nozzles and foam matching

Minimum Hose Inventory (per Engine Company)

• 6" Soft Intake: 25 feet
• 5": 1000 feet
• 2 1/2": 1000 feet
• 1" Booster Line: 200 feet
• 10 ft hard suction: 2 sections
• High Rise Pack: 195' of 2 1/2" HR hose and 2, 200-foot, 1 3/4"/1.88" crosslays.
• Pre-Connected 1 3/4"/1.88" attack hoselines: all other 1 3/4" attack hoselines' length per company captain
• Wildland Hose: 200' of 1" hose
• Apartment Pack: 100' of 1 3/4" hose

5" Hose Specs

• 5" hose with Storz quarter-turn couplings is the primary supply hose.
• All 5" hose should be loaded flat in the hose bed.
• Couplings can be placed in random locations but must be staggered and not flipped over during layout.
• A "hydrant loop," hydrant wrench, and two 5" spanner wrenches should be readily available.
• When connecting 5" hose to the intake valve, never place a right-hand twist; it may uncouple when charging.
• If a hose clamp is used when laying out, place it close to a coupling on the supply side.
• The 5" hose will extend horizontally when charged, so always clamp at least 25' back from the tail board.
• A supply line connected to a hydrant at incident scenes shall be 5" or larger.
• When loosening the hose clamp, do not position yourself on the hinge side of the clamp.
• The engineer should direct the opening of the hydrant by portable radio or by signaling with arms extended over the head (when the engine can be seen from the hydrant); if the above methods are impractical, a runner.
• Crossing 5" hose should only occur in an emergency and minimize damage to the hose/coupling.
• Lay 5" hose to avoid vehicles, if possible.
• Any crossing should be at an angle, not straight on.
• If 5" hose must be crossed, only vehicles with high ground clearance should be permitted.
• No apparatus shall drive over a 5" hose coupling.
• 5" hose has a comparatively small amount of friction loss compared to 2 1/2" hose, but it has limitations.
• 1200 GPM flow has 10 PSI friction loss per 100' section of hose; 1600 GPM is the practical volume limit of 5" hose.
• If a full bed load of 5" hose is used to supply an attack engine, an additional engine should “hook-up” to the hydrant and relay pump the supply line.
• 5" hose lays requiring multiple bed loads may require several in-line relay engines in addition to the engine at the hydrant.
• Pumping 5" hose requires two-stage pumps to be operated in VOLUME.
• Maintain a minimum of 10 PSI residual pressure and never exceed 200 PSI PDP.

Storz Adapters and Appliances

• 6" Ball Intake Valve (BIV): with 5" Storz connection, flows in excess of 2000 GPM and is capable of drafting if outfitted with adapter.
• 6” Piston Intake Valve (PIV): with 5" Storz connection
• Front Intake: 5" piping outfitted with 6" Female to 5" Storz connection
• 4" female to 5” Storz adapter: Located on the LDH discharge valve
• 4 ½” female to 5” Storz adapter: The standard JFRD hydrant connection, normally installed on 5" hose in the hose bed.
• 2 ½” female to 5” Storz adapter: Used for connecting 5" hose to the 21½" outlet on a hydrant.
• 5” Storz to 6” male adapter: A vacuum rated adapter to allow connection of hard suction or 6" soft intake hose to a BIV; painted Red and equipped with vacuum rated gasket.

2 1/2" Hose

• 2 1/2" hose use guidelines: Loaded in the hose bed with the male coupling out (on top), it is versatile and can be used for a variety of applications
• FDC Use: to supply a sprinkler or standpipe systems
• Master Stream Use: to supply the ground monitor and mini-monitor
• Handline Use: High Volume handline for large fires; may also be used to supply a gated wye
• Supply Use: to transfer water between apparatus on scene.

2 1/2" Pre-connected Handline

• Rapid Deployment: up to 300GPM
• Disadvantage: Relatively short lengths (200' or less) may be a limiting factor for large area structures.

2 1/2 Static Load

• Great for carrying several hundred feet of hose so the proper length can be deployed.
• The engineer must break the coupling and connect to the desired discharge outlet.

2 ½” Standard Hose Adapters and Appliances

• 21½" Double Male
• 2 1½" Double Female
• 2 ½” x 1 ½” Gated Wye: Every engine company should carry at least two -- one on the front bumper discharge and one with the apartment pack.

