Hoses: Large and Small, from LDH to Forestry Lines

BY ALAN M. PETRILLO

Hoses are a firefighter’s lifeline, whether providing water, protecting from fire, or even as a pathway out of danger. The various types of hoselines being produced by fire hose manufacturers run from large-diameter supply lines to firefighting handlines for structural and wildland use.

ATTACK LINES

Mike Peterson, senior sales manager for North American Fire Hose (NAFH), notes that attack hose being used today is predominantly 1¾-inch, 2-inch, and 2½-inch hose. NAFH makes Dura-Built 800™ hose in two styles: with an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) synthetic rubber liner and with a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer liner. “Our EPDM rubber hose liners are vulcanized in by mechanical and chemical means, keeping the same adhesion properties regardless of elevated hose temperatures,” Peterson says. “Our steam-cure process causes a chemical reaction to the rubber backing, linking it to the inner jacket fibers as well as the EPDM liner, resulting in a liner attached for the life of the hose.”

Peterson notes that the premium yarn NAFH uses for fire hose is Nylon 66 because of its good resistance to abrasion and its ability to stretch and absorb shock. “The other yarn we use is polyester, but it has no shock-absorbing qualities and very little give,” he says. NAFH has its own Flow Lab at its Santa Maria, California, headquarters, Peterson says. “We tested our D-BAK 800™ (Dura-Built Anti Kink) 1¾-inch attack hose in a doorway kink test adjustable fixture set for a 16-inch opening, and the hose passes through without kinking while flowing 185 gallons per minute (gpm) at 50 pounds per square inch (psi) with a 15⁄16-inch smooth bore tip.