Fire Hose

State the nominal diameter, the length of each section, the lining material and the working or test pressure, and the coupling type and size fitted on board (Storz, instantaneous, Nakajima and so on). A hose quoted without couplings will not fit the hydrants unless the ship can fit couplings itself, so say "bare" or "pre-fitted" on every line.

Give the approval the flag requires: lay-flat fire hoses are item MED/3.29 for EU-flagged ships, while US rules require lined commercial fire hose to UL 19 or Federal Specification ZZ-H-451E. On tankers, ask for couplings and nozzles in brass, bronze or another non-sparking material.^[1][3][2]

Classification rules that reproduce the SOLAS II-2/10 wording (for example, Iranian Classification Society rules for mobile offshore drilling units) require fire hoses of approved non-perishable material, at least 10 m long but not more than 15 m in machinery spaces, 20 m in other spaces and open decks, and 25 m on open decks of units wider than 30 m; standard nozzle sizes of 12, 16 and 19 mm; approved dual-