Laying charged hose?

[killerb]

I read a post somewhere in here a few weeks back in which someone made a couple of remarks on two subjects into which I would like some details:

1. It's possible to lay charged hose. For example, hook the hose to the hydrant, charge the hose, and drive off, NOT leaving a firefighter at the hydrant. This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen to me, but if it CAN be done, I'd like to know how.

2. It's possible to draft with fire hose. This would certainly be easier than using rigid hose, but it seems to me like the pump suction would merely suck the hose together.

Anybody want to step up to the plate on these?

[OSUfirepro]

Hey south neighbor You probably could draft with soft jacketed hose if you could some how fill the hose with water before suctioning and keep it full during operation; but even if it was possible, if someone was to step on or drop a tool on the hose it would probably colapse. As for catching a hydrant without leaving a firefighter at the hydrant. You probably could do this, but having the hose on the hydrant and pulling the pumper forward could damage the hose. For example, if the hose was to hang-up while comming off the truck. This practice over time might start to tear the hose at the coupling. Just my thoughts. There may be a better way. Stay safe.

[mongofire_99]

1. It's possible to lay charged hose.

Sort of, check out the Carlin valve:
http://www.hydra-shield.com/product12.htm

2. It's possible to draft with fire hose.

Again, sort of, check out the turbo draft
http://www.turbodraft.net/

[killerb]

I might have known that it would require MORE STUFF.

[firefighter15_wv]

When you talk about laying charged hose, do you mean that you charge the hose with the hose still folded up in the hose bed of the truck?

[RJE]

ff15:

Nah. You use a special valve - it's basically a "time release" valve.

You connect the hose to hydrant discharge, set the valve, then open the hydrant. Then the "hydrant man" gets back on the truck and proceeds to lay out the rest.

At the scene, someone (usually the hydrant man) clamps the hose w/a regular hose clamp, then proceeds to the fire as some other member.

The FAO (pump operator) can then pull supply hose to the next coupling, break and connect to a supply inlet, then remove the clamp.

What the valve does is (as I understand it - experts feel free to jump in here) it slowly opens, allowing the supply hose to begin to fill. But it does so slow enough that you can finish the lay and get it clamped before the line charges all the way to the hosebed. At the same time, it opens quickly enough that it's fully open (and the supply line fully charged), at least to the clamp, before the pump operator needs it (runs out of booster tank water.

It's a great concept. I wish they were around back when I was an FAO. We were frequently shorthanded, and that guy who just made the 1000' hike in bunker gear was all but useless (if he was even there) for the first (critical) few minutes on scene.

[Dalmatian90]

You're close RJE.

Rather than opening slowly, it opens in two stages.

The first stage is a low-flow that fills the line.

You keep the pump intake closed (or the hose clamp on), and once pressure is equalized on both sides of the Carlin because the hose is filled, it pops open for the second stage -- which is full flow.

[trumpeter75]

I'm not too keen on the idea of laying a charged line, but...

I think drafting with soft-suction hose would be possible. Maybe if you back-flowed water through the connection from your tank. We've done this with HARD suction, and it works instantly...you get a prime every time. But never thought about using soft suction...why would ya want to?

[Dalmatian90]

No, you can not draft through soft suction. The vacuum will instantly collapse the hose.

Devices like the TurboDraft are a giant jet-siphon, and keep the hose under pressure. They eliminate the 25' vertical lift and relatively restricted horizontal reach of hard suction (not many of us carry more than 60' of suction, if that). So if you need water from a pond 200' away, there a great way to go.

New Zealand has used smaller siphons called Dragons for years for the same purpose -- so the same engine that's fighting the fire from the front of the house is supplying itself from the pool in the rear.

[RJE]

Thanks for the clarification, Dal.

Like I said, wish we'd have had them way back.

[MikeDeVuono]

What's drafting...??

Damn...hydrants are nice.