Pre-connect hose on FDNY engine companies

C

columbusfire

Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
75
Does the FDNY use any pre-connect attack lines(1 3/4 inch) for single family houses in SI or areas of Queens? Just curious. Thanks.
 
As mentioned, above FDNY has only Preconnected handlines, or none at all, on the front bumper of most Engine Companies and some mostly older rigs have preconnected 1" hose on a "Booster reel." Having been a firefighter for over 50 years including almost 30 years in the FDNY and over 49 years as a volunteer firefighter in Chester N.Y. I am NOT a fan of Preconnected Handlines = "Mattingdale Lays" It is fine to have preconnected lines but often having a preconnected handline leads to emptying the whole preconnected line off the rig, often resulting with too much hose being stretched. Many big cities FDNY, Boston and many other large busy fire departments do NOT have preconnected handlines generally. FDNY has a firefighter called a "Controlman/firefighter", whose job it is to judge the amount of hose needed to reach the fire, so not too little or not too much hose is stretched. I realize that many fire departments do not have the manpower of FDNY, but the concept is still valid. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY Engine 26 retired
 
Front Bumper Examples:
IMG_4584.jpegBFDBDC59-FC3F-4336-8ADC-A6AE69D2E9EB.jpeg

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Hosebed Examples:
29321CBF-42AE-41BD-BFCF-A9262FF9E02D.jpegIMG_8941.jpeg
 
Captain784 said:
As mentioned, above FDNY has only Preconnected handlines, or none at all, on the front bumper of most Engine Companies and some mostly older rigs have preconnected 1" hose on a "Booster reel." Having been a firefighter for over 50 years including almost 30 years in the FDNY and over 49 years as a volunteer firefighter in Chester N.Y. I am NOT a fan of Preconnected Handlines = "Mattingdale Lays" It is fine to have preconnected lines but often having a preconnected handline leads to emptying the whole preconnected line off the rig, often resulting with too much hose being stretched. Many big cities FDNY, Boston and many other large busy fire departments do NOT have preconnected handlines generally. FDNY has a firefighter called a "Controlman/firefighter", whose job it is to judge the amount of hose needed to reach the fire, so not too little or not too much hose is stretched. I realize that many fire departments do not have the manpower of FDNY, but the concept is still valid. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY Engine 26 retired
Click to expand...
would another factor be that even in a Si or queens company can still have varied response areas, and most rigs go into the spare pool after it is replaced
 
About thirty years ago some Mack FDNY rigs had a transverse bed with I think about four or five lengths of pre-connected 1 3/4'' hose.
I don't know if that bed was used much. I guess it was okay if the hydrant was close and the engine could clear the front of the building for the truck. It could work in areas with private dwellings.
 
In the mid seventies the shops ran a pipe from one of the discharges on the officers side pump panel into the compartment in front of the rear wheel. We had 3 or 4 lengths of hose connected but used it rarely. The also gave us several lengths of 4 1/2" super pumper hose in place of 3 1/2"
hose. This was because many of the hydrants in Bushwick were out of service. The preconnect problem comes from the NFPA. More piping means more money.
 
Captain784 said:
As mentioned, above FDNY has only Preconnected handlines, or none at all, on the front bumper of most Engine Companies and some mostly older rigs have preconnected 1" hose on a "Booster reel." Having been a firefighter for over 50 years including almost 30 years in the FDNY and over 49 years as a volunteer firefighter in Chester N.Y. I am NOT a fan of Preconnected Handlines = "Mattingdale Lays" It is fine to have preconnected lines but often having a preconnected handline leads to emptying the whole preconnected line off the rig, often resulting with too much hose being stretched. Many big cities FDNY, Boston and many other large busy fire departments do NOT have preconnected handlines generally. FDNY has a firefighter called a "Controlman/firefighter", whose job it is to judge the amount of hose needed to reach the fire, so not too little or not too much hose is stretched. I realize that many fire departments do not have the manpower of FDNY, but the concept is still valid. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY Engine 26 retired
Click to expand...
Wasted manpower!! Having pre-connected hose lines saves time. Having a pre-connected 200' or 300' attack line is ideal (400' in some 1st due areas). If the room allows in the hose bed/ and if longer lines are needed, having another 200 to 300ft dead lay under the pre connected line would be ideal. "My chief officer would never yell at me for having too much line, but if I ran short I would never hear the end of it!
Over 35 years on the job!!
 
I remember years ago Mack Pumpers having some pre connected 1 3/4 in a small transverse bed mid Pumper ....some Units had four lengths some had six lengths....not all Units used it ......after awhile some Units just used that bed to store 5 gallon Foam concentrate cans or Rolled Ups or a length of 3 1/2 for a Hydrant hookup ....etc,....( on the subject NEVER have more than six lengths of 1 3/4 in a stretch ).....the pre connected 1 3/4 on the front bumper of later Rigs was not always a sufficient length to reach an objective so some Units also had a second length on the front bumper to add on but this could be time consuming .......for car Fires or an automobile extrication my policy in the ENGs & the SQ I was assigned to as an Officer was to stretch at least two lengths off the regular Hose Bed as the single length on the front bumper was often not long enough to be able to encircle a vehicle which is necessary to be able to cover any angle of attack factoring in ...wind...flowing fuel...side of vehicle patient if any might be in etc ...etc. the minimum of two lengths were stretched from the Bed fitted with the FT - 2 Fog tip.... ( the side for our Primary stretch had a straight bore 15/16ths for structural Fires & the other had an FT - 2 for vehicles ) when another ENG stretched a 2nd line off our Pumper for a structure they generally brought their own Nozzle & replaced the FT-2......on the Nozzle subject in the Squad on our Primary Bed we had a "Ghetto Blaster" ...a 15/16th bored out to 1 1/8 with a bored out Pistol Grip & tipped with a Brass 8 inch barrel.....this threw plenty of water in a structure Fire.
 
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