Extreme weather conditions, difficult terrain, and low visibility—fighting fires can be an extremely unpredictable and dangerous task. One thing is certain in this profession: the stakes are high, and the price of mistakes—in lives and property—can be enormous. You cannot afford the cost of faulty equipment. You want to send your crews out with the best chance at winning the battle against wildland fires, and that means arming them with the highest quality tools.
Selecting the right hose is a critical part of your strategy. What should you be looking for in your wildland hose? The hose needs to reliably sustain high water pressures and temperatures while enduring years of service in a hostile environment. It needs to be extremely rugged and durable, yet light and easy to transport. It should meet or exceed all industry standards to ensure quality and performance.
“Ultimately, the water delivery system is a firefighter’s lifeline. Therefore we must ensure that we are providing our firefighters a product capable of protecting the firefighter and providing enough water to extinguishing the fire.
“If your fire department is purchasing hose in the near future, you should consider the following:
- Fire hose friction loss
- Inner tube or liner
- Kink resistance
- Outer jacket material in terms of durability
- Burst pressure
- Test your hose before you buy!”
—Glenn Hamm, Newberry County Emergency Services
The WATERAX HOTLINE® hose has been famous since the 1980s for its outstanding quality, and is trusted by many leading forestry agencies and municipalities. Its ability to sustain the high pressure delivered by the company’s MARK-3® and BB-4® pumps, while enduring rugged wildland conditions, has made it a popular premium layflat forestry hose in North America. Un-canny resistance to abrasions caused by rough terrain plus UV and ozone resistance make it the champion of durability in the field.
HOTLINE has a renowned bright florescent appearance which enables high retrieval rates, thanks to a yellow ENCAP® treatment. The ENCAP polymer completely encapsulates the jacket fibers, not merely the surface coat of the jacket. It cleans easily, even after exposure to the grimiest conditions. Also, it has high resistance to kinks and friction loss while allowing the hose to remain flexible, lightweight, and compact for easy storage.
Look no further. WATERAX HOTLINE forestry hoses are an essential part of superior water handling systems for many agencies and are guaranteed to meet your needs too. Contact WATERAX to learn more.
Key features of HOTLINE forestry hoses include:
- Circular bias woven, single jacket 100% virgin spun polyester.
- Tube constructed of extruded T.P.U., a superior ozone and age resistant elastomer.
- Standard lengths up to 100’ (30,5 m).
- Wide service temperature range, from -