Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

FIRE HOSE JACKET

Date Range From

1975

Date Range To

2005

Materials

METAL, RUBBER

No. Pieces

1

Height

20.0

Length

32.9

Width

15.3

Description

RED METAL FIRE HOSE JACKET. EMBOSSED ON BOTH SIDES WITH “AKRON 77”. EACH END OF THE HOSE JACKET IS OPEN, TO ALLOW A HOSE TO GO THROUGH THE JACKET. HOSE JACKET IS HINGED ON THE TOP, HAS A HANDLE ON THE BOTTOM, AND ALSO OPENS FROM THE BOTTOM. A HINGED RECTANGULAR PIECE LIFTS UP TO ALLOW THE JACKET TO BE OPENED AND REVEALS THREE SQUARE OPENINGS. THERE ARE THREE SETS OF TWO RECTANGLES THAT FORM THREE SQUARES. WHEN CLOSED, THIS LARGE RECTANGLE WITH THREE SQUARE OPENINGS FITS OVER THE THREE RECTANGLE PAIRS. WHEN OPEN, THE JACKET REVEALS A BLACK RUBBER LINING. EMBOSSED ONTO THE RUBBER: “AKRON STYLE 77 HOSE JACKET LINER. - TO REPLACE LINER - 1. LIFT DOVETAILS FROM DOVETAIL SLOTS. 2. SQUEEZE SIDES OF LINER TOGETHER. 3. PULL LINER FROM HOUSING. 4. INSERT ONE END OF NEW LINER OVER PINS IN BOTTOM END OF HOUSING. 5. INSERT OTHER END OF LINER OVER PINS AT OPPOSITE END OF HOUSING. 6. INSERT DOVETAILS INTO DOVETAIL SLOTS. 7-29-011” ONE SIDE HAS A “Q1” STICKER ABOVE THE “N” IN “AKRON” STRUCTURALLY IN GOOD CONDITION, BUT THE FINISH IS VERY WORN AND HAS FLAKED OFF IN MANY PLACES. THE FINISH IS LOOSE AND CONTINUES TO FLAKE OFF.

Subjects

REGULATIVE & PROTECTIVE T&E

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

THIS FIRE HOSE JACKET WAS USED BY THE LETHBRIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT PROVIDED AT THE TIME OF DONATION, JESSE KURTZ, DEPUTY CHIEF – SUPPORT SERVICES (RETIRED), EXPLAINED THAT THIS JACKET IS A “HINGED TWO PART DEVICE TO BE PLACED OVER OR ON A 65MM HOSE LINE THAT HAS A LEAK IN IT. IT HAS RUBBER SEALS ON THE ENDS TO KEEP THE WATER IN. IT WAS KEPT ON EVERY FIRE ENGINE. WE STOPPED USING THEM WHEN WE REGULARLY STARTED TESTING HOSES AND FOUND LEAKY HOSES BEFORE A FIRE. SO [WE] NO LONGER HAD USE FOR THEM.” IN THE SUMMER OF 2015, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN, CONDUCTED A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBERS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING: CLIFF “CHARLIE” BROWN (HIRED IN 1966, RETIRED 2004) AND TREVOR LAZENBY (HIRED IN 1994). BROWN ADDED THAT HOSES GET “RAGGED AND TATTERED, DRAGGED ALONG THE PAVEMENT AND DRAGGED ALONG THE CURBS, [WHICH] WEARS IT OUT. IF THE HOSE EVER BURSTS, RATHER THAN CHANGING THE HOSE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES TO CHANGE A HOSE YOU’VE GOT TO PUT TWO HOSES ON AND SHUT THE WATER OFF, AND IF THE GUYS AREN’T THERE, OR THEY’RE IN THE BUILDING, YOU CAN’T SHUT THE WATER OFF, SO THAT JUST GOES OVER LIKE A SLEEVE AND CLAMPS DOWN.” LAZENBY ELABORATED, SAYING: “THE USE WAS THAT ANY TIME YOU’RE FLOWING WATER UNDER PRESSURE, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO BURST … SO YOU WOULD HAVE A BURST HOSE LENGTH. AND IF IT WASN’T IRREPARABLY DAMAGED OR IF THERE WAS A LEAK FROM A CERTAIN AREA OF THE HOSE, THIS HAD A RUBBER LINER THAT WAS BUILT IN EXACTLY LIKE A PERFECT CIRCLE THAT YOU WOULD BASICALLY ENCAPSULATE THE LEAK INSIDE OF THIS HOSE JACKET … NOWADAYS IF WE HAVE A BURST LENGTH, WE JUST REPLACE THE LENGTH. WE’LL SHUT THAT HOSE LINE DOWN; WE’LL TAKE TWO LENGTHS TO REPLACE ONE BECAUSE SOMETIMES AS HOSES ARE DAMAGED, THEY’LL CUT 8 FEET OFF … SO YOU HAVE A 42 FOOT HOSE INSTEAD OF 50 FEET … [WHICH LEAVES YOU] SHORT, SO THAT’S WHY YOU ALWAYS TAKE TWO LENGTHS TO REPLACE ONE … I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WE WENT AWAY FROM THESE IS THAT WE HAVE A VERY STRINGENT HOSE TESTING PROCESS IN PLACE NOW. OUR HOSES GET TESTED EVERY YEAR TO THEIR MAXIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE AND BEYOND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN WITHSTAND PRESSURES THAT WE PUT THROUGH THEM … I WANT TO SAY THAT THOSE WERE ON THE TRUCKS ALMOST UP TO 10 YEARS AFTER I STARTED, SO UP TO A DOZEN YEARS AGO WE STILL SAW THESE [IN SERVICE].” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE LETHBRIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

Catalogue Number

P20150010013

Acquisition Date

2015-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail