FDNY High Rise Nozzles

[x635 4,066]

Read something about FDNY equipping certain engines and the high rise units with a "department developed" high rise nozzle in the latest Fire Bell club newsletter.

Does anyone have more info on these nozzles??

[JBE 328]

The way it was explained to me is they are based off a Navy type nozzle used for shipboard firefighting. It's a valve with a long slender pipe attached. It has an angle on the end of it. You stick it out a window on the floor below and set it up at the window of the fire room/apartment. It's supposed to knock down a decent amount of fire before the first interior line is placed itno operation, in the event the window of the fire room/apartment is blown out. There are about 10 Engine companies in the city that have them, along with both High Rise Units. They are special called on the 10-76 and 10-77. I'll try to get a picture of one and put it up here some time this week.

Edited October 11, 2009 by JBE

[SageVigiles 1,194]

I know the Navy firefighting nozzle commonly used for high-rise fires is called the SG-series nozzle, there are several variations and differences, but here is a picture of one of them.

Also, I'd imagine the 10 companies that carry the nozzle are the "High-Pressure" companies with the 3-stage pumps.

See, I knew this fire science stuff had some application, I'm totally qualified to answer trivia questions.... haha.

Edited October 11, 2009 by SageVigiles

[Bnechis 3,961]

The Highrise nozzle uses standard pressures for a stright 2 1/2in nozzle. Here it is (being used by NRFD & the FDNY FF who made them).

It is more than just using a nozzle, members need to be retrained to understand the whole concept of wind driven fire and ventilation profiling.

[JBE 328]

I know the Navy firefighting nozzle commonly used for high-rise fires is called the SG-series nozzle, there are several variations and differences, but here is a picture of one of them.

Also, I'd imagine the 10 companies that carry the nozzle are the "High-Pressure" companies with the 3-stage pumps.

See, I knew this fire science stuff had some application, I'm totally qualified to answer trivia questions.... haha.

Actually, they are distributed to engine companies through out the city, although I don't believe any of them are the high pressure engines in Manhattan and Queens.

[x129K 1,393]

Barry - that is slick as crap!

I loved the old Rockwell (wood?) nozzles...we had them on our engines when I first got in....there was NOTHING better to clean your undercarraige after a good day of mussing then the wand!

[M' Ave 1,466]

The 10 engine companies that carry these nozzles are IN ADDITION to the high pressure high rise engines. It's another tool for wind driven fires, in addition to the KO curtain that every truck company is no carrying. To a high rise fire, the second due roof man will now carry the KO in place of the rope.

[CFD320 35]

Read something about FDNY equipping certain engines and the high rise units with a "department developed" high rise nozzle in the latest Fire Bell club newsletter.

Does anyone have more info on these nozzles??

Ahh, the Coward Nozzle.... Ill get a pic next time I'm in (if the engine guys let me take it off their rig). Its a long aluminum pipe shaped sort of like a question mark shut off at one end smooth bore MST on the other (fed by 2 1/2). It is laid on the the window sill on the floor below to cool off/knock down fire above in a fireproof. I heard a chief give a report about a week ago that E50 was operating it at a job, which would be it's first use in the field. Certain companies that run to lots of Class 1 MD's have been assigned these nozzles.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Ahh, the Coward Nozzle....

Yes its not the same as crawling down a 1,200 degree hall and being incinerated.

FDNY has lost a number of brave members from wind driven fires. FDNY along with NIST and others did a spectacular job of studying what was happening and how to overcome this deadly scenario and comments like this delay the implimentation of a life saving technique.

The high rise nozzle has to be used as part of a coordinated attack and should only be used in very specific incidents.

[CFD320 35]

Yes its not the same as crawling down a 1,200 degree hall and being incinerated.

FDNY has lost a number of brave members from wind driven fires. FDNY along with NIST and others did a spectacular job of studying what was happening and how to overcome this deadly scenario and comments like this delay the implimentation of a life saving technique.

The high rise nozzle has to be used as part of a coordinated attack and should only be used in very specific incidents.

Don't have a cow Cap, it is widely referred to by that name on our job.....take a bit of levity. I am well aware of the heat associated with a job in a fireproof, especially if the fire is wind driven. I wasn't taking a shot at out R&D department or NIST.... they do great work

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Looks to me like another smart development brought forward in the fire service. Like the brother was saying, use this carefully, right? Don't wanna bring hell down on the interior ops. A good coordinated approach in a Type 1, and this baby could be very useful.

[firemoose827 324]

Don't have a cow Cap, it is widely referred to by that name on our job.....take a bit of levity. I am well aware of the heat associated with a job in a fireproof, especially if the fire is wind driven. I wasn't taking a shot at out R&D department or NIST.... they do great work

CFD, when you say "fireproof" I just wanted to verify that you are talking about the Non-flammable and Fire Resistive type constructions correct? Just wanted to make sure I was thinking correctly.

So the nozzle doesnt actually go up to the fire floor, its played into the fire room from the floor below like in the picture at the parking garage, correct?

Interesting, another fine job by the inventors, this could be applied to other situations as well I would imagine, like sticking it down the cellar stairs to knock down some fire prior to entry, illiminating the chimney effect.

[nfd2004 750]

Interesting, another fine job by the inventors, this could be applied to other situations as well I would imagine, like sticking it down the cellar stairs to knock down some fire prior to entry, illiminating the chimney effect.

That's a very interesting point. Maybe this nozzle can be used for cellar fires etc. For the guys that have been around for awhile, alot of us remember carrying a nozzle on the rig called a "High Velocity Fog Nozzle". Very Similiar to the type nozzle we are talking about. It was I believe first designed by the U.S. Navy to be used in ship fires. The Fire Service more less adopted this to be used with small flammable liquid fires, under the right conditions. I really don't actually remember ever using this nozzle while it was carried on the rig. Interesting, but I recently visited a Fire Musuem in Rhode Island, and there hanging on the wall was this type of nozzle.

The FDNY has now found a very good use for this type of nozzle again. Several years ago, Three FDNY Firefighters from Ladder 170 were killed while fighting a high rise fire (I believe it was at the Linden Plaza Housing), while crawling down the fire floor hallway. The heat and flame came at them like a blow torch. Shortly after that incident, I attended a seminar given by John Norman of the FDNY, on how this problem could be eliminated. He talked about dropping some type of curtain from the floor above so wind would not enter the fire apartment and push fire into the hallway. Then he talked about hitting the fire from the floor below with this type of nozzle. "Let me say, I had my doubt's". But once again the FDNY proved me wrong. They know their stuff and are always willing to try new things.

[ryang 166]

The companies I know that have the nozzle are Engines 7, 14, 50, 91, 93, 243, 266, 290, 305, High-Rise Units 1 and 2. I suspect they may be about to get more widespread in the city since Engine 16 just recently turned up with one on their new rig.

[Anesti 329]

The companies I know that have the nozzle are Engines 7, 14, 50, 91, 93, 243, 266, 290, 305, High-Rise Units 1 and 2. I suspect they may be about to get more widespread in the city since Engine 16 just recently turned up with one on their new rig.

engine 66 is also a highrise nozzle

[Bnechis 3,961]

CFD, when you say "fireproof" I just wanted to verify that you are talking about the Non-flammable and Fire Resistive type constructions correct? Just wanted to make sure I was thinking correctly.

It is intended for highrise structures which are almost always type I or type II construction.

So the nozzle doesnt actually go up to the fire floor, its played into the fire room from the floor below like in the picture at the parking garage, correct?

Correct

Interesting, another fine job by the inventors, this could be applied to other situations as well I would imagine, like sticking it down the cellar stairs to knock down some fire prior to entry, illiminating the chimney effect.

I do not think it would work for this, as the angle may not be correct, it would blace the crew at the top of the "chimney" and it maybe to short to get the job done, but to long to manuver it in a private dwelling. There are other tools to deal with these incidents.