Before the LDH was the main supply line, we used 2.5 and 3inch hose for supply. Most fire departments laid in or out and allmost always applied the clamp. Now with LDH the primary supply line in the American Fire Service, we just about in some places forgot about the clamp. The clamp is just as important today, as it was twenty or thirty years ago. The clamp keeps photos of your supply bed charged on FB. The clamp allows your driver to do other things and first utilize tank water. The clamp allows the hydrant firefighter to send water/charge the hydrant and then advance down to the scene. Once at the scene this is an additional firefighter that may assist the driver with final hook ups and release the clamp. So many times when the clamp is not applied, the hydrant firefighter is waiting to charge and delaying this firefighter from advancing down to the scene.
An additional note is that it sometimes takes two firefighters to break loose the LDH storz and the driver is all alone. If they were to clamp and allow hydrant firefighter to charge and move down; this would give the driver an additional firefighter to assist with the disconnect of the LDH storz.
So why not use the LDH CLAMP? Have you trained on it? Do you know where it is? Do you clamp everytime?
Has your FD ever charged the supply bed?
As stated above the quick application of the hose clamp allows the hydrant firefighter to complete the hook-up and send water to the engine. A good practice to follow is to have someone designated (Officer or Driver) as the person who applies the clamp when the engine arrives on scene. The hydrant firefighter is trained to turn on the hydrant when he has completed his hook-up. There is no confusion over hearing the wrong air horn, whistle or other usual signals to tell the hydrant man to turn on the hydrant. If the hose lay was short the hydrant man can look to see if the clamp is place before opening the hydrant.
The main goal should be to get the water to the engine without hesitation. The engine company working together, with everyone doing their part can make this process a simple and effective task. I have used this method in the past and found it works very well.
Like everything else, training is key. My first experience with the type of clamp above was a dismal failure during promotional testing. That one episode convinced me they were junk and not to be trusted. Later, someone lubricated it properly (it was dry the first time) and while I was trying to make a point about how worthless the Herbert Hose Clamp was…I only proved my ego was worthless. Worked perfectly. I learned once again two constants in the Fire Service: Train on everything and Egos eat brains. Good Post
While I’m a fan of the process described above, I’m not a big fan of the 5″ clamp itself. In our dept., we have LDH manifolds on each rig (5″ and x2 2.5″ discharges) that the DE hooks into before hooking into the pump with a 5″ pony section. This, in effect, serves as our clamp, allowing the line to be charged quickly. To me, this is a better way to go, as it also allows additional supply lines to be connected.
I have experience in the past training on these devices. I understand the process but from the experiences I have had in training and in the real world I feel that they are not very practical and in the end can cause a delay in getting a steady water supply. I have found that time mangement as a DE is very important and that if I budget my time right I am faster than the hydrant man on getting the 5 inch or whatever supply line hooked into the pump. When I get a chance to teach relief drivers at my department I always stress the importance of getting that water supply established. I usually have the LDH hooked in by the time the guys are advancing the first line. There are no absolutes in this job so I know that there is a time and place that this tool can be used effectively, it just seems that in my experience I have not seen much need.
We don’t carry a 5″ LDH clamp on our Engine. The only clamp we carry is a 3″ clamp. There are a few units that have the LDH clamp in our dept. but not all units. I think the clamp is a valuable tool and agree we should know how and when to use it. It is not a tool we commonly use, although I believe it would be valuable if we did.
Lesson learned, with 100 foot sections, always put the hose clamp a little to the side and not directly behind the apparatus. Charged hose can push/slide the clamp under the truck. You don’t always have a hose butt to put the clamp behind.