LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

摘要

In reference to "Building a Case for Implementing Smooth Bore Nozzles" by Todd Connors (Fire Engineering, February 2006), I can attest to the reluctance of many to change to solid bore nozzles. My department is a composite department with 23 career and 120 paid call firefighters. We cover 100 square miles and serve approximately 85,000 people. It has taken us about a year of testing various nozzles and hose configurations to get to the stage we are at now-we have just ordered our first solid bore nozzles and lightweight hose for apartment packs. I firmly believe that as our crews use and get more familiar with the solid bore nozzles and their knockdown ability, they will choose solid bore each time for the aggressive interior attack. We chose the 15/16-inch size tip. We found the 50-pounds per square inch (psi) operating pressure more realistic for inside buildings using standpipe operations, and we agree with the author's findings that we could flow 180 gallons per minute at 50 psi. To flow 200 gallons per minute with our midrange turbo jets, we would need pump pressures higher than 200 psi, which is not practical in an apartment building fire. We have ordered lightweight hose, since we typically have small crews and deploying 2 Mi-inch hoses is not practical if you don't have the personnel. So, to get our flow rates up, for the exact reasons stated in the article, we decided on solid bore nozzles.