2 ½” Siamese

• joins two 2 1½" hose lines together to form one hose line.
• Other uses include augmenting the FDC to increase sprinkler or standpipe flow and during a “modified tanker shuttle".

2 1/2" Smooth Bore Nozzle

• This stacked tip nozzle operates at 50 PSI nozzle pressure (NP) and flows the following:
  • 1": 200 GPM
  • 1 1/8": 250 GPM
  • 1 1/4": 300 GPM
• Maximum safe flow through a 2 1/2" handline is 300 GPM.
• To compensate for friction loss in 2 1½" handlines add 10 PSI per 100' to the PDP. This standard friction loss works equally well for fog streams or smooth bore nozzles.

Akron Turbojet 2 ½” Fog Nozzle

• Operates at 100 PSI NP with an adjustable flow range of 125, 150, 200 and 250 GPM.
• Has a "break-apart" feature allowing 1¼" hose to be extended from the playpipe.
• Rotating the bumper fully clockwise will shut off the nozzle even if the bale is open.

1 3/4”/JFRD Spec 1.88” Hose and Nozzles

• 13"/JFRD Spec 1.88” hose loaded in a pre-connected manner is the "bread and butter" attack line of the JFRD.

Akron Turbojet Nozzle

• This nozzle has five settings from 30-200 GPM.
• JFRD recommends the 95, 125, or 150 GPM setting for initial interior firefighting.
• Always check the GPM setting at the beginning of your shift and prior to using.
• Be sure to add 5 PSI PDP per floor when operating above ground level.
• Most engine companies carry the 75 PSI model. The Hazardous Materials Team carries the 100 PSI model.
• It is important to understand both “nozzle pressure” (NP) and “pump discharge pressure” (PDP), as PDP = Nozzle Pressure + Friction Loss.

Akron Turbojet (75 PSI) Fog Nozzle

• An initial PDP of 110 PSI will allow the nozzle operator to select 95, 125 or 150 GPM on the nozzle and attain this flow.
• A desired flow of 200 GPM requires an increase in PDP from 110 PSI to 150 PSI. Two firefighters may be required for safe handling.

Akron Turbojet (100 PSI) Fog Nozzle

• A pump discharge pressure of 135 PSI will allow the nozzle operator to select 95, 125 or 150 GPM on the nozzle and attain this flow. The nozzle operator can change the GPM setting with no adjustment in PDP required.
• A desired flow of 200 GPM requires an increase in PDP from 135 PSI to 175 PSI. Two firefighters may be required for safe handling.
• There is a greater tendency for handlines to kink when used with the 75 PSI nozzle. A quick remedy is to increase the initial PDP when charging, then reduce to the recommended PDP. If the nozzle operator experiences a sudden PSI loss while advancing, suspect a kinked line. All firefighters on scene shall be watchful for kinks and assist in feeding hose into and inside a structure. If hose kinks become frequent the engineer can boost PDP by 10-25 PSI.

Akron SaberJet Nozzle

• This 1 3/4" nozzle has a dual-position bale, allowing selection of a fog or solid stream.
• The fog ranges from a narrow angle to a wide angle but cannot produce a straight stream.
• Smooth bore configurations: 7/8" or 15/16" but cannot flow both fog and solid streams simultaneously.
• Solid Stream Setting:
  • 150 GPM at 50 PSI NP (7/8")
  • 180 GPM at 50 PSI NP (15/16")
• Fog Stream Setting: 135 GPM at 100 PSI NP
• A PDP of 125 PSI produces the above flows with 150' or 200' of hose.
• Selecting the solid stream may require two firefighters for safe control, however, it will produce a quality fog and solid stream at lower pressures that can be handled by just 1 firefighter.
• The nozzle operator can change from fog to solid and back with no PDP adjustment required.
• The change in GPM results in a corresponding change in friction loss (friction loss increases by 40-50 PSI when changing from fog to solid stream).

Cross Lays

• All Cross lays should be equipped with 10' short sections at the discharge pipe.
• These sections are useful when extending a line or placing a foam eductor in-line.

Booster Line

• Each engine carries 200' of 1" booster hose and is used for a variety of small or wildland fires or overhaul.
• Each Booster Hose is equipped with a 1" Akron Turbojet Nozzle, w/ settings (13, 25, 40 and 60 GPM) at 100 PSI.
• Sustained high pressure combined with low pumping volume can contribute to high pump temperature and impeller damage.

