As a follow on to Johnny 46's crosslay post, how and why does everyone pack their hose in the pre-connect/crosslay beds?

We currently use a variation of the "Minute Man" that everyone hates, we are looking at different loads and I would like some ideas to take to my crew and the other shifts.

 

Thanx For The Info.

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Be Nice, Don't Kill Anyone.

Our pumpers have two preconnects over the pump with 200' each of 1 3/4 line.  A preconnected 1 3/4 (150') and 2 1/2 (200')are loacted of the rear, and our newest pumper has a 100' 1 3/4 trash line in the bumper.  We have tried several variations of the flat load in the past and have continually struggled with the same problem, that is in close quarters (narrow drives, congested streets) it is difficult to find a place to stretch all of the hose before charging the lines.  We now use the triple-layer load, which works fairly well on the initial stretch, but takes more time and practice to replace correctly.

Our bumper line has two, twin donut rolls packed and preconnected in the bumper well.  It lends itself to rapid deployment, is easy to re-pack, and the operator can quickly break the line if he doesn't want or need the whole 100'. 

We use 250’ of 1 ¾” flat loaded on our crosslays.  We did try (for a month) the triple layer load.  It worked great but presented some issues as we needed 80’ straight out from the engine to deploy it.  It just didn’t work. 

            Below is our department’s step by step guideline on how we deploy it.  I have also provided a YouTube link to the video. 

 

 

1.      The officer or acting officer will inform the crew which hoselay will be stretched.

2.      Once the proper hoselay has been decided, and the crosslay is chosen, the first firefighter will step up on the side step of the engine and grab the nozzle.

3.      The first firefighter will then step down and hold the nozzle in whichever hand they choose.

4.      The first firefighter will then pull off hose, keeping the nozzle in the original hand.

5.      All firefighters, when pulling the hose off, must look away form the bed.

6.      Once the first coupling falls out, the first firefighter will pick the first coupling up in the opposite hand and walk away, towards the fire location.  The trail of the firefighter should represent a “V.”

7.      All firefighters, when pulling the hose off, must look away form the bed.

8.      The second firefighter will then pull off hose until the second coupling falls out.

9.      The second firefighter will pick up the second coupling

10. The second firefighter will continue to pull off hose until the third coupling falls off.

11. The second firefighter will then pick up the second and third couplings in opposite hand and follow in the direction of the first firefighter. 

12. The third firefighter (or the HEO if the engine doe not have four personnel) will pull off the remaining hose, emptying the hosebed.

13. All firefighters, when pulling the hose off, must look away form the bed.

14. The first firefighter, upon arrival at the fire location, will place the nozzle and the first coupling down on the ground.

15. The second firefighter upon arrival at the fire location will place the second and third couplings down on the ground.  The couplings must be in order from the nozzle, i.e. the nozzle, first coupling, second coupling, third coupling. 

16. Both the first and the second firefighters are responsible to ensure that the hose is laid out to ensure a “W” pattern and that the hose will once advanced will not kink or coil on itself.

17. Once the hose is in the proper position and laid out correctly, both the first and second firefighters will then kneel down and don the remainder of the PPE and notify the HEO that they are ready for water.

 

Video Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUZ70gr7ewo

 

We've changed many times in the past few years. The last load was the triple layer, but we too didn't like the 80 ft. stretch it took to clear the bed. It was a pain on many narrow streets or those with parking on the curb.

Our current crosslay load is a modified triple layer with a horseshoe finish. Our goal was to clear the bed int he shortest distance and end up with a working length at the door or floor.

We basically lay down two layers of flat load, followed by the remainder of the first 150 ft. in a triple layer load, then make a horseshoe 8 ft. long and connect it to the end of the triple. To deploy one pulls the horseshoe and a loop under the triple layer and walks away. Everything is clear in about 30 ft. and flakes out nicely.

 

The new engine will arrive with no crosslays and will have three 200' donut troughs (two in the front bumper and in the drivers rear compartment. The rest comes out o the main bed.

