Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

PIERCING NOZZLE

Date Range From

1970

Date Range To

1990

Materials

BRASS, RUBBER, STEEL

No. Pieces

1

Length

151.1

Width

10.2

Diameter

6.3

Description

PIERCING NOZZLE. BRASS, WITH CHROME PLATE, STEEL, AND BLACK RUBBER. CYLINDRICAL END OF NOZZLE HEAD IS THREADED, TO ALLOW A HOSE TO BE CONNECTED. TEXTURED EDGE NEAR THREADING. THROUGH THIS OPENING A BLACK RUBBER RING AND METAL MESH ARE VISIBLE. ADJUSTABLE HANDLE EMBOSSED ON ONE SIDE WITH “AKRON BRASS” AND “1 1/2 4 WAP” ON THE OTHER. (NOTE: WAP IS A BEST GUESS, LETTERS HAVE LOST THEIR DEFINITION.) BELOW HANDLE, STAMPED INTO THE METAL BODY OF THE NOZZLE IS “SHUT FOG OPEN”. HANDLE MARKS CHANGE IN SHAPE FROM CYLINDRICAL TO TRIANGULAR. TRIANGULAR PORTION HAS A BLACK STICKER “Q2” AND A STRIPE OF YELLOW PAINT, NEAR THE CONNECTION WITH THE PIPE. A SMALL RECTANGULAR PUSH BUTTON ALLOWS THE NOZZLE TO BE DISCONNECTED FROM THE PIPE. SMALL HOLE THROUGH THE NOZZLE HEAD VISIBLE AT THE CONNECTION OF THE PIPE AND HEAD, WHICH OPENS AND CLOSES WITH THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF THE HANDLE. NEAR THE CONNECTION OF THE PIPE AND HEAD STAMPED INTO THE METAL OF THE PIPE “LFD 62”, WITH THE STAMP BEING PARTIALLY FILLED IN WITH WHITE PAINT. TWO SECTIONS OF STEEL PIPING HAVE BEEN PERMANENTLY THREADED TOGETHER. END OF PIPE HAS THREE SETS OF TWELVE HOLES EACH AROUND THE PIPE, 13.5CM FROM THE END. TIP OF PIPE IS ANGLED, TO CREATE A SHARP END TO PENETRATE THROUGH WALLS. OVERALL GOOD CONDITION. WELL-WORN. CHROME PLATING HAS WORN AWAY, ESPECIALLY ON THE EDGES OF THE HANDLE. LOTS OF SCRATCHES AND SCUFF MARKS ALL OVER. VARIOUS BLACK STAINS ON THE PIPE SECTION.

Subjects

REGULATIVE & PROTECTIVE T&E

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

THIS PIERCING NOZZLE 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 NOZZLE WAS “USED TO PUT WATER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A WALL, FLOOR, OR CEILING. ALSO USED TO PUT WATER INSIDE OF A HAYSTACK.” 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 EXPLAINED SAYING: “IT HAS A METAL PROBE ON ONE END OF IT WITH LITTLE HOLES DRILLED INTO IT. MOSTLY WE USED IT FOR BALE FIRES, JAMMING IT INTO THE HAYSTACK OR BALE … ONCE IN A WHILE, WE’D USE IT FOR INSIDE A WALL, BUT VERY SELDOM.” LAZENBY ADDED: “THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT … HAS A NUMBER OF NAMES … IT’S BEEN CALLED ANYTHING FROM A CELLAR NOZZLE … TO AN ATTIC NOZZLE, TO A PIERCING NOZZLE … THE POINT ON THE END OF THIS WAS ACTUALLY QUITE SHARP, AND IF YOU WANTED TO, IF YOU HAD AN ATTIC FIRE, YOU COULD EASILY POKE THIS FROM BELOW UP THROUGH YOUR DRYWALL AND YOUR INSULATION … AND THERE WERE A BUNCH OF SMALL HOLES DRILLED INTO THE VERY END SO THAT WHEN YOU DID OPEN IT, THE WATER WOULD COME OUT IN A FOG PATTERN.” HE CONTINUED, SAYING: “THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT IS THAT YOU DIDN’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO PULL THE CEILING DOWN … YOU COULD DO SOME SUPPRESSION UP THERE BEFORE YOU DECIDED TO PULL THAT CEILING DOWN AND SORT OF MAKE CONDITIONS BETTER BEFORE YOU EXPOSED YOURSELF TO THEM. SO FOR THE ATTIC USE, IT WORKED REALLY, REALLY WELL FROM WHAT I HEARD. I’VE NEVER DEPLOYED ONE OF THESE IN THAT SITUATION.” LAZENBY EXPLAINED FURTHER: “THE OTHER USE … IF YOU GOT TO A STRUCTURE AND THE BASEMENT WAS ON FIRE, SAME IDEA, JUST DIFFERENT DIRECTION … IF YOU SHOVED THE NOZZLE DOWN AND OPENED IT UP, YOU’RE GETTING AUTOMATIC SUPPRESSION BEFORE YOU SENT A TEAM DOWN THERE INTO THAT ATMOSPHERE. I WAS EVEN TOLD THAT YOU COULD USE THESE ON AN ENGINE FIRE … SOME OF THESE WERE BUILT WITH A STRIKING SECTION ON THEM SO THAT IF YOU HAD A HAMMER YOU COULD HIT THE TOP OF IT – THIS WOULD ACTUALLY PIERCE THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE, ENTER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, YOU COULD TURN THE NOZZLE ON, AND IT WOULD SUPPRESS THE FIRE WITHOUT EVER HAVING TO LIFE THE HOOD. … I DON’T THINK THAT WE EVER USED THIS TOOL MAYBE AS OFTEN AS WE SHOULD HAVE. I THINK THAT WE, AT TIMES, COULD HAVE MADE BETTER USE AND ACTUALLY MADE CONDITIONS A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR OURSELVES BEFORE WE PUT OURSELVES INTO THAT SPACE OR ATMOSPHERE.” WHEN ASKED IF THIS TYPE OF NOZZLE IS STILL IN USE, LAZENBY REPLIED: “WE HAVE ONE OF THESE ON OUR ENGINE DOWNTOWN … OURS BREAKS DOWN INTO A COUPLE OF PIECES SO IT STORES EASIER … BUT FUNDAMENTALLY IT’S THE SAME TOOL, SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS FOR EASE OF USE, BUT YEAH, THEY’RE STILL AROUND.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE LETHBRIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

Catalogue Number

P20150010006

Acquisition Date

2015-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail