Preconnected Foam Line Has Eductor
features
A 100-foot, 1 1/8 -inch hose line with a preconnected foam eductor and navytype nozzle has been added to Engine 5, the attack pumper of East Fishkill, N. Y., Company 1. Adding this line has increased our fireground efficiency.
Engine 5 is a 750-gpm, front-mount pumper with a 1000-gallon tank. For attack lines, it carries one 200-foot, preconnected, l 3/4-inch line and one 200-foot, 1 ½ -inch line that is not connected to the pump. This setup has proved to be very satisfactory for structural fires, but for a quick attack on a motor vehicle fire or even a flammable liquid washdown, something was lacking.
In reviewing our vehicle fire attack procedure, we found the biggest problem was just too much hose. Most of these fires were fought with the engine parked relatively close to the fire and we always seemed to have twice as much hose as we needed to reach the fire. True, we could always pull off the necessary amount of hose, break it, then reconnect it to the pump, but this was not always conducive to a quick attack.
Other problems to solve
Also, there were other problems which we wanted to resolve. The first was foam application. We carry an inline foam eductor, but once again it meant breaking the line and inserting the eductor. another time delay. A second problem was with washdowns. Although we were normally not in a quick action situation, the preconnect was usually too bothersome to pull and we found that our booster line was being used more and more, a situation which could lead to trouble. A third problem which had been encountered was when that initial 200 feet was not quite long enough or a length ruptured and had to be replaced at the scene.
The officers of Company 1 feel that we have solved these problems with the addition of what we have dubbed “the side lay.” It consists of 100 feet of 1 ½ -inch hose with a preconnected navy-type nozzle and inline foam eductor. This unit is mounted on the driver’s side walkway over the cabinets and is held in place with quick-release elastic straps. With a foam extension tube, 4-foot piercing tip and 10-foot fog applicator, which all adapt to the navy nozzle, we feel that this is a versatile answer to our fire fighting problem.
Hose line is used
The procedure for the side lay’s operation is simple. When the initial size-up shows the need for this line, the pump operator loosens the first two hold-down straps, takes the eductor and attached hose, moves to the front of the engine and connects the eductor to the pump. If the need for foam exists, there are 15 gallons of AFFF concentrate in a compartment directly beneath this hose lay which the pump operator can also take. The nozzleman has only to release the rear hold-down, take the nozzle and proceed to the fire.
This new hose lay has increased not only our initial attack speed and power, but has also bettered our back in service time. We also have an extra 100 feet of hose that we can use to lengthen another line of to replace a burst hose length. With this extra hose, we also have a third hand line possibility.
This new hose line was readily accepted by the men and has been used successfully on several motor vehicle fires as well as gasoline washdowns, with and without foam.
