Why it’s important to look at your entire water flow system, not just parts of it, to create an efficient and effective system that can be relied on.
A water flow system is the most important tool a firefighter deploys when attacking a fire. Your entire system, from pump to nozzle, needs to optimally perform when you need it to – because lives are on the line each time you are fighting a fire.
While having the right hose is necessary, it’s also necessary to make sure your system is not only up to standard, tested, and certified but also easy to deploy and created to do exactly what you need it to do when you need it to do it.
What do we mean when we say hose flow system?
Your hose flow system is everything you use to flow water through a hose to fight a fire.
It includes your supply line, your attack line, and your nozzle. It’s the entire system you use to get the water out of the truck and on to the fire. Having the right hose flow system for your needs can make a huge difference. It makes a difference in your friction loss, GPM, efficiency, how easy the system is to deploy, how easy it is to pack, and how light of a hose you need are all factors you need to consider when thinking about a hose flow system.
Why does an effective and efficient hose system matter?
An effective and efficient hose system matters because fighting fire is a life or death.
Think of it this way – if you had to get some place quickly, would you take a seemingly reliable yet slower car, or would you take a trusted and tuned up faster car to reach your destination?
Of course you’d choose the faster, trusted, and tuned up car.
Your hose system is no different. Making sure you have the right hose system that is both effective and efficient.
Effective hose systems allow you to complete the task of extinguishing the fire – and an effective hose flow system that is created for your specific hose flow needs means extinguishing the fire faster, easier, and allows you to make the right decisions at the right times. Effectiveness means producing desired results, and that result is an extinguished fire and your team’s safety.
Efficient hose systems can help you use the least amount of resources while getting the maximum results. An efficient hose system can also mean performing the assigned duties (in this case, flowing water) without making mistakes, because the potential mistakes could cause harm to you or a member of your team.
When thinking of the parts of your hose system, it’s best to ask yourself the following questions:
#1: What kind of fires does my municipality fight most frequently?
Take a look at what kind of fires you fight more often. Are you fighting house fires? Do you fight fires in buildings? How often are you fighting fires in forests, or in some kind of environment? All of these different types of fires and they require different hose flow systems.
#2: How often are we fighting fires?
Understanding how frequently you deploy the hose can shed light into what you need your hose system to do for you. If you are fighting fires very frequently, consider a hose that is lighter weight when wet and packs easily. If you fight fires on a less frequent basis you may find yourself with more options for hose products to satisfy your needs.
#3: Do we fight many high rise fires?
There are hose products out there that can help departments who predominantly fight high rise fires do it more efficiently and with a hose that doesn’t cause unnecessary fatigue. For example, our Ponn Supreme hose was manufactured to be even lighter weight than before at the request of a Canadian fire department. They loved the original Ponn Supreme but were looking for a hose that was lighter – so Snap-tite Hose designed and manufactured one for them.
Taking an objective look at your hose flow needs with things like how many high rise fires you extinguish means an objective look at how your hose flow system needs to work with you, not against you.
#4: What friction loss is acceptable to me and what GPM am I looking for?
Friction loss occurs when water passes through any kind of hose. As water moves through a hose, the friction between the movement of the water and the inside of the hose causes agitation in the water therefore slowing the water.
When this happens, you generally have a loss of pressure (a PSI drop) at the nozzle end of the hose. When you combine that with a higher GPM in the hose, more friction loss occurs. Understanding what your acceptable levels of both friction loss and GPM are helps you find the best hose flow solutions.
#5: What kind of hose is easiest to clean?
There has been a lot of talk about “clean cab” and how departments need to focus on finding ways to reduce the carcinogens present on gear and in vehicles once a fire has been extinguished. Studies show that firefighters are at a higher risk of cancer* because of their exposure to fire.
Why does a certified and tested hose system matter?
This matters for the same reason it matters that your car has a warranty, that your doctor graduated and has a license, and that your child’s school bus driver has a license.
These types of certifications are put in place to prove a person, place, or thing is up to the standards set by a profession or an industry. Your hose is no different.
Our hose products, no matter where they are manufactured, are certified to meet and exceed any standards set in place by the industry and governing body. This certification is extremely important to us because it gives our clients peace of mind and assurance that our hose products are dependable and reliable.
A certification on your hose products means the hose you put in your hose flow system is ready and able to withstand a lot.
Snap-tite Hose understands that a great hose flow system includes a hose that performs when and where you need it to.
We have a variety of hose products to suit any of your hose flow needs – and we can even bring the hoses to you to demo.
Innovative. Honest. Manufactured with you in mind. That is #thesnaptitepromise.
Sources:
https://www.lls.org/managing-your-cancer/firefighters-and-cancer-risk