Hard Suction Hose

• All engines carry two 10-foot sections of hard suction hose: (1) heavy-duty hose and (1) drafting hose, each with 6" threads to match the steamer connection.
• Heavy-duty hose is for drafting or connection to a hydrant, but it is heavy, not very flexible, and difficult to maneuver.
• The 6" to 4 ½" adapter and 6" to 2 1½" adapter permit the heavy-duty suction hose to be connected to a hydrant.
• Drafting hose is lightweight and flexible but is for drafting only and cannot be pressurized.
• Each engine shall be equipped with a barrel-style strainer and rope for drafting from a natural static source.

Low Level Strainer

• facilitates drafting from tanker basins. Each tanker carries a strainer with 4 ½” threads (right) with a 4 1/2" double male adapter allowing a direct connection to 4 1½" hard suction hose carried by tankers. Connecting to 6” hard suction requires a 4 1½" to 6" adapter (also carried by tankers).
• New strainers are carried by Tankers and some Engines. It is red in color and has 6" threads, meaning it is lightweight and may need to be weighted down in a tanker basin.

Soft Intake Hose

• All engines should be equipped with a 6" soft intake hose that is red and 25 ft. in length.
• This hose will flow in excess of 2000 GPM when connected to a Ball Intake Valve (BIV) or directly to the steamer intakes.

Apartment Packs

• Each Engine Company shall maintain 100' of 1 3/4" hose, loaded in shoulder packs.
• These packs shall be equipped with a 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" gated wye and a nozzle.

High Rise Packs

• Each Engine company shall carry the following equipment:
  • Three - 65' sections of JFRD “High Rise Spec" 2 ½" Hose (Loaded in shoulder packs)
  • One - 2 1/2" lightweight nozzle equipped the following way: Bail shut off, mini stream shaper, short stack tips (size 1 1/8" and ½" low flow). A 1½" low flow tip will flow 40 GPM at 30 PSI
  • High Rise Bag, consisting of: 2 ½" in-line pressure gauge, 2 ½" gate/ball valve, 2 1/2" Lightweight elbow, 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" increaser, 1 1/2" Fog Nozzle, 2 spanner wrenches, marking device, 6 door wedges, 6 inner tube latch straps, 6 disposable glow sticks, 14-18" pipe wrench, flat blade screwdriver, Phillips head screwdriver, Allen wrenches, 6-8” crescent wrench.

Distributor Nozzles

• Ladder companies carry distributor (attic) nozzles that can be placed into an attic space from the floor below.
• These include 1 1/2" and 2 1/2" nozzles, two lengths of 1 1/2" aluminum pipe (6' and 2'), a 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" increaser and a standard 2 1/2" playpipe.
• These nozzles cover up to 1000 sq. ft. of attic space and flow 115 GPM (1 1/2") and 395-495 GPM (2 1/2") at 100 PSI. The attic nozzle is an excellent tool for fires located in the attic space.
• It is ideal for fires caused by lightning strikes.
• Ladder Companies also carry a third distributor nozzle (bottom) designed for use as a cellar nozzle. The cellar nozzle will flow 500 GPM at 50 PSI and cover up to 1250 sq. ft. of area.

Foam and Foam Equipment

• JFRD engines and tankers are equipped with Class A and Class B foam concentrates and proportioning appliances to deliver finished foam (air, water, and foam concentrate solution).
• The JFRD also maintains an extensive foam inventory and large delivery devices carried by the JFRD Hazmat Team.

Class A Foam

• Primarily used for wildland fires, dumpster fires, junkyard fires, and during overhaul.
• A wetting agent that breaks the surface tension of water, permitting greater penetration of water into Class A fuels.
• Educted at ¼%, ½%, and 1%.
• Class A foam is not compatible with Class B foams
• DO NOT USE Class A foam on Class B fires.

