This September, the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) distributed ten grants to selected North American Fire Training Directors (NAFTD) state fire academies. The funds provided the academies with a Hose Stream Prop and two days of cutting-edge training led by a skilled cadre of their instructors. ISFSI received this grant in conjunction with NAFTD through the Assistance to Firefighter Grant (AFG) Program, which is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

In February 2022, UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) released an all-new hands-on training toolkit focused on hose stream mechanics; this toolkit provides fire departments with an innovative way to put into practice previous research, principles of air entrainment and water mapping, and the fundamentals of suppression operations. The toolkit and curriculum provide fire departments with all the necessary materials to construct and train with FSRI’s Hose Stream Prop—everything from prop designs, instructional videos, and comprehensive lesson plans.  

The fire service has long understood that providing hands-on training to develop skills in fire suppression is vital to the success of suppression techniques on the fireground. NAFTD funded this project to give more firefighters the opportunity to complete this training with the end goal of improving the safety and effectiveness of structural firefighting and the survivability of potentially trapped occupants. 

Celebrating the ten grantees

ISFSI chose ten NAFTD academies based on a set of selection criteria. These criteria included the location of the academy, which IFSFI and NAFTD determined to be optimal, as well as the commitment to financially maintain the prop for at least seven years and incorporate the training into the department’s required curriculum. The ten NAFTD academies that received this award include: 

1. Delaware
2. Georgia
3. Kansas
4. Massachusetts
5. New York
6. Oklahoma
7. The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training
8. Utah Fire & Rescue Academy
9. Wisconsin
10. (TBD)

The two-day training includes curriculum delivery and prop assembly

The first day of the training follows a train-the-trainer model by delivering the curriculum to up to 40 prospective instructors. The curriculum focuses on the following five key areas related to fire suppression: 

1. Advanced techniques for interior firefighting: Managing air entrainment and water dispersion to thoroughly coat the surfaces of a structure when approaching and entering interior fire compartments.
2. Best practices for exterior suppression: Making informed decisions on stream types, application patterns, stream angles, and deflection methods during exterior suppression operations. 
3. Enhanced post-suppression ventilation: Coordinating ventilation post-suppression to quickly return the environment to tenable conditions and provide better visibility when conducting interior operations.
4. Precision attic fire control: Properly placing a stream at the eave line to quickly coat the attic while limiting ventilation. 
5. Use of specialized nozzles for complex fires: Using specialty nozzles to improve water distribution in challenging structures like void spaces, basements, cocklofts. 

Firefighters also work together to build the portable Hose Stream Prop that will remain at the host academy for additional use. Each prop is constructed with water-resistant materials to ensure a longer lifespan with minimal maintenance required. 

On the second day, the newly trained instructors are put to the test by delivering the same curriculum to up to 40 additional firefighters of various ranks.

By the end of the two days, a total of 80 firefighters will have completed the curriculum and will be equipped to conduct the training within their own region.

Expanding national reach through training 

This two-day training allows trainees to experience firsthand how using the proper hose stream application can positively affect the modern fireground. It also provides an opportunity to increase the use of this resource and discuss how to effectively promote this training regionally in the future. 

This training aligns with several recent AFG-funded studies that have explored how different factors—such as the type of hose, type of nozzle, and the way firefighters advance the hose—impact fire behavior and the chances of saving people on the fireground.