Piercing Nozzles

[Hoppy851]

My department just bought a piecring nozzle for use on car fires and other fires we have to cut our way into. I was wondering what people thought of these and if they have used them.

" Loyality above all else, except honor"

[Fireman488]

Our department has a piercing nozzle on our first due engine.

It works really well; however, we rarely use it at car fires. Because it's use would require either shutting down the primary knockdown line to hook it up or stretching a second line.

We normally use conventional methods to open the hoods, at car fires, to gain access for extinguishment.

I hope this helps.

Stay safe,

Fireman488

[SmokeEater31]

I concur with Fireman488. We have a piercing nozzel that we carry on our first due engine. However, the only time that we really use it, is for example of a Barn Fire with Hay/Straw involved, so that we can pierce inside the bales to work them from inside out.

Car Fires, we stick to the conventional methods. Under the hood etc....

But I have nothing but good thigns to say about the nozzels. They are real time savers.

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Your Brother In The Service,
Rob Herpel
FF/EMT
Vice-Pres./Asst. EMS Coordinator
Fremont Rural Fire Department

[LHS*]

We carry one or two adjustable 3 to 12 footers on every rig and use them a lot for attic fires. Do exactly what they are supposed to do. They are also used as a portable sprinkler system to stop running attic fires on apartment complexes.

[postal79]

we have one on my engine and one on one other engine in town, we have yet to use them on a car fire, sorry to be repetitive but we use the old conventional ways to open the hood, i've heard they are very good for garbage truck fires on the street, instead of dumping the load on the road, and also dumpster fire,anything deep seated

[Dalmatian90]

We run a piercing nozzle on all our apparatus that carry water, and except for one truck there part of a Rockwood Nozzle setup.

Pop out the spud on the Rockwood, pop in the piercing nozzle.

Great for attic fires to knock down quickly and stop a running fire.

Great for mobile home fires -- both stopping a running fire if you got there soon enough, and overhauling the collapsed remains if you didn't.

Great for car fires...but honestly we don't use it too often 'cause we can usually knock it down quick enough and pop the hood with the latch.

Very good for fires in the voids of balloon frame structures -- and absolutely terrific when used with CAFS to fill the void spaces.

I've also used it for overhauling fires from structure fires to hay to brush fires. Put in the smouldering remains, and it puts water in the heated center instead of running off the top. The brush fire situation was during a very dry summer and a fire that got into the roots. Used the nozzle to soak the ground where smoke was coming up.

If you want a neat surprise, we're mutual aid to the town north of us and I was directed to pull a backup line from their Engine-Tank. I go to the back, pull an 1-3/4" preconnect...and lo and behold outcomes there Rockwood nozzle with a piercing applicator already attached. Ok, gotta remember that preconnect. Then since I wanted a higher flow line, I grabbed another preconnect that had an automatic nozzle on it.

[Engine69]

We have a couple of them. I remember all the anticipation of using them on car fires when we were ordering them. But as I recall, there isn't a scratch on them...

[LHS*]

Per your requests for info on adjustable piercing nozzles:
http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Trails/5754/piercing.html
http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Trails/7873/index7c.html

[Looper]

We use two different types of piercing nozzles. One is the conventional, pound through the wall type. The other is a TFT 50/350 handline nozzle with a piercing tip that comes out the bottom at a 90 degree angle. There is a lever to switch between the piercer and the regular nozzle. It works great on car fires -- just punch a hole in the hood with a haligan bar and stick the piercing tip in. Knocks down the fire real fast and you still have the regular nozzle for the rest of the car -- or a structure fire if needed.

Unfortunately, it was a limited production run and they are no longer available. We were lucky to get three of them for our first due engines.

[AXE]

We have a piercing nozzle.
We rarely ever use it though.
When we do use it, it is mainly on fires such as hay bails.

There are times I can look back and see when one would have been effective on attic fires.
BUT, that is not to say I recommend using them on attic fires....

Be open minded... there are many times you can use it.... just have to remember you have one on the rig!

[Fireboy422]

We have had two nozzles in our department, for some stupid reason the brass of our dept. decided to put them on our Arial trucks that rarely leave the station instead of the engines that go on everything. We just got a new truck that has a pre-connected 90 degree nozzle on it, hopefully they will let us use it!

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-FF D. Betka
NSFD
Norton Shores, MI

[Jr_ AssistChief]

In 1999 we recieved our newest truck, a Pierce of course, with the Snozzle on it. It is a 50' articulating, mid-mount aerial device with a piercing nozzle on the end that we can flow out of when not using the adjustable fog. We've been trying to tell averyone about this truck, and no one seems to be listening. At the time it was the only truck like it one the East coast, the only other fire apparatus with the Snozzle on it are all of the modern airport trucks. For more info go to www.snozzle.com, or our company's web-site www.njlawnet.com/station63

[PA Volunteer]

I guess I'm the only one on this forum who's used a piercing nozzle on a car fire. Well, I have, and it's been great. We pull a line, pop off the nob and pop on the piercing nozzle. It takes an extra minute, but it saves having to put a FF in front of the bumper to try to pry the latch on the hood. I know the chances of the front bumper blowing off are slim, but it can happen. This way, we can cool everything down before going at the latch. One thing, be sure to force the piercing nozzle into one side of the hood or the other as opposed to the middle of the hood to avoid the engine block. As with anything, it has its costs and its benefits. Stay Safe.

[mike021]

JR_asst.chief there is a Snozzle that is our mutual aid company here right by Philadelphia. It's not on a Pierce, but it is a decent idea. Although it has yet to be used. I think the truck is a 2000 KME. They have it up on www.station08.com Everyone thinks it's a goofy idea to put a snozzle on a non airport truck, but what the hell you never ever know when it could come in handy. I think it's a alright idea. Plus the Philadelphia Internation airport is 5 minutes away.

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Norwood Fire Co. No. 1
http://www.nfco1.freeservers.com

[Hoppy851]

Thanks for all the input!!!

" Firefighting: Almost as good as sex."