Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

1 1/2 INCH FOG NOZZLE

Date

1969

Materials

METAL, RUBBER, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

1

Height

14.8

Length

24.2

Width

10.2

Diameter

9.8

Description

FIRE-HOSE NOZZLE, SILVER COLOURED METAL, BLACK RUBBER AND PLASITC. DARK GREY METAL COUPLING, TO ATTACH NOZZLE TO HOSE, HAS TWO SMALL RIDGES OPPOSITE EACH OTHER. SILVER METAL ADJUSTABLE HANDLE ALLOWS THE NOZZLE TO BE OPENED OR CLOSED AND IS EMBOSSED WITH "CLOSED" AND "OPEN" ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE HANDLE. THE WHITE PLASTIC BALL INSIDE THE NOZZLE THAT OPENS AND CLOSES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS HANDLE IS VISIBLE THROUGH THE COUPLING. OPPOSITE OF THE HANDLE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NOZZLE, SCRATCHED INTO THE METAL: "13 B". IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NOZZLE IS AN ADJUSTABLE RING, STAMPED WITH THE FOLLOWING MEASUREMENTS: "120 3/4; 150 7/8; 200 1; 250 1 1/8" (THESE MEASUREMENTS INDICATE HOW MANY GALLONS OF WATER PER MINUTE THE NOZZLE WILL EXPEL). IT IS ALSO STAMPED WITH: "FLUSH" AND "AKRON TURBOJET". THIS RING HAS 24 RAISED SQUARES FOR GRIPPING. BEYOND THIS IS ANOTHER ADJUSTABLE RING, STAMPED WITH "I V V", WHERE THE FIRST 'V' IS EXAGERATED AND EXTRA WIDE. (ADJUSTING THIS RING ADJUST THE FLOW OF WATER FROM A STRAIGHT STREAM TO A MIST OR FOG). THE BACKGROUND OF THESE STAMPS IS RED. BLACK RUBBER ABUTS THE ADJUSTABLE RING. THE RUBBER SECTION IS 7.7CM LONG AND IS TEXTURED, FIRST WITH A WIDE SET OF LINES, THEN ON THE VERY EDGE OF THE NOZZLE WITH A VERY CLOSE SET SECTION OF LINES. EMBOSSED ON THIS RUBBER SECTION IS: "US PAT. 3,387,791 - CAN PATENTED 1969". THE VERY END OF THE NOZZLE, WHERE THE WATER COMES OUT, HAS 24 BLACK PLASTIC TEETH. OVERALL IN GOOD CONDITION. SIGNS OF WEAR ON THE SILVER FINISH, ESPECIALLY ON THE ADJUSTABLE OPEN/CLOSED HANDLE.

Subjects

REGULATIVE & PROTECTIVE T&E

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

THIS FIRE-HOSE NOZZLE WAS USED BY THE LETHBRIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM APPROXIMATELY 1975-2000. 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), TREVOR LAZENBY (HIRED IN 1994), AND LAWRENCE DZUREN (HIRED 1959, RETIRED 1992). BROWN EXPLAINED THAT THIS NOZZLE “WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST USED NOZZLES, PROBABLY YOUR BEST FRIEND WHEN YOU WENT TO A FIRE, OTHER THAN YOUR MASK … IT WAS JUST A LITTLE LIFE-SAVER – EASY TO HANDLE – ONE GUY COULD HANDLE THAT.” LAZENBY ADDED THAT THIS WAS A GOOD NOZZLE: “THEY NEVER EVER BROKE DOWN TO MY RECOLLECTION; THEY WERE WELL BUILT AND WE USED TO PUT THEM THROUGH THE WRINGER AND THEY FUNCTIONED, I WOULD SAY REALLY WELL, TO THE END OF THEIR LIFE SPAN. WE DON’T HAVE THESE ON THE TRUCKS ANYMORE … WE WENT TO A NOZZLE THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER. IT WAS MADE OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND A LITTLE BIT MORE ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED FOR EASE OF USE AND COMFORT, AND LESS FATIGUE. HOLDING ON TO ONE OF THESE THINGS WHILE THERE’S WATER FLOWING FOR A LONG TIME IS FATIGUING.” DZUREN ADDED THAT THE NOZZLE WAS ADJUSTABLE: “THEY HAD ALL TYPES OF ADJUSTMENTS ON THERE FOR PRESSURE, FOR THE TYPE OF SPRAY YOU WANTED ON THERE, WHETHER IT WAS A FINE SPRAY … OR A LONG DISTANCE SPRAY TYPE OF THING.” LAZENBY RECALLED THAT THIS TYPE OF NOZZLE REMAINED IN SERVICE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 1995-2000: “THEY STOPPED BEING ON THE FRONTLINE ENGINES, I WOULD SAY, NO LATER THAN 2000 WOULD BE ABOUT THE LAST ONES WE WOULD SEE.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE LETHBRIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

Catalogue Number

P20150010007

Acquisition Date

2015-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail