At work, one of my senior firefighters decided to perfect the front bumper hose loads on one of our engines.  One compartment holds 15' of 5" with a rubber mallet, universal hydrant wrench, and two LDH spanners.  The second compartment contains 100' of 1 3/4" line that's pre-connected with a TFT adjustable nozzle.  There's been a hundred different ways of packing it but my senior firefighter found a user friendly hose load for both hoses.

 

The attack line flat loaded in the compartment.  The way it's done is two folds down and two rows wide.  Then you make your first set of loops that are about a forearm long (make it enough to get the largest arm through it and compensate the bunker coat we all wear).  After you make your first set of loops for both sides, make another two folds down and two rows wide and form another set of loops.  The key to loading this hoseline is at every third section make your loops.  Two down and the loop is the rule of thumb.  After it's loaded, place the nozzle on top of the hose in the closed and ready position as shown.

 

Next is the 15' of 5".  Connect one end to the front suction, which would be faced perpendicular to the compartment.  Lay the hose into the compartment and making sure there's slack and not pulled tight as it's laid down at each corner.  Have a small loop (maybe half of the attack line's fold) opposite of the front suction.  Then start making another fold inside the actual compartment.  Continue folding until the open end of the hose ends up facing opposite from the front suction.  Make sure to place the "wings" of the hydrant connector on top of the compartment's sides to ensure it'll not become snagged when it's deployed.  Then disconnect the other end of the hose that's connected to the front suction and fold it so that the end is facing the front suction.  You can have the fold laid out or tucked under the hydrant connection end of the hose.

 

The reason that the 5" isn't preconnected to the front suction because it'll block one of the headlights and it's in the "crush zone" for the cab when it's lifted during daily checks. 

 

Again, this is another idea if you have any problems with your front bumper load(s) and don't have alot of room to work with.  Keep safe!

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Comment by Shareef Abdu Nur on July 16, 2011 at 5:39am
Tim, I love the fact that your senior members are involved or even care about making a difference. Have you tried these loads at actual incidents and if so, was it easier and quicker than other set ups?
Comment by Ron King (Fire Chief) on July 15, 2011 at 9:32pm
Tim, Great idea with the hose lines. We love our Bumper load. We do have straps on ours and we were able to add more. works great on the Interstate calls. Thanks for the idea's.
Comment by Timothy J. Gaffney, Jr. on July 14, 2011 at 11:56am
Surprisingly, there are no straps or netting. It just sits in their individual compartments. Haven't had a problem with equipment flying out....knock on wood.
Comment by Bill Carlisle on July 14, 2011 at 11:41am
Tim I like the idea for the hand line , We also have a line on the front bumper, but we have a door to cover our hose load, Which we could leave arm loops just have to fold them over, But i have to ask what is holding the hand line on your truck? I do not see a strap or netting . just wondering

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