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April-May 2004 |
More Hose!
How many times during the advance of the attack hose line to the seat of the fire have you heard the nozzle firefighter or officer call for “more hose”? We have all heard this a number of times in our career. The problem with calling for “more hose” is that it does not tell the firefighter feeding the hose how much additional hose is needed. This lack of information could result in either too much or too little hose being advanced. If too much hose is advanced, the nozzle could be forced out of the hands of the nozzle firefighter putting the nozzle team in danger of being consumed by the fire. Equally as dangerous is advancing too little hose. If a sufficient amount of hose is not advanced, the nozzle team will be unable to move foreword to get the nozzle in a good position to put water on the fire, allowing the fire to grow and spread beyond the area of origin.
The engine company’s ability to advance the attack hose line to the seat of the fire could make the difference between a room-and-contents fire and a structural fire. Good communications, keeping them short and too the point, are a key factor in contributing to a successful advance of the attack hose line. A more efficient way to communicate the need for more hose is to give the firefighter feeding the hose an amount of additional hose needed — for example: “I need ten more feet.” This communication is short and to the point. It eliminates wasting valuable time while the firefighter feeding the hose tries to find out how much additional hose is needed. A good “rule of thumb” for a firefighter to use in estimating the amount of hose to advance is this: Each time he/she reaches back and pulls hose toward the nozzle, he/she will gain approximately five feet of hose. Therefore, if the nozzle firefighter or officer calls for “ten more feet,” the firefighter feeding the hose would then pull the hose toward the nozzle two times.
The firefighter feeding the hose must allow the nozzle firefighter or officer to set the pace of the advance. This requires some coordination between the nozzle firefighter or officer and the firefighter feeding the hose. Coordinating the advance of a hose line into a smoke-filled environment — coupled with fire-ground noises such as the engine throttling up to pressurize the hose line, a saw operating to vent the roof, and the braking of glass — will be a difficult task. A good solution to this problem is for the firefighter feeding the hose to form a bow in the hose line between him/her and the nozzle firefighter. When the bow is straightened this tells the firefighter feeding hose that the nozzle firefighter is moving forward and another bow can be formed. Caution must be used to avoid kinking the hose when forming the bow. One 90-degree kink in the hose can result in a 20-gallon-per-minute loss in flow. This is a simple technique that will make coordinating advance of the hose line easier when verbal communications are difficult or impossible.
In a perfect world, every engine company would consist of six firefighters (an officer, engineer or chauffer, nozzle firefighter, back-up firefighter, door firefighter, and control firefighter). But, unfortunately for the vast majority of us, a six-person engine company is not reality. Therefore, we have to accomplish the same amount of work with fewer people, leaving little room for error. That is why mastering “basic” techniques and effective communications are so important.
Communicating during an advance to the seat of the fire is a difficult task. Relying on verbal communications is not always possible, making it imperative to pre-plan a communications strategy. Engine company firefighters and officers must work to develop the needed skills to effectively communicate during the hose line advance. All engine company members must be on the same page. This can only be accomplished through frequent and aggressive training.
The following is a good hose line advance drill that can be conducted in the firehouse:
Using full protective clothing, including SCBA, stretch and advance a charged hose line through the firehouse. Maneuver the hose line through doorways, and under and around the apparatus. Work on simple, to-the-point communications as well as the techniques discussed in this article. Use both 1¾- and 2½-inch hose lines, and practice chocking all the doors that the hose line passes through. Be creative.
With fires occurring less frequently, along with the many demands placed on the fire service, the opportunities to stretch and advance a hose line are few and far between. We must make it a priority to maintain a high level of efficiency in the art of stretching and advancing a hose line. Stay safe and train often.
This article is dedicated in memory of the late Lt. Andrew A. Fredericks, FDNY, Squad 18, whose writings and lectures on engine company operations have inspired so many of us.
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