Does your facility have a standpipe system? Does the facility test the hoses and nozzles on these systems annually? Does the facility inspect them montly?
BEFORE I even say anything, let me say my DISCLAIMER…check with your local fire department(s) AND your property conservation insurer BEFORE you remove the first hose or nozzle!
Now that I have said that, you will want to do one of the these TWO things in regards to your standpipe systems:
1) remove the hoses and nozzles from your standpipes or
2) put your hoses and nozzles in your Preventive Maintenance Program and write a maintrenance procedure to do your annual pressure testing and insoection of these hoses and nozzles.
9 out of 10 FD’s will tell you to remove the hoses and cap the connection, as they will NOT use your hoses, EVEN if you are pressure testing them annually and inspecting them monthly. There is just too much risk involved in firghting industrial fires and FD’s just will not rely on your hoses. Instead they will carry in their High-Rise Packs (shown below) and hook up to your connections.
Source: traditionstraining.com (GREAT Source for firefighting info)
If you have your hoses hooked up, this will ONLY delay their fire fighting efforts. I have been in some very harsh environments trying to remove a hose from a standpipe connection, only to find out of it rusted. We have broken spanner wrenchs trying to break loose these connections. I have personally made the call to use a facility’s system and I might as well had dropped my shorts and pee’d on the fire!!!!
Most property insurers will only require that you clear this with your local FD before you make any changes; however, some insrurers will REQUIRE these systems to be fully serviced and ready to be used by workers. If your facility EXPECTS workers to use a Type II or III standpipe system you will have to train them to use this level of fire fighting equipment. (See my article on firefighting training )
BOTTOM LINE…if your employess are not trained to use these systems and your property insurer allows it – check with your local FD to determine if they want hoses in place or removed and FOLLOW THEIR RECOMENDATION. You do not want FF’s to struggle and waste precious time trying to break free the hose that has been on the rack for 30 years and rusted solid to the connection! Keep in mind, when the buidling/warehouse/process is on fire, there is usually a lot of smoke and wrestling with a hose connection in heavy smoke and heat conditions is NOT FUN!
See my next article on maintaining and inspectiong Standpipe systems.