fire hose in the street

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Permalink Reply by Douglas Crowell, Jr. on October 2, 2009 at 5:35pm

In Ohio it is illegal to drive over fire hose, but like you said it dosen't stop it from happening.

We try not to lay hose in the road, not just to prevent people from hitting it, but also allowing us another route to bring in more resources (if needed).

If we have no choice but to put hose across the street, then the road is closed to all traffic. I most cases, people only have to go a mile to two out of there way.

We do have hose ramps (both commercial and home made) but we don't use them very often. Closing the road just seems to eliminate the problem.

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Permalink Reply by Fred Cummings, Jr. on October 23, 2009 at 4:30pm

We only have dry hydrants, so we use 5" supply line. We are usually never fortunate enough to be able to stay on the same side of the road as it's laid out. Once the hose is on the ground, where ever it crosses a street, that street is now CLOSED. There are to many lives on the line to let anything drive over it. One thing to take into consideration while laying it is the need for incoming engines weather it be our own or mutual aid. We were at a mill fire on a general alarm a couple of years ago and double layed 2200' of 5" and pumped out of a river to supply 2 ladder pipes and 3 other engines. Someone came up with a brainy idea to make ramps because we were now into our 11th hour. The ramps started 4 feet from the hoses and even though they were a tad bit higher than the hose those 2 sections got beat up and we were forced to trash them.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Dudan on October 29, 2009 at 1:00pm

Without question we always close the road not only for the hose but also for the firefighters and commotion that will come from an incident that requires 5" supply. Besides, when the State Troopers arrive it's always fun to watch them run around like chickens to find out when they can re-open the road

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Permalink Reply by Mark Klaene on October 29, 2009 at 3:10pm

So nearly all replies talk about closing the street. In our area most of my canyons have 1 way in or out. If I close that street, No one comes or goes , there is no alternative route. Not that I am against closing the street if needed for safety reasons but I have to take this into account and be concerned with the affect it has on my citizens. Thus I hate closing a street off Just due to hose in the street. It seems the most compelling reason is that small cars likely CAN"T drive over 3" hose with hanging up on. Of course in NM everyone drives pickup trucks.

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