The department hadn’t bought any new hoses since 2012, Zern said, and then it wasn’t enough for a full set for a truck. Most of the attack hoses are more than 20 years old, and most of the supply hoses are more than 10 years old, he said.
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It can be expensive, too. For the 5-inch supply hose, which is the largest type of hose and supplies water from a source to the pump truck, Zern said it can cost more than $500 for 100 feet of hose. Each truck complement contains 800 feet of 5-inch hose, as well as another 1,900 feet of supply and attack hose.