Since the publication of the Fire Department Pumper Test and Fire Stream Tables, Eighth Edition, Circa 1975 there has been a significant amount of changes to the Fire Service overall and even more specifically the tools of the trade.
There has been great strides in innovation, improvement, and overall hose design so the hose products that are out now are not the same hose products your dad used to fight fires back in the day.
And this is a good thing!
Fires are burning hotter and differently lately. A change in building materials for both furniture and homes has caused fires to burn hotter and faster, cutting down the precious time firefighters have to attack a fire. Because of this, it has spurred some new hose products on the market specifically created to address these issues while providing a reliable and durable tool firefighters can trust.
This change and innovation is especially true regarding hose products. The Fire Hose Industry has changed in many ways; from yarn types, to liner construction, to a push for lightweight hose, and a need for a hose that flows water at a lower pressure then before.
What is different about hose construction now?
It’s apparent that we are not using the same attack line our fathers used back in the day. Innovation and advancements in technology and design have created hose products that can perform time after time.
Previous hose manufacturing included cotton jacketed woven hose. While this was innovative at the time, a need for domestic sources to the components that create a hose caused manufacturers to look for alternatives. Now the industry is providing hose manufactured with nylon or polyester yarn. This can cause a hose to be lighter and easier to pack.
Rubber components, like those found in our Snap-tite Hose products in particular, have been redesigned and reevaluated to create a rubber hose product that withstands punctures, abrasion, and wear and tear. While it’s believed that rubber hose is heavier, rubber hose does not take on extra weight when wet after being used to attack a fire.
Snap-tite Hose has designed a hose to fit a variety of flow models for attack from 150-165 gpm or 185-210. A variety of hose products like this is by design – different hose products designed and manufactured to give the suppression team the flow requirements for the required gallons per minute to extinguish the fire. Not all fires are the same, not all departments are the same, and not all hose flow systems are the same.
How does Snap-tite Hose design and manufacture superior hose products?
With Snap-tite Hose you are getting a state-of-the-art attack and supply. We pride ourselves on our innovation around our hose products – including our ability to listen to our customers and provide hose products that solve their issues.
You are asking for a hose that is even lighter than our hose products to help you fight high rise fires?
Consider it done.
You need a hose that flows water at a low PSI and resists kinking?
Absolutely.
Snap-tite Hose knows that a firefighter can do their job better, more efficiently, and faster with the right tools – and that absolutely includes their fire hose. We manufacture products that are durable outside and efficient inside.
The water way of Snap-tite Hose enhances the flow of water with less friction causing the hose to not be as reactive to the pressure. This means an easier and more reliable water flow. And that is due to our liner system.
Our liner system, whether it is one of our innovative thru-the-weave or vulcanized hose products, provides a more durable system for water to move through. There are several hose manufactures out there that will spray on their liners or continue to glue them in place. With the new UL testing and certification in place we see that the sprayed applied liner will melt away because of the amount of wax used for their application. This can cause catastrophic failure to hose products.
Your bunker gear is designed to provide protection for fifteen seconds during a flash fire, don’t you want a hose that lasts as long as your PPE giving you a better severability? Products that have subpar liners or don’t have the durability in the cover of the hose have a higher chance of failure. Having a hose fail before you have time to extinguish the fire makes your hard work even harder. Why settle for a hose that can’t stand the heat?
Snap-tite Hose also manufactures and tests our hose to the highest standards available, and then some. We know that standards, certifications, and testing matter to prove that our hose products stand up to the stringent and harsh conditions our customers subject their hose to.
What should firefighters and fire departments know about the future of the fire hose industry?
As everyone works to make the Fire Service industry more innovative and better overall, we need to take a good look into the main link and life line while you are in a live fire environment – your fire hose. Your fire hose is the most important part of your tool kit and the best and best performing hose products are part of smart hose flow systems everywhere.
Snap-tite Hose is proud of our history of innovation and honesty around our hose products. No smoke and mirrors here – we work diligently to design and manufacture products that we openly test and certify because honesty and transparency makes the industry better and safer.
Understanding the different hose products on the market and looking objectively at how hose products can be designed and manufactured will help you to create the best hose flow system for your needs . But the fire hose isn’t the only part of an effective and efficient hose flow system – there are more components to consider.
When thinking about fire hose, it’s also important to think about the other parts of a hose flow system. Departments need to also investigate all the parts of a hose flow system to determine what they are looking for their entire system to do for them. This includes the Pump (GPM), Hose, Nozzle and Staffing.
Evaluating your entire hose flow system means critically looking at all components and evaluating if the current system you have works and what you need to do to replace components that aren’t serving their purpose or working efficiently. The right combination of pump, hose, nozzle, and staffing giving you the flow you need creates a hose flow system you can count on.
We are not using our fathers hose any longer…… and we need to innovate, adapt, and design hose products that continue to aid a firefighter in attacking fires. Snap-tite Hose has and continues to innovative and develop products that make your job easier and the industry safer.
That is the #snaptitepromise – we promise to keep innovation, honesty, and YOU top of mind each and every day.