Two red hat members of the C weekend duty crew worked on their hose deployment and advancement skills. Engine 511 was placed near the hydrant to the north of the station, and the red hats cleared the hydrant and attached the Humat valve. Once water supply was established, both crosslays were pulled and advanced to two separate doors of the station. After flaking out the lines and calling for water, the crew members providing the training pointed out some things to be aware of in real life situations: aim directly for the point of ingress when pulling the hoses off of the engine, ensure that hose lines don’t get kinked around vehicle tires that might be in the way, and try to flake out the line nearest the door as close to inline with it as possible.

The line deployed to the hose tower was charged and then advanced to the second floor. The training crew member discussed how, when possible, taking the hose up through the middle of the stair well might be easier and quicker.

Following the deployment training, the red hats then moved to advancing flowing lines, both standing and crawling. The training members showed a technique for much more effectively advancing the line while crawling: placing the hose between the legs and using one thigh to help drag the hose forward. This also puts the hose in a better position for countering the force of the flowing water, as the slight bend pushes most of the force into the ground instead of the operator’s grip. The trainers then showed how this position also lends itself to rolling over while wrapping a leg around the hose, allowing for more easily hitting the ceiling either in an emergency situation of when trying to advance down a long hall to the seat of a fire.

Both red hats were more effective in advancing lines after the training, and have another tool in their tool chest that might make the difference on a call between being successful and running into trouble.