Different types of firefighting hoses

Firefighters are some of the toughest emergency responders on the planet. Besides fighting merciless infernos, they have pledged themselves to saving lives, no matter the circumstances. There are several tools they use to accomplish this, tools that can also be used by regular citizens like you and I. This blog focuses on one such tool, the fire hose.

There are several kinds of fire hoses available on the market such as the Cobra, Duraflex and Forester fire hoses. These hoses are all bunched into three types: suction hoses, attack hoses and reel hoses; this blog will take a closer look at these three types of fire hoses.

The three types of fire hoses

Attack hose

These bad boys are the primary hoses used on many fire engines. They are high-pressure hoses that carry water and other fire retardants such as foam and CO2 to extinguish fires. These hoses are highly versatile; they can be used on fire engines, fire hydrants as well as in buildings with mountable fire hose reels. They’re designed to deliver water at pressures as high as 2,760 kPa and can last for about 3-5 years.

Suction hose

Flexible suction hoses are prevalent in many urban areas where there are static water supplies. They are designed to be used for drafting, which is the process in which static water (like in swimming pools and lakes) is sucked from its environment and onto a fire.

They’re also used on fire engines that have their own portable water supplies; they’re designed to withstand vacuums as well as pressure-induced abrasion and heat. This is important as it allows these hoses to suck and spray large amounts of water at a time from both pressurised and unpressurised sources.

Supply (and relay) hose

These hoses are flexible and large in diameter; they’re designed to deliver water from distant fire hydrants to a fire engine’s pumper. These handy hoses can also be used to relay water from one fire pumper to another over a long distance, unlike the shorter but more resistant attack hoses, such as in areas that have little or no static water supplies.

The bottom line?

Fire hoses are essential tools for firefighting. Whether you’re a firefighter or a regular citizen who needs to control a flame, fire hoses are the crucial delivery media for fire retardants and suppression agents. If your fire hose is wearing, you may need to consider getting a new one. Contact us today to make that happen!