Using triple layer loads on our crosslays (2x 1&3/4" and 1x 2&1/2).  A preconnect 1&1/2 trashline in the bumper flatloaded.  I had been very sceptical about the triple layer load, but if you have room to play it out, it does work well.

I've used and loved the minuteman loads back up in Yankee-land.  Easily deployable by a single dude, good to go in tight city streets, don't need a large area to flake it out, just walk it up to your fire floor.  In old cities where the row homes are built right off the street with no yards it pays big dividends.  Takes some training and patience to load it and deploy it right.

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Charlie don't surf. Air Cav!

We use the "minuteman".  I have used the "triple" before also.  I totally prefer the "minuteman".  It is really versatile.  You can shoulder load it and let it flake out, you can lay it down and pull back the couplings, or you can lay it down and flop it.  It just gives you a lot of options.

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Hellcat

An important consideration is who is going to deploy it. On our truck, minimum staffing of 4, one FF deploys the handline while the other forces the door and finds the fire. Occassionally, you can count on the engineer to assist for a second.

We use the triple fold on our 200 ft preconnects out of the hose bed. The one FF can easily pull the load all the way out by them selves, then drop it on the ground and take off with the nozzle.

If using an apartment load (gated wye) a minuteman or flat may be easier if carrying the hose into the building is necessary. If you have the ability, triple fold the 2 1/2 and minuteman the 1 3/4. This way one FF could deploy the line. 

We don't use pre-connects. All of our stretches are made to order. The control man estimates the lengths needed to do the job, then breaks the line and connects it to the pump. He tells the chauffeur how many lengths are being used so he can adjust pump pressure accordingly. Pre-connects don't work well here since our stretches vary anywhere from 3 lengths for a PD (private dwelling) near the street to maybe 8 or 9 for a fire on the 6th floor of an H-type MD (multiple dwelling). 

We run 2-200' 1 3/4" lines. One has a smoth bore with a 1" tip and the other has a TFT Fog. We also run 1-200' 2 1/2" with a TFT combination fog/smooth bore(new design nozzle). All 3 lines are tri folded. Most of the departments in my area use a tri-fold. The rest use a flat load. I am partial to the tri-fold but that could be because that is all I have used for 25 years.

 

 

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Nolan Caudill
Battalion Chief
Worthington Fire Department
Louisville, Ky 40241

All of our cross lays are packed in a flat load. The rear 2 1/2 is in a modified minute man. The front bumper line is the Station Captains discretion.

We go with the flat load because its easy to pull, everyone knows how to pack it, and it is packed easily by our minimum staffing compliment of firefighters (3).  The Minute man load works well for the 2 1/2 off of the rear and can be deployed by 1 firefighter. Packing it back is not an issue cause typically when the 2 1/2 comes off and is in play there is plenty of people to help out. We use smooth bore on the 2 1/2 and TFT fogs on 2 crolls lays with the third utilizing the vindicator fire nozzle.

For your crosslays, you can easily pack as triple fold. As for the fire ground, it is actually easier for one FF to deploy the triple than the flat. The flat is good for dead loaded hose. What happens if the nozzleman does not grab the entire preconnect? Who makes sure it is all out of the crosslay?

Hello,

 

I just joined the site so forgive me for being late. I'm retired.

 As a fire chief we started to purchase 1 3/4 inch hose for crosslays in 100' sections as opposed to the "old" 50'. It was cheaper in the long run as we did not need to pay for more couplings. While I grew up with the triple fold, formerly called the Wausau (WI) Triple Fold for old timers, it does have it's problems for short pull areas. How often does that occur. It was a minor problem for us so we stuck with it. The main ++ was no tangles. I have also experienced problems with the non fabric synthectice hose lines for crosslays and the troops hated this hose as it hung up on doorways etc. We went back to fabric covered hose....

 I'll help out more in the future in other topic areas having been there done that.....

 

Thanks!

 

Ted J. Pagels

FIREPROSe, LLC

Green Bay, WI

firepros@aol.com

Ted J. Pagels:

Hello,

 

 I'm retired.

 

We try to avoid the "r" word. Here, you're "special."

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I'm kind of a big deal around here.
67C North Side Ninjas