Engine company hose beds should be configured based on that individual company's needs and response area. Larger departments tend to set up all of their engine company's hose bed configurations the same. That way, regardless of what engine company a member gets assigned to (overtime, detail, or transfer), he/she is already familiar with the locations/lengths of all supply and attack lines. While there should be some consistency, with the amount of supply line for example, this allows little room for companies to 'customize' their engine to match the needs of their first-due area. -Keith
How is your company's rear hose bed set up?
In your department, are all of your engine companies' hose beds set up identically, or configured based on the needs of their individual first-due?
4 comments:
My career rig's rear hosebed:
-250' 2 1/2" Smoothbore 1 1/8" and 1 1/4" Tips
-350' 1 3/4" Elkart Fire Chief Nozzle 75 PSI/185GPM with 15/16" Breakaway
-1200' 4"
- 500' 3"
My volunteer rig's rear hosebed:
- 200' 2 1/2" Smoothbore 1 1/8" and 1 1/4" Tips
- 1250' 4"
- 500' 3" with 150' 1 3/4" Bundle On Top With 75 PSI TFT CVFSS Nozzle
- 400' 1 3/4" With 75PSI TFT CVFSS Nozzle
In the CIty, E403 and RE433 have nearly the same hose compliment and configuration. The differences are due to vehicle configurations, however the hose loads have been setup according to what the department has determined to be the most efficient and effective manner. Our hose loads are not identical to the surrounding county companies, however we have drilled with these companies so that we are familiar with their lines and they are familiar with ours.
At my volunteer firehouse, we are one company in a system consisting of 12 companies. We have configured our hosebed to fit our response area. There is a county standard on minimum amounts of hose required, however thus far we are able to load the hose how we see fit.
Stay safe!
Nothing like sitting on the computer at home and getting all fired up on a hot topic! First, great picture to get started off with. This engine looks like its set up for one basic thing-to let the firemen on it fight fire! The hoseloads are simple. The tailboard offers a pretty decent step to pull off a line and the "hi-rise"/"stand pipe" bundle(if thats what it is?) is right there ready to go. Unfortunately, not all FDs are set up to provide this service. What I mean is that they are more likely to pass a parade inspection than be able to quickly get different lines into play. Imagine a nameless department that has a preconnected hard suction on the front bumper ready to draft... but they dont draft because there are hydrants on every corner. Why is it there? and no portable dump tank to go with it...on the entire dept. Imagine preconnected 1 3/4" lines single stacked so narrow you cant get your hand down in the bed section to unscrew the couplings from the truck... or 1200 ft. of 5" supply... or a "hi-rise " pack with 150' of 1 3/4" but in your district the hi rises have hallways longer than 150 ft.!!!! What is an engine set up like this set up for? ....Imagine....
All of the hose lengths are the same on the rigs were I work, the 3 inch, 5 inch and high rise packs are all the same.
The cross lays can be packed either flat load, or triple layer whichever the company prefers. The bumper lines are packed however the company wants.
Bumper: 150 1 3/4 Smooth basket load
Speedlays 200 1 3/4 fog, 200 1 3/4 vinidcator, 300 1 3/4 fog
High rise: 2 packs 100 feet each Jones load 1 3/4 smooth
Rear: 200 feet 2 1/2 minute man smooth
500 feet 3 inch first 300 packed so they can be shoulder loaded, the rest packed flat, water thief on the end
1000 feet of 5 inch flat load hydrant connection on the end.
Rig 1: FFX county standard
Rig 2:
150' 1 3/4" bumper line with a 50' pony roll
2ea. 200' 1 3/4" crosslays w/75psi fogs
400' 2" w/75psi combination nozzle
250' 2 1/2" w/75psi combination (really wish this was a smooth bore)
1000' 4"
500' 3"
300' 2.5" preconnected on a portable monitor
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