What Happened To Booster Reels?

[CFI609D 119]

"Tell me it ain't so Joe": a debate over booster reels in 2008?? Forgive me but I cannot see any logic in an argument in favor of a line that limits water flow like the booster. Flow of water is the single most valuable weapon in our arsenal as firefighters and is one of the best means of protecting our precious posteriors. As I see it, any slight so-called "advantage" that a booster may offer in terms of less nozzle resistance is totally negated by the reduced flow. And in my book the ease of an electric hose reel vs. repacking a line is not an acceptable argument.

Personally, I think we should spend more time discussing the advantages of using the 2.5" with a smooth bore over the 1.75" attack line in many circumstances. A well trained and experienced crew can stretch and mount an effective attack with the 2.5" with only slightly more effort. As to the argument that booster lines are useful for cleaning gear, equipment, etc., unfortunately if they are on the apparatus, they will be used in fire attack. All too often we see booster lines stretched to initiate an interior attack here in Westchester. If they are on the apparatus, chances are someone will use them. And that is simply unsafe in this world of lightweight construction and engineered building materials.

Just my opinion.

Stay safe!

[Monty 35]

Skimming through the Charleston Sofa Fire Report, I found Appendix F quite interesting. It talks about Hydraulic calculations. Below are the lines operating off the two engines.

Engine 10:

1” 40 gpm

1-1/2” 60 gpm

2-1/2” 256 gpm

2-1/2” 256 gpm

Total 612 gpm

Engine 11:

1” 40 gpm

1-1/2” 60 gpm

2-1/2” 256 gpm

Total 356 gpm

It surprised me how little the 1" was supplying!

I'm not surprised, but they also show that it was not possible to supply that amount of desired flow through the 2 1/2" supply lines due to friction loss. It seems that at most they were only getting about 350gpm to E10 and 250gpm to E11.

[x635 4,066]

I was always taught that booster reels are evil. I even believed it myself, when I witnessed (via the TZB cam) one department use a booster reel to extinguish a fully involved small truck fire on the Tappan Zee Bride....but again, that guys wasn't even wearing turnout gear, and was smoking a ciggarette at the same time. This was only a few years ago.

You don't always need excellent flow to extinguish a fire. You also don't need to drown the fire, especially if you're using Class A foam. Also, sometimes pressure is your friend. ONCE AGAIN, I'm not talking about using a booster line for interior structural firefighting. And those who stand by the argument that it will be used improperly, well, that department has other issues then.

I agree, this may not work in Westchester, but in many areas of the country it doe. The newer booster reels also, I forgot to mention, have a lighterweight nylon hose that's easier to manuver. They really don't take up much room, especially if you have a hydraulic generator and spec your ENGINE right.

Small trash fire or leaf pile fire, not near a structure, jump out, pull the reel and pull out only what you need (you don't have to pull out an entire length or pack to flow), extinguish the fire, retract reel, go home. It's such a convience. No time wasted walking hose out, packing, etc. A great utility line, especially for a busy department.

Many of us spec electric reels for our electic and hydraulic lines......why? Because they're easy and quick to deploy....and put back.

-OR-

You don't need a bazooka to kill a mouse........

[robert benz 344]

Small trash fire or leaf pile fire, not near a structure, jump out, pull the reel and pull out only what you need (you don't have to pull out an entire length or pack to flow), extinguish the fire, retract reel, go home. It's such a convience. No time wasted walking hose out, packing, etc. A great utility line, especially for a busy department.

what dept is so busy that they cant stretch a 1 3/4??

does a booster line work for small stuff ? sure but so does the elephant gun as you put it and i reinforce the importance of how to use the fog nozzle, how to check it, (right to fight) if thats what i want, how to deply one or two lengths of hose properly, this may be one of those times you may want to use a little fog pattern, on a pile of leaves etc.

I was taught how and when to use a booster hose, but I also heard of them used when more GPM's were called for, and a chief is never happy when you have to call for another engine because you tried to save your water and failed to complete your objective. I am GLAD not to have to a choice as to use them anymore.

And as far as easier to pack up, let the rewind button fail, which happened more than a few times, and crank up 100 or more feet of that easy to deploy red garden hose, and you will wish you used ANYTHING else.

but I am from the old school

[IzzyEng4 427]

I still believe that a booster line still has a place on a fire engine depending on its use.

But here is a new twist on the old booster reels, I have seen many departments use them with 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" lines on them. The town next to me has a 1970 ALF Pioneer Telesquirt with dual booster reels. Since they did not have a crosslay, they put 1 3/4" on it and I think it has 200 feet (have to check with the capt I know there). Nichols Fire Department in Trumbull has a rescue engine equipped with two reels of 1 3/4" on the front bumper and also on the rear of the truck. The advantage is that you have a good quick attack line that can be pulled by one person but the disadvantage is that you have to pull the whole load off before you charge it.

Another twist to this is the setup used by the Mortlake Fire Company in the town of Brooklyn, CT. There ET-190 has two 1 3/4" reels set up in a compartment at the rear of the truck and are precharged! They fill up the lines (not to pressure though for safety reasons) prior to reeling the hose back. This facilitates a quick knockdown by one person pulling the line and not having to worry about pulling the whole thing off before you charge the line.

Its an interesting concept.

[Future Fireman 4]

Izzy, that sounds like some of the best uses of a reel. However, my Dept. (that I explore at) has 3 engines with reels on them. Our newest engine has dual 1" reels and our tanker has 1 (it is our first due engine in our dept). Do I agree with the 1"? I can't say because I've never used it. According to my superiors, the 1" is used for small fires such as trash and vehicles. Again, I can't really say if I like it or not because I have not used it. However, I like doing engine work, INCLUDING breaking down and packing hose, so maybe I am a little biased.

Mike

Edited May 17, 2008 by Future Fireman

[DaRock98 76]

In my department on one engine we have a booster reel in the back of the engine with the electric button and it never gets used. On our other engine we have a trash line in the front bumper that consists of 1 length of 1" that we used all the time(not on fully involved structure fires) but it does get its fair share of use for small brush fires, dumpster fires etc. Personally I love the trash line it works wonders for many types of jobs its quick to deploy and quick to pack up.