Groveville Fire Co. ~ Hose Test ~ 1968

Left to Right Lieutenant Leon "Digger" Gennett, Mike Engi, Chief Robert " Bob" Thompson, background William "Bill" Henry, Captain Victor "Vic" Champion.
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This is a photo of our semi annual hose test. No one like this job, except the driver. All of the hose on the truck had to be laid out, each hose length and coupling was inspected and all hose was pressure tested. For some reason I believe we carried 2200 feet of 2 1/2 inch hose on each truck, I could be wrong.

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This was taken at our favorite place for hose testing, Route 156, south of Take It Easy Bar, that is the Polish American Club, in the background. There was very little traffic on this stretch of road, so you could lay out all the hose and not be in any one's way, the hydrant was convenient and the hose was laid out on a hill, so when the test was complete the hose drained well, and its so much easier to roll up 2200 feet of hose "Downhill".

The water was flowed through the hose, the nozzle closed and the water pressure in the hose was brought to a specific pressure for a specified length of time. The hose is packed in layers in a zig zag fashion and some of the bottom layers of hose would never get used.

The only hose used was enough to do the job, which usually consisted of the top layers. Some of the hose then was cotton jacketed and subject to rot when left wet, the best place to burst a length of hose was at the test. Most times, if we could the truck would be repacked with dry hose, stored on racks in the fire house.