Designed for occupant use, in the event of fire, fire hose stations offer occupants a manual means of putting water on fires at their initial stages in an attempt to either extinguish them or to allow occupants of a building to escape them safely. These stations are comprised of a hose valve, rack and reel fire hose, hose nozzle, and a storage device—pin rack, hose reel, or hose hanger. They are connected to a building’s standpipe system and generally located in corridors and/or in stairwells. They may or may not be housed in a cabinet. Fire Hose Stations are an important part of any building’s fire protection plan, but they do not take the place of a building’s automatic extinguishing systems, like fire sprinklers or pre-engineered suppression systems. Regardless, these stations are an invaluable link in the life-saving “chain of survival” that protects people and property from the ravages of fire in buildings.
Benefits
Knockdown Power
Fire in its early stages is no match for an occupant armed with a fire hose. Statistics show that a fire hose station offers immediate on-site protection at the earliest stage of a fire. Offering fast, effective fire protection, these stations are capable of powerful water streams that can snuff out a fledgling fire or control a raging one.
Simple to Use
Fire Hose Stations are designed to be operated by just one person, who can easily activate and use the station’s firefighting equipment. From opening the hose valve to pulling out the fire hose and using the nozzle, one person is all it takes to operate one of these stations. Not dependent on heat, smoke, or flame for activation, Fire Hose Stations rely totally on manual operation. That affords intervention with a fire before it spreads or intensifies enough to activate other fire systems that are fully automatic. They’re also an excellent hedge against fire should an automatic fire system fail to activate.
Means of Egress
Getting out of a burning building safely isn’t always possible, because the fire may be blocking the means of egress for occupants. Besides being able to extinguish fires in their initial stages, Fire Hose Stations also offer occupants a fighting chance to get past fires blocking their path to safety.
When Seconds Count
Fire can spread in minutes, and those first few critical seconds can mean the difference between life and death. As a matter of fact, 93% of deaths and 95% of property damage take place once a fire expands beyond its beginning stages. With numbers as sobering as these, it’s imperative that fires be dealt with as quickly as possible. Following codes on installation and upkeep of Fire Hose Stations is paramount to protecting lives and property.
Source, https://femalifesafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ACloserLook-Standpipe-Fire-Hose-Stations.pdf, reviewed April 5, 2021.