By Bill Adams
One of the white hairs wobbled in for morning coffee and started babbling like a brook because he overheard a couple of young guys saying they didn’t know what a hose clamp was let alone how to use one. That started a talkathon about using hose clamps. Like all Raisin Squad discussions, we passed judgement—confident that we did things better, quicker, and more efficiently than “they” do today, “they” being people who still respond to fires. “They” are also the ones that forced us old-timers into wearing rubber goods (aka turnout gear) and air packs. It’s hard trusting someone who, a couple days after a good worker, hasn’t experienced hackin+g up several mouthfuls of multicolored soot-encrusted phlegm. “They” probably don’t smoke or chew either.
Anyhow, the geezers were opinionated: What the hell do you need a clamp for? A good driver can hook-up a feeder line before the hydrant man finishes dressing the plug. Gee, with the oversized stuff (LDH) they buy today, how big does a clamp have to be? They’re dangerous—remember when Charlie tried to take one off of that charged deuce-and-a half? Yep, that handle flew up and hit him where it hurts the most. He didn’t think he could ever have any more kids.
One Raisin did his homework, because the next morning they started in again. Ya know, you gotta carry one to be compliant. The statement is only half true. I had looked it up myself just to prove a point. It didn’t work. I said that National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901, Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, sentence A.5.9.4 in the appendix recommends carrying “one hose clamp” on a pumper. I told them it didn’t say you had to—it just recommended it. That’s stupid. What good is that? And, it didn’t specify what size clamp to carry. Ain’t it supposed to be for the supply line? Harry piped in: The Underwriters say you have to carry one. That’s BS, Harry; the Board of Fire Underwriters doesn’t exist anymore. Besides, who told you that? I looked it up; it’s in the Darley catalog. For crying out loud Harry, what do you do—sleep with that damn thing? It’s got everything in it. It says you get Insurance Services Office (ISO) points for hose clamps. It’s in red letters, so it’s gotta be true. Besides, ain’t the ISO the same thing as the Underwriters? Well, not exactly. Why not? It wasn’t worth explaining. I was stressed and went home.
After my nap, I looked up the ISO’s Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, and sure enough under Table 512.A Pumper Equipment and Hose, the ISO listed a hose clamp. But, like NFPA 1901, it didn’t specify a size hose it should fit. Regardless, its only worth 4 points out of the total 654 points allowable for a pumper. That miserable old man was right again, but I wasn’t going to tell him.
A couple of days later, one of the not-so-ripe raisins mentioned there used to be a hydraulically operated hose clamp that could handle up to a 5-inch line, but it isn’t available any more. A company by the name of Hebert makes a screw type manual hose clamp that handles 4-inch to 6-inch hose. And, Akron Brass still makes its model 588 hose clamp that handles up to 3-inch hose. Handled properly and safely, it’ll work well as it has for many years. I mentioned you could use a hose clamp if you wanted to extend a preconnect. You should’ve pulled a longer line. Well, if you blow a length of hose in a preconnect, you can use it to shut off the water and replace the length. It’ll take too long. Its quicker to just pull another preconnect.