Section 501.04

I. Scope:

This standard regulates the acceptance of new sections of fire hose and establishes procedures for conducting the annual service tests. It was created to provide a reasonable degree of assurance that the fire hose and couplings used by the department, will perform as designed.

II. Test Procedure:

A. Prior to testing, each section of hose shall be subjected to a physical inspection to determine whether it is free of debris, exhibits any evidence of mildew or rot, or is damaged from chemicals, burns, cuts, abrasions and vermin. Any section of hose that fails the physical inspection shall immediately be placed out of service and tagged.

B. Hose shall be tested by using the hose testing pump supplied by the department. The test area shall be relatively flat and free of any objects that might damage the hose.

C. The service test for hose less than 100mm in diameter shall be conducted as follows:

1. Connect the hose to the testing pump.

2. Record the hose information required.

3. The total length of any hose line in the test shall not exceed 30 meters (2 lengths). Hose lines shall be straight and without kinks or twists.

4. Connect the pump to a water supply.

5. Connect a nozzle or shut-off device, at the end of the hose.

6. Fill the hose lines to be tested and bleed off any trapped air.

7. Close the shut-off valves.

8. Clear the area and increase the pressure to 200psi.

9. Once desired pressure has been reached, close the valves at the pump, turn the pump off and wait 3 minutes.

10. During the 3 minutes check hoses and couplings for leaks. If a leak is found, open the shut off device at the end of the corresponding hose line but do not open the valve at the testing pump.

13. Hose that fails the test by bursting or leaking or because of coupling failure due to slippage or leakage, shall be tagged and placed out of service.

14. After the test, if possible, all hose shall be cleaned, drained and dried before being placed back into storage or service.

D. The service test for hose more than 100mm in diameter shall follow the same procedure except for the following:

1. The total length of the hose line in the test shall not exceed 200 meters (12 lengths).

3. A 65mm hose shall be connected to the discharge outlet and to the large diameter hose using the supplied adapter.

E. Hard suction hose shall be tested on an annual basis using a dry-vacuum test of 22 inches hg for 10 minutes. If used under positive pressure, the test shall be repeated using 165psi of water pressure.

D. Nozzles and other appliances shall also be inspected during the annual fire hose service test to ensure that the nozzles and appliances are undamaged, clear of obstructions and fully operational. Any nozzle or appliance found to be in disrepair shall be red-tagged, removed from service and sent for repair.

1. Ensuring that all new sections of fire hose purchased by the department are designed and constructed in accordance with the provisions of NFPA 1961, Standard on Fire Hose.

2. Ensure an acceptance test is conducted on each section of fire hose before it is placed in the hose inventory. The test shall comply with the provisions of NFPA 1962, Standard for the Care, Use, and Service Testing of Fire Hose Including Couplings and Nozzles.

3. Schedule the annual service test. Every hose in the department’s inventory shall be tested in accordance with NFPA 1962.

B. All members are responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of all fire hose owned and used by the department. Any sections of hose that are discovered to be defective are improperly marked or has an out-of-service test date shall be taken out of service. The Fire Chief shall then be notified for instructions on correcting the situation.