Firefighter Nozzle Techniques

Explore Firefighter Nozzle Techniques, water spray methods, and modern tools like the Zero Torque Turbo for effective fire suppression.

History of Water Spraying

irefighting has always been about putting out fires, and this hasn’t changed throughout history. Before there were official fire departments, regular people would try to put out fires. They would form long lines between a river or pond and the fire, passing buckets of water along the line to throw on the flames. However, this wasn’t a very effective way to fight fires.

Eventually, a pump that could push water in a specific direction using pressure was invented. The first pumps were placed inside containers filled with water. These pumps would push water through a fixed nozzle, and the distance the water could reach depended on the pressure. This meant the pump had to be placed close to the fire, and the container always had to be filled with water. The nozzle was fixed at a 45° angle to the pump.

In 1672, a Dutchman named Jan van der Heyden invented the “fire pump.” Heyden was the first to combine a pump with a hose, and there were two types of hoses: one for drawing water (suction hose) and one for spraying water (discharge hose). The pump was placed near the water source, and the hose would carry the water towards the fire. The nozzle at the end of the hose could be moved, allowing firefighters to spray water where it was needed. By this time, using buckets to fight fires had mostly disappeared. This was the beginning of modern water spraying firefighting.

Over the past few centuries, fire pumps and nozzles have been significantly improved. The earliest nozzles could only create a fixed stream of water, and for a long time, their design didn’t change much. At first, there wasn’t even a valve to stop the water flow. Later, a ball valve was added, which allowed the firefighter operating the nozzle to open and close the water flow.

As a result, the 40mm nozzle became the “standard.” This nozzle has a removable tip, and when the tip is removed, the nozzle’s opening becomes larger, doubling the water flow. In the early 2000s, this type of nozzle was still widely used. In the United States, despite modernized designs, this type of nozzle remains popular today and is known as the smooth bore nozzle.

In recent decades, more modern nozzles have been developed. These nozzles can form not only a fixed jet stream but also spray patterns or mist. Nozzles that can create these spray or fog patterns are called combination nozzles or fog nozzles.

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Back then, they used bucket brigades to fight fires—super slow and not great. But in 1672, someone came up with a pump and a hose, and that was a game changer. Over time, nozzles got better, like the 40mm one that’s still a favorite today, called the smooth bore nozzle. Now we’ve got these cool combo nozzles that can spray mist or patterns. Firefighting gear has gotten so much smarter!

Why are Water Discharge Techniques Necessary?

Why is it important to use different nozzles?
Why do firefighters need water discharge skills?
Why do firefighters need different shapes of water streams?

Firefighters use various water discharge techniques because different situations require different approaches to effectively control or extinguish fires. The main water stream shapes are:

Straight Stream
Fog (Spray)
Water Shield

Each shape has a specific use:

Straight Stream:

Main Advantage: It has a long reach and delivers a large amount of water to a specific area, making it effective for extinguishing solid objects on fire.
Disadvantage: It is less effective for cooling down smoke, as it doesn’t disperse water over a wide area.

Fog (Spray):

Best Use: Cooling down smoke by dispersing fine droplets of water. The angle of the spray cone is crucial. A wider angle covers a larger area but has a shorter reach.

Water Shield:

Common Use: Often used in building fires or gas fires. For example, in a gas leak situation, firefighters use a water shield while approaching a burning gas cylinder to close its valve safely.

Why do firefighters have different water discharge techniques?

In the past, firefighting involved using buckets of water. Now, with modern technology, firefighters can use water more efficiently and in various ways, making their efforts more effective.

Naming Water Discharge Techniques

When modern nozzle technology was introduced, several techniques were named to make them easier to learn and remember. A good name helps in memorization and enhances learning.

Pulse Techniques

Short Pulse: Initially called 3D discharge in Europe, this technique was designed for gas cooling. It was later renamed to short pulse. However, this technique was not well understood in Japan at first, leading to ineffective firefighting efforts where firefighters attempted to use it directly on fully developed fires, which often resulted in the fire spreading instead of being extinguished.
Purpose of Short Pulse: To cool and dilute flammable gases, preventing them from reaching auto-ignition temperatures. It is used as soon as smoke appears above or around the firefighting team.
How to Use:

Ensure sufficient water flow and pressure to form effective droplets.
Use a cone angle of 30° to 60°.
Quickly open and close the nozzle in one swift movement.
Aim above and in front of the firefighter, targeting the upper layers of smoke.

