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?