The Midland Fire Department (MFD) recently completed its annual hose testing, as detailed in a Facebook post. The process involves hiring a third-party company to inspect and test each fire hose to ensure compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
According to the Facebook post, "Regular checks like these guarantee our firefighters have reliable equipment, keeping Midland safer during emergencies."
Assistant Fire Chief Brian McGary said in a video shared by MFD that this year was likely the best in terms of shortcomings presented by the department’s hoses. "We had the least amount," McGary said. He explained that they remove any defective hoses and resupply the engines or vehicles with additional hoses to ensure firefighters have the best equipment when fighting fires.
McGary further explained that hoses tend to braid when dragged over corners and debris during firefighting efforts and can also sustain damage from prolonged sun exposure. Age is another factor affecting hose reliability. "The older a hose is, the less reliable it is in fire scenarios," he said.
The testing process involves subjecting hoses to up to 300 pounds per square inch (PSI) for up to five minutes and checking for separation from couplings. Hoses that pass without busting or separating are rolled back up and placed on fire trucks. According to McGary, about 18 hoses were tested over three to four days.