Long Pulse

Purpose: Similar to short pulse but used when more extensive cooling and penetration are required due to larger amounts of smoke or the size of the burning material.
How to Use:

Use a narrower cone angle (30° to 45°) than short pulse.
Open the nozzle for about 1-2 seconds.
Aim at the upper layers in front of the firefighter.
Open the nozzle quickly and close it slowly to prevent water hammer.

Penciling

Purpose: Common in Europe and the US, penciling involves sending a straight stream of water to the base of the fire, using short bursts of water to control it. This technique is effective in fire training containers but has limited use in actual large fires.
How to Use:

Maintain a safe distance from the fire.
Use a straight stream.
Quickly open and close the nozzle, throwing small amounts of water onto the fire.

Painting

Purpose: Used for final extinguishment and clearing debris. A very short straight stream (about 1 meter) is used to cool the hot surfaces and wash away remaining debris.

Combination Attack

Purpose: Known as the Massive Attack in Flanders or the ZOT Method in France, and as the Combination Attack in North America, this technique is used in fully developed fires. It involves moving the nozzle in specific patterns (e.g., “I” or “O” shapes) to mix water droplets with hot smoke, suppressing the fire quickly and effectively.

Traditional Attack

Purpose: When arriving at the scene, firefighters immediately attack visible flames through a window or door, aiming at the ceiling to create a sprinkler effect inside the room. This technique helps reduce temperatures significantly, making it safer for rescue operations.

Water Pressure Ventilation

Purpose: Water pressure ventilation is used to exchange contaminated air inside a building with fresh air by directing a fog pattern or straight stream towards an opening.

Firefighters have all kinds of techniques depending on the situation. For long reach, they use straight streams; to cool smoke, it’s fog sprays; and for gas fires, they use water shields for protection. Short pulses cool smoke, penciling hits the fire’s base, and painting clears debris. There’s also combination attacks that mix water with smoke, and traditional ceiling sprays to reduce heat. Every technique has its purpose!

Conclusion

These are the main water discharge techniques currently taught worldwide. There are many other techniques, each with its own shape and name, but the overall approach can be complex and difficult to grasp. The challenge today is to ensure that firefighters don’t lose sight of the bigger picture while focusing on mastering specific techniques.

Training time is limited, and instructors strive to impart knowledge as efficiently as possible, which is why understanding these techniques and their purposes is crucial.

Types of Nozzles

In firefighting, there are various types of nozzles designed to handle different emergencies, each with its own specific purpose.

Fog Nail

Cooling Without Supplying Oxygen

The fog nail nozzle cools smoke and hot surfaces without adding oxygen to the fire. Because it doesn’t introduce additional oxygen, it uses only a small amount of water for cooling, and the cooling effect lasts longer. The small water droplets from the fog nail effectively cool the smoke.

Some of these droplets are also large enough to penetrate the hot smoke and hot surfaces on the opposite side, helping to suppress the fire. This suppression allows firefighters to focus on other important tasks.

By combining the fog nail with gun-type nozzles and using the right tactics at the right time, firefighters can achieve faster and safer fire suppression.

Gun-Type Nozzle: Zero Torque Turbo

The “New Global Standard” for Fixed-Flow Spray Nozzles

The Akron Turbojet nozzle is a leading brand of fixed-flow spray nozzles that combines a pattern-switching nozzle with a fixed-flow valve, making it safe and reliable.

Modern firefighting tactics often require adjusting the water stream pattern—ranging from a straight stream to a wide-angle spray—depending on the intensity of the fire and the situation on the ground. However, changing the water pattern, opening or closing other connected nozzles, or fluctuations in pump pressure can cause significant changes in the water flow’s reaction force.

The Zero Torque Turbo nozzle retains the advantages of the Turbojet nozzle while being easier to handle and reducing changes in reaction force. Unlike traditional gun-type nozzles, the Zero Torque Turbo aligns the reaction force and support points in a straight line, preventing the nozzle from bouncing upward during water discharge. This design reduces stress during long periods of water discharge, making it more comfortable to use.

There are all kinds of nozzles for firefighting. The fog nail is great for cooling smoke and heat without adding oxygen. It uses very little water and helps keep the fire under control while you work.
The Zero Torque Turbo? Super easy to handle! Less recoil, so it’s not tiring, and it’s smooth to operate. Definitely a reliable choice.

Reference page: “Key fire characteristics: combustion elements, smoke risks, toxic gases, and safe firefighting techniques.”

References　National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

FIRE RESCUE CLUB

Firefighter Nozzle Techniques

History of Water Spraying