Class B Foam

• Used on flammable liquid fires and spills.
• Alcohol-resistant versions of Class B foam have proven to be effective on all types of Class B fires. National Foam's Universal Green 3% (AR-Synthetic) is the class B foam utilized by JFRD engines and tankers.
• Equally effective on hydrocarbon non-polar fuels, as well as polar solvents.
• Educted at 3%. JFRD has other Class B foams (listed below) used for aviation and other non-polar fuels.
• Most gasoline now contains up to 10% ethanol. Class B foam and Akron foam eductors with aeration tubes are required to achieve proper expansion ratios to extinguish flammable liquid fires.
  • Engines 7 and 21 have a built-in foam proportioner and a 100-gallon foam tank.
  • Foam 37 and 48– each tanker carries 2500 gallons of foam concentrate.
• Apparatus using 3% Mil-Spec Foam in onboard tanks consist of Stations 16 and 56 because Aviation fuel is non-polar and very similar to kerosene. 3% Mil-Spec Foam will be most effective on these fires and spills.
  • 3% Mil-Spec Foam IS NOT compatible with Universal Green (AR-Synthetic) and should never be mixed, but it can be applied to the same fire through different appliances. Never add Class B foam to any apparatus foam tank.

Foam Amounts

• Each engine: Shall carry at least enough foam concentrate to convert the booster tank water into finished foam, which calls for a minimum of 15 gallons (or 3 pails) of Class B foam concentrate and 5 gallons (or 1 pail) of Class A foam concentrate.
• Each tanker: Shall carry at least enough foam concentrate to convert the 2500-gallon tank into finished foam, which calls for a minimum of 75 gallons (or 15 pails) of class B foam concentrate and 25 gallons (or 5 pails) of class A foam concentrate.

Standard Foam Delivery Equipment

• Each engine and tanker shall carry basic foam nozzles and proportioning equipment.
• This equipment must be maintained property, with thorough flushing after use, to ensure performance.
• The Akron foam eductor is rated at 125 GPM, can be selected for ½% to 6%, and is used with the standard 1 ¾" handline.
• The 75 PSI Akron Turbojet fog nozzle is more compatible and is recommended; its fog nozzle should be set to 125 GPM to match the eductor rating.
• The 100 PSI Akron Turbojet fog nozzle can be used if it has a compatible aerator foam tube.

Guidelines for Foam Use

• Class B fuels must be static; Dike, dam, and/or divert fuel to keep it pooled. Ensure a PKP extinguisher is manned and ready for 3-dimensional fires (dynamic)
• The foam eductor shall be set to match the foam concentrate (IE: foam concentrate educts at the 3% setting).
• When using a 75 PSI nozzle, the maximum distance is 250'. When using a 100 PSI nozzle, the maximum distance is 150'
• For accurate foam use, the foam eductor requires an inlet pressure of 200 PSI, providing the proper nozzle pressure and sufficient GPM.
• Nozzle pressure will not be excessive due to the friction loss that occurs within the foam eductor.
• The Akron Foam Tube MUST BE USED with Universal Green 3% (AR-Synthetic) for proper expansion ratios.
• The nozzle setting shall match the rated flow of the eductor (125 GPM) and nozzle ball must be fully opened.
• Ensure that there are no kinks in the hose.
• Foam concentrate will educt at lower PDP, but the GPM will be less than the selected 125 GPM. Additionally, at less than 200 PSI the eductor will draw MORE foam than the educator setting, creating a quicker foam solution and higher usage. Proper water-to-foam ratio will only be achieved if inlet pressure remains at 200 PSI.
• Once extinguished or static, cover spill with a 4" blanket and verify the integrity of it using a combustible gas meter, if available. Reapply the foam blanket every 5-15 minutes.
• Drain time of Universal Green class B foam is 90 minutes (salt water) to 300 minutes (fresh water).

Special Appliances

• Engines 7, 21, and selected Engines throughout the JFRD carry the Akron 250 GPM eductor and foam tube. Used with a 2 1/2" hose and the 2.5" Akron Turbojet nozzle, this setup allows up to 300' between the eductor and nozzle, but the educator requires 200 PSI inlet pressure.
• The hazmat teams also carry several large caliber master stream appliances for foam and dry chemicals.

Storage and Reserve Stocks

• JFRD maintains emergency stockpiles of foam at TSF and in foam tankers. The total JFRD foam reserve is ~20,000 gallons.
• Shelf life is indefinite for Class A foam, while Class B concentrate can be stored for many years without issue. Class B foam should be stored under proper environmental conditions, do not allow the foam to freeze. It is supplied in five-gallon pails and 250-gallon totes, it is not considered hazardous but requires care when handling.
• Class B concentrate is compatible with dry chemicals, fresh or salt water, but cannot be used for subsurface injection.