Fire Hoses

A fire hose is a high-pressure hose that carries water or another fire retardant to extinguish a fire. Fire hoses can be attached either to a fire engine or a fire hydrant, or permanently attached to a buildings plumbing system. It is important that the hose is dried thoroughly because any water left in a hose can cause deterioration. Hose connections are often made from brass, and hardened aluminium connections are used.

There are three types of fire hoses, these are:

• Type 1: These hoses have no external treatments applied

• Type 2: These hoses have external coating applied to give some protection against the absorption of liquids and to improve resistance to abrasion.

• Type 3: These hoses have an external elastomeric coating, provides a reinforcement to give the hoses low absorption of liquids and high resistance to abrasion and heat. This is the most common hose type used in the UK Fire and Rescue Services.