Professional firefighters are generally lauded as heroes, and they are also highly likely to take it for granted because people rely heavily on firefighters to fight the cruel and merciless fire damaging your personal property.
But let’s not forget that people put their trust in the professionalism of the firefighters which is based more on the firefighter’s trust in their own fire hoses and associated equipment than hero images.
Therefore, how well the firefighters can operate their nozzles and hoses determines how successfully and efficiently they can put out a fire. Now we’ll further explain how handline nozzles paly the key role in fighting fires and how to maintain the nozzle and ensure its high operability.
Fires rarely resembles one another and the ways to extinguish fires tend to vary according to classes of fires. In general, a handline nozzle plays a vital role in fighting different classes of fires. This type of nozzle has three major functions that enable firefighters to optimize their way of extinguishing a fire. More than just controlling the water flow, a nozzle directs the water to reach the fire the way the operator wants it.
All these advantageous functions require proper and regular maintenance to prevent a nozzle from falling short in one or more of these aspects that may cause extinguishing a fire less successful.
Anyone who operate a fire hose is responsible for the maintenance of the handline nozzle, and the whole process is quite simple. Prior to becoming a qualified firefighter, one needs to be trained in nozzle maintenance skills and undergo on-the-job training regularly.
When performing nozzle maintenance, firefighters should pay attention to a few key tasks:
1. Do the gasket inspection to ensure its being intact by checking the gasket housed in the female coupling.
2. Clean or flush the nozzle on a regular basis to remove dirt, dust, debris, or muddy water that could block the passage of water.
3. Do the lubrication based on the user’s guide issued by the manufacturer.
4. Check all the components regularly to make sure they are fully intact and operable, which include the swivel, handle, pistol grip, baffle head, and bumper as well as any single moving part.
5. Do the flow testing with a flow meter to ensure that a robust stream of water can be produced prior to use.
6. While the maintenance frequency depends on the usage frequency, daily visual inspections along with weekly comprehensive maintenance and flow testing are required.
7. Always clean the nozzle after use to ensure its emergency preparedness and operational readiness.
8. Contact the reliable firefighting equipment supplier immediately once a faulty or missing component is detected. If a full replacement is not a good option, seek advice from a product expert to solve the problem as cost-effectively as possible.
Poor maintenance of nozzles can have disastrous consequences for firefighters, and that costs lives. Common nozzle problems include inconsistent water flow, undesired pressure, and inability to dispense water, to name but a few.
As a professional firefighter, you must ensure that your gear and equipment are in good working order. Following all the golden rules of nozzle maintenance is the best policy.
