Attack Hose and Appliances

Introduction

• Two main purposes of a fire hose:
• Supply hose
• Attack hose
• Attack lines discharge water from an attack engine.

Attack Hose

• Medium-diameter hoses are used to:
• Extinguish larger fires
• Deliver water to a master stream device or a fire department connection
• Large-diameter hoses are:
• Used to supply master stream devices
• Mounted on an aerial ladder

Attack Hose

• Must withstand high pressure and high temperatures
• Must be tested annually

Sizes of Attack Lines

• 1½" and 1¾" attack hose
• Often used either as the primary line for structure fires
• 2½" attack hose
• Used for fires that are too large to be controlled by a 1½" and 1¾" hose line.

Sizes of Attack Lines

• Booster hose
• Used for small outdoor fires and trash dumpsters.
• Forestry lines
• Small-diameter hoses that can extend for hundreds of feet

Attack Line Evolutions

• Attack lines are used to deliver water from an attack engine to a nozzle.
• Evolutions are methods of working with attack lines in a variety of situations.
• Most engines are equipped with preconnected attack lines.

Preconnected Attack Lines

• Intended for immediate use
• Predetermined length of hose
• Nozzle already attached and connected
• Should be loaded in the hose bed so they can be quickly stretched from the engine to the fire.

Performing a Minuteman Hose Load

1. Connect the female end of the first length of hose to the discharge outlet.

2. Flat load the hose even to the edges of the hose bed. At the second fold, make a loop or ear, which will create a handle.

Performing a Minuteman Hose Load

3. Flat load the rest of the 100 feet (30 m) of hose. Place the male hose coupling to the side of the hose bed.

4. Couple the remaining two hose sections and attach the nozzle.

Performing a Minuteman Hose Load

5. Place the nozzle in the hose bed facing outward. Feed one layer of hose under nozzle. Wrap the first layer of hose around the tip of the nozzle.

6. Continue flat loading the remaining two sections of hose.

Performing a Minuteman Hose Load

7. Connect the female coupling from the last section of hose to the male coupling from the first section of hose.

Advancing a Minuteman Hose Load

1. Grasp the nozzle and the folds on top of it. Pull this top part one-third out of the hose bed.

2. Turn away from the hose bed, and place this top part on your shoulder. Walk away from the apparatus until the rest of the top section of hose drops.

Advancing a Minuteman Hose Load

3. Turn back around toward the hose bed and grasp the loop or ear from the first section of hose.

4. Walk away from the apparatus until all hose is clear from the hose bed. Continue walking away, allowing the rest of the hose to deploy from the load on your shoulder.

Performing a Preconnected Flat Load

1. Attach the female end of the hose to the preconnect discharge.

2. Begin flat loading the hose in the hose bed.

Performing a Preconnected Flat Load

3. After the first layer is loaded, make the first fold even with the edge of the hose bed. On the second layer, make a loop or ear.

4. Flat load the remainder of the hose in the hose bed. Attach the nozzle to the male coupling at the end of the hose.

Advancing a Preconnected Flat Hose Load

1. Grasp the top section of hose and place it over your shoulder.

2. Walk away from the apparatus until the top load drops onto your shoulder.

Advancing a Preconnected Flat Hose Load

3. Turn back to the hose bed and grasp the lower loop or ear. Pull the remainder of the hose from the hose bed.

4. Turn away from the apparatus and continue walking, letting the hose lay out off of your shoulder.

Performing a Triple-Layer Hose Load

1. Attach the female end of the hose to the preconnect discharge.

2. Connect the sections of hose together.

Performing a Triple-Layer Hose Load

3. Extend the hose directly from the hose bed. Pick up the hose two-thirds of the distance from the discharge to the hose nozzle.

4. Carry the hose back to the apparatus, forming a three-layer loop.

Performing a Triple-Layer Hose Load

5. Pick up the entire length of folded hose.

6. Lay the triple-folded hose in the hose bed in an S shape with the nozzle on top.

Advancing a Triple-Layer Hose Load

1. Grasp the nozzle and the top fold.

2. Turn away from the hose bed and place the hose on the shoulder.

Advancing a Triple-Layer Hose Load

3. Walk away from the vehicle until the entire load is out of the bed.

4. When the load is out of the bed, drop the fold.

Advancing a Triple-Layer Hose Load

5. Extend the nozzle the remaining distance.

Wyed Lines

• To reach a fire that may be far from the engine, it may be necessary to first advance a larger diameter line.
• This is accomplished by attaching a gated wye or a water thief to the end of the line.

Unloading and Advancing Wyed Lines

1. Grasp one of the attack lines and pull it from the bed.

2. Pull the second attack line from the bed and place it far enough from the first line so that you can walk between the hose lines.

Unloading and Advancing Wyed Lines

3. Grasp the gated wye and pull it from the bed. Place the gated wye so that one attack line is on the other side.

4. The individual attack lines can now be extended.

Advancing Attack Lines

• Two stages
• Laying out the hose to the building entrance
• Advancing the line into the building
• Flake extra hose in a serpentine pattern.

Advancing Attack Lines

• Advancing a hoseline into a structure requires:
• Careful placement of pumper and hoseline
• Proper selection of correct size and length hoseline
• Skillful execution by hose crew
• Crew selects hoseline and properly removes it from engine

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Advancing Attack Lines

• Hose Line Selection

- No hose line less than 1.75” should be used for structural firefighting

- The 1.75” hose is the most common used and over used initial attack line in the fire service.

- This 1.75” hose is great for vehicle fires, residential structure fires, dumpster fires and other smaller fires.

- No 1.75” hose for commercial or industrial structure fires

- REMEMBER: BIG fire, Big water

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Choose your weapon!

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Advancing Attack Lines

• Always bleed the air and check the pattern of the nozzle prior to entry.
• Take up to a minute to ensure that you have good flow and that the pattern is correct.
• This will allow the pump operator to get a better handle on the pressure needed for the hose line.

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Advancing Attack Lines

• Ensure that you have enough hose at the entry way to make the advance to the fire room.
• Make sure the hose outside the door is laid in a fashion to make this process easier for the person at the door.
• A dry line can be advanced when dealing with a large floor plan building such as a commercial or industrial building. The line must be charged a safe distance away from the fire.

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Advancing Attack Lines

• All the hose crew should be on the same side of the hose line.
• Prior to entering the structure ensure that all kinks are out of the hoseline. Kinks in the hoseline can reduce fire flow up to 75%.
• The last person on the hose should take the responsibility to ensure no kinks.

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How many kinks do you count?

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Advancing Attack Lines

• Always check the door for heat.
• When opening the door be to the side of the door and be able to maintain control of the door.
• Be aware of obstacles as you advance into the building as these will become snag points for the hose.
• Firefighters will have to be left at these snag points.
• Do not get caught between the snags and the hose!

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Advancing Attack Lines

• Signal the driver to charge the line.
• Make sure the nozzle is set to deliver the appropriate stream.
• Recheck your and your partner’s personal protective equipment.
• Advance the line as soon as your officer directs you.

Advancing Attack Lines

• As you move inside, stay low.
• If you cannot see, use your hands to feel the pathway in front of you.
• Communicate with the other members of the team as you advance.

Advancing Attack Line Up Stairways

• Arrange extra hose close to the bottom of the stairs.
• Make sure all of the team is ready.
• Shut down the hose line while moving up the stairs to get to the top more quickly.

Advancing Attack Line Up Stairways

• Taking a hose line up the center shaft of the stairwell is the best option as it keeps the hose out of the other crews way.
• When the stairwell does not lend itself to this type of application then the hose must be kept to the outside of the stairway to help ensure good access and egress by firefighters.

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Advancing a Hose Line Up a Stairway

1. Use a shoulder carry to advance up the stairs.

2. When ascending the stairway, lay the hose against the outside of the stairs to reduce tripping hazards.

Advancing a Hose Line Up a Stairway

3. Arrange excess hose so that it is available to fire fighters entering the fire floor.

Advancing an Attack Line Down a Stairway

• Keep as low as possible.
• Never advance toward a fire unless your hose line is charged.
• Move down the stairway feet first.

Advancing a Hose Line Down a Stairway

1. Advance a charged hose line.

2. Descend stairs feet first. If there is smoke, position yourself underneath it.

Advancing a Hose Line Down a Stairway

3. Position fire fighters at areas where hose lines could snag.

Advancing an Attack Line Up a Ladder

• Do before the line is charged.
• Additional hose should be fed up the ladder until sufficient hose is inside.
• The hose should be secured to the ladder with a hose strap.

Advancing an Uncharged Hose Line Up�a Ladder

1. Advance the hose line to the ladder. Pick up the nozzle, place the hose across the chest, and climb the ladder with the uncharged hose line.

2. Once the first fly section of the ladder is reached, a second fire fighter assists advancing the hose up the ladder. The nozzle is placed over the top rung.

Advancing an Uncharged Hose Line Up�a Ladder

5. Additional hose can be fed up the ladder until sufficient hose is in position. The hose can be secured to the ladder with a hose strap to support its weight and keep it from becoming dislodged.

Operating an Attack Line from a Ladder

• A hose stream can be operated and directed into a building through a window or other opening.

Operating a Hose Stream from a Ladder

1. Climb the ladder with a hose line to the height at which the line will be operated. Apply a leg lock or use a ladder belt.

2. Place the hose and secure the hose to the ladder with a rope hose tool, rope, or piece of webbing.

Operating a Hose Stream from a Ladder

3. Carefully operate the hose stream from the ladder. Be careful when opening and closing nozzles and redirecting the stream because of the nozzle backpressure. This force could destabilize the ladder.

Extending an Attack Line

• Two ways to extend a hose line:
• Disconnect the hose from the discharge gate and add the extra hose at that location.
• Add the hose to the discharge end of the hose.

Advancing Attack Lines from a Standpipe

• The standard high-rise pack includes the following tools and appliances
• 100’ of 1.75” hose
• Some type of Nozzle
• 5’ to 10’ section of 3” hose
• Spanner Wrenches
• Pipe Wrench
• Gated Wye

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Advancing Attack Lines from a Standpipe

• The 3” inch hose is connected to the standpipe with the gated wye attached to the hose.
• The 1.75” hose is attached to the gated wye which will allow for a second attack line.
• The attack crew always hooks up one floor below the fire floor and advance the hose up the steps to the fire floor.
• Any hose left over is advanced up the steps past the fire floor with the nozzle positioned at the door. This will allow for much easier hose deployment.

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Connecting and Advancing an Attack Line from a Standpipe Outlet

1. Carry a standpipe hose bundle to the standpipe connection below the fire. Remove the cap from standpipe.

2. Attach the proper adaptor or an appliance such as a gated wye.

Connecting and Advancing an Attack Line from a Standpipe Outlet

3. Flake the hose up the stairs to the floor above the fire.

4. Extend the hose to the fire floor and prepare for the fire attack.

Replacing a Defective Section of Hose

• Shut down as soon as possible.
• Remove the damaged section and replace it with two sections of hose.
• Ensures that the replacement hose is long enough to replace the damaged section.

Summary

• Attack hoses carry water from the engine to a nozzle onto the fire.
• Attack hoses operate at high pressure.
• Hoses used to attack interior fires are either 1½" and 1¾" in diameter.
• Attack hoses must be tested annually.

Summary

• A 1½" can flow between 60 and 125 gal.
• A 2½" hose is used on large fires.
• Booster hoses contain a steel wire, giving it a rigid shape.
• Attack lines are stretched from the attack engine to the fire.

Summary

• Attack lines are loaded so they can be quickly and easily deployed.
• Preconnected hose lines can be placed in different locations on a fire engine.
• Hoses may need to be split into two lines in order to reach a fire that is far away.
• Attack evolutions have a specific structure.