold and hose chosen by the incident commander (person in charge) and rolls enough hose from the hose bed so the manifold can be placed in the necessary location. Again, he must remember to unroll the hose at a moderate rate so the hose reel will not release an unnecessary amount of hose.
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Perform the reverse hose lay. The designated fireman secures the manifold and hose at the fire by attaching the hose to a nearby object such as a tree or street sign. At the fireman's signal, the engine driver proceeds to lay the hose back to the hydrant at the speed of 5 to 10 miles per hour.
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Open the hydrant. The fireman at the hydrant slowly opens the hydrant and the engine driver increases the water pressure to 150 pounds per square inch. Other firemen will follow the directions of the officer in charge and will connect and extend any more hose if needed.
Split Hose Lay
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Release the hose. Drop the end of the hose at the corner of the street. This is done by the firemen on the attack pumper.
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Secure the hose. Affix the hose to a fixed object such as a tree or street sign to keep the hose from dragging. A dragging hose causes damage to the fibers in the hose and damages the threads and swivels in the couplings.
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Proceed to the fire. Pull off enough hose and perform a forward lay to the fire. The supply engine will come and connect its supply line to the one secured to the tree and proceed to do a reverse lay to the hydrant.
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Tips & Warnings
Pull the lines out of the beds at a moderate rate of speed to avoid zigzagging causing more line to come from the engine than necessary. This causes undue friction loss.
Lay the hose on the same side of the street as the water source to avoid getting it run over by other vehicles responding to the fire.
Never stand between the hose and the hydrant or step on the hose. The hose can suddenly get tangled and become taut as the fire engine pulls away, and you can be injured.
Be sure to wait for the operator's signal before charging the line (opening the hydrant) to avoid water filling the hose bed or a loose hose spraying water over the fire scene.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit hydrant 1 image by GYNEX from Fotolia.com
