Don’t’ Forget About Your Old Tools

By GEOFF NIELSEN

Many new and great tools have been introduced to the fire service, including thermal imaging cameras, new hose and foam types, and water appliances (such as large-diameter hose and constant flow nozzles); even the standard fire ax has gone from six to eight pounds with fiberglass handles. These new items are wonderful tools in every fire department’s arsenal and, hopefully, every fire department has them or will purchase them in the future. However, there are some useful tools that, even though they are still shown in some catalogs and training manuals, have gone by the wayside.

Hose roller (hoist) (photo 1). The hose hoist can be an excellent tool for certain situations and, many years ago, a lot of major cities carried it. Years ago, there were one or two manufacturers that made the hoist out of brass, and it was somewhat heavy. Because of its weight, it would be more stable on a windowsill or a cornice to a roof. It has more or less disappeared, but there are still a few around, possibly on a fire apparatus or in storage.

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(1) Hose roller—used for hoisting ropes over cornices and windowsills. (Photos by author.)

In recent years, a slightly different hose roller has been introduced that is somewhat lighter and more versatile when performing the same type of operation. It is also very handy on steel anchor fences; place it over the top of a fence, if possible, and use it to roll in hose, especially booster lines. A hose roller should have a length of rope tied to one end (50 feet would be appropriate for most cases) with a pointed eye or some type of fastening device on the other end to secure it to a roof or another fixed object. The hose roller also can be a basic engine and truck company tool; several rope companies have come out with special rope-rolling devices for life rope rescue operations.

Distributor nozzle (photo 2). Generally used in a 2½-inch size, this nozzle is a broken stream-type nozzle and can be very advantageous on ship and other vessel-type fires, attic fires, and cellar fires and in other concealed spaces. Even though you don’t use this nozzle every day, it is very effective and does a great job of stopping fire spread.

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(2) Distributor nozzle—sometimes referred to as a broken stream nozzle or a Bresnan distributor nozzle. It is usually 2½ inches, but a 1½-inch type is also available.

One effective use of this nozzle is to hit the floor or the bottom of the container, and so forth, and raise it up about four feet. In this configuration, the nozzle can get water to the middle, top, and bottom of engulfed ceiling joists. Another operation procedure that one fire department uses puts a 2½-inch length of hose between the nozzle and the single-gate shutoff that members would lay on the sidewalk outside the fire scene to control it without taking a beating. It may not always work, but it’s worth a try.

Partition nozzle (photo 3). This old-style partition nozzle was a relatively well made, brass, special interest-type nozzle. A lot of these nozzles had a controlling valve by the hose coupling and would normally swing in an up-and-down, side-to-side movement so that you could move the nozzle into a partition of confined space; fit it in securely; and, hopefully, get water where you need it. Also, this unit prevents a large amount of water damage that you might have with a standard modern nozzle because it is flexible and gets into walls, like the old basic partition nozzle.

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(3) A 11⁄2-inch partition nozzle (brass) was effective in hard-to-reach places. The nozzle spins with a swivel, and most have shutoffs.

Bayonet nozzle (photo 4). Also called a piercing nozzle, this nozzle came in two or three sizes; some were even homemade. Some of them would fit into their own companion nozzle, and some would fit on the end of a fire stream coupling. The piercing bayonet with the nozzle could be an excellent tool. For example, to cut off and stop fire in a partition, you could puncture the partition. Once you believe the fire is knocked down with the partition nozzle, you would still have to open up the wall—top, bottom, or both—to make sure you extinguished it all.

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(4) Bayonet nozzles. The nozzle on the left is usually used with a controlling nozzle to hold it for operations. The nozzle on the right has a hose connection, usually for 1¾-inch hose, and a head on the end that you can strike with a sledgehammer or another tool for puncturing.

The other type of bayonet nozzle has an intake device on its end at a 45° angle and a head you can strike with a sledgehammer or other hitting device that could penetrate a wall in (hopefully) only a few hits. Again, this nozzle is an investigation tool and was used as an alternative to open a trunk that was on fire. If you do not have a key to open the trunk, you can stick the nozzle into the key hole to break the lock.

Two-and-a-half-gallon water pump tank extinguisher.The early concept for these extinguishers was for use in air raid fire control. They were usually made of steel or brass (photo 5) in 2½- and five-gallon versions. You can still purchase these extinguishers. They have some very useful features, which include the following:

  • Do not have to be pressurized; the pump is the pressurizing device.
  • Good stream throughout the duration of the contents.
  • Relatively light and easy to handle.
  • Do not have to be hydrostatically tested.
  • The bottom usually has a floor stand-on device to hold it permanently on the floor.

 

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(5) A 21⁄2-gallon brass pump tank—it does not have to be pressurized and can be practical for incipient-type fires.

Obviously, filling this extinguisher can be less costly than most. It’s good for small and incipient fires.

Applicator nozzle. Applicator nozzles usually came in six-, 10-, and 12-foot lengths, with a 90° bend at the end. Usually, you could remove the perforated heads, where there was a screen for cleaning. Also available was a small four-foot applicator nozzle with a 45° bend.

Let’s talk about the specific operations where you can use these appliances. First, have the right nozzle type to make this appliance applicable for the operation. These nozzles usually were sold with a corresponding controlling nozzle and were good at protecting a firefighter with a water curtain so that he could turn off a valve or other important component in an emergency.

This nozzle was also very effective on flammable liquid fires and for fires underneath and under the hoods of cars, buses, and other vehicles with air suspension so that you did not injure your hands or arms. Remember, the one disadvantage of these applicator nozzles is that they could conduct electricity, so be careful with their reach and where they go to extinguish different fires.

Gas-powered disk saw with competition blade.Years ago, a lot of fire departments carried one or two on their ladder trucks; it had a great impact on the fire service, making the job easier. At one ladder company school, the new saw would not start in a ventilation class. The instructor brought out the old six-pound pickhead ax and said, “Remember, if the new tools don’t work, we can always go back to the old ones.”

Members still train with some of these appliances and tools. They can be extremely useful under certain conditions, when nothing else will do.

GEOFF NIELSEN is a retired training officer with Wethersfield (CT) Engine Company #2.

 

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