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New
Zealand firefighters use mostly instantaneous couplings on the fire hoses. The
female end has two spring loaded lugs which are pulled outwards to release the
male. The
90mm hose is used for flaked feeders, and the deliveries are usually 70mm except
for the last length which is 45mm, for ease of manoeuvring. Each
pump carry four lengths of (hard) suction hoses, made of reinforced rubber, with
screw threads. The J20 Jeep's hoses are 4 inch diameter and the 6/3 Dennis’s
are 6 inch. Most
pump trucks have two (some smaller/older ones have only one) 25mm diameter hose
high pressure (two or three pump stage) hose reels. These are used for many
jobs e.g. grass fires, car fires, to small building fires. Many
new trucks are now being built with compressed air foam systems (CAFS). Most
Volunteer trucks carry a portable pump, some makes being Coventry, Godiva, Angus
(all British), Robin and Rabbit (both Japanese). Tohaitsu There are many Appliances around now that carry a PPV ( Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan) ours is a 21" Tempest Woodend's
Breathing Apparatus (BA) are the Drager PA-94 positive pressure sets with fibre
wrapped light alloy cylinders.
Firefighters
(at an exercise) in the photo below are wearing Level 1 & 2. Helmets
are made in Wanganui NZ, by Pacific
Helmets Ltd. They
are yellow for firefighters and officers (with coloured stripes to denote ranks
- Blue for Officers and Red for Firefighters), white for senior officers (with
written rank labels) and blue for operational support.
Fire
Service Rank Markings The
gloves for structural firefighting are bulkier than the leather ones used for
other work (rescue, non property fires etc). Footwear
is either rubber gumboots or leather boots. The
NZ Fire Service does not yet use flashhoods. Woodend Rescue Equipment
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