It seemed exciting last Wednesday when a local fire truck and a group of firefighters were spotted at the high school, with water jets spraying from a variety of hoses.
What appeared to be a potential disaster was actually an exercise in new equipment and learning new techniques. It also involved a gathering of a group of The Crooked Coast F.O.O.L.S.
“The exercise was a nozzle demonstration,” said Ladysmith Fire Chief Chris Geiger. “There are a couple new designs of nozzles that are making their way around the North American fire service. One called the HEN (high efficiency nozzle) and one from Delta Brass. It is a take on a standard smoothbore nozzle, but instead of the round stream of water, these nozzles shape it into a ‘blade’, flattening and widening the stream for better coverage of surfaces.”
The group also had some fire hose demonstrations.
“Of course, any time you get a group of leather heads together, we will also work on our techniques and try to learn from each other, so there was plenty of that going on as well,” Geiger said.
Who are the Crooked Coast F.O.O.L.S.?
“The Crooked Coast F.O.O.L.S. (Fraternal Order of Leather Heads Society) is a group of passionate firefighters that belong to a regional chapter of an international brotherhood. We represent firefighters from across Vancouver Island," Geiger said. "The F.O.O.L.S. organization is dedicated to promoting fire service traditions, training, and camaraderie among firefighters. Our mission is to preserve the history, traditions, and tradesmanship of the fire service by promoting education, training, and fellowship.”
The F.O.O.L.S. started in 1995 in central Florida. It has grown to a brotherhood of more than 7,000, with chapters all over the world.
“Our chapter has its roots in Victoria, but we now have members all over the Island,” Geiger said.
The Crooked Coast F.O.O.L.S. hold quarterly meetings, host hands-on and online training sessions and organize charitable initiatives.
The exercise last week involved firefighters from all over Vancouver Island and was also attended by a representative from Rocky Mountain Phoenix dealer for the HEN nozzles. Part of the exercise was a “hallway” made up of stacked pallets intended to simulate members pushing down a hallway with a turn at the end.
“It was an opportunity to practice using some hose work techniques and feeling how the nozzles and hoses react while moving and flowing,” Geiger said. “It was also interesting to see how the bladed nozzles can cover surfaces from side to side and top to bottom.”
Rocky Mountain Phoenix representative, Cam McArthur, who was attending, said, “The new nozzles have the design not just to cover a wider area but they use less water. The design allows for more force and wider broadcast but with less consumption.”
“Traditional fog nozzles break the water into small droplets, so while coverage can be wide because we can adjust them to a fog spray pattern, the droplets can evaporate before they reach the seat of the fire or the surfaces we want to cool," said Geiger. "Traditional smoothbore nozzles utilize large droplets, which have better penetration ability, holding together until they hit the surfaces, but coverage can be limited to a smaller area. These new nozzles capture both characteristics, spreading large droplets into wider coveraging patterns, ‘painting’ the surfaces we want to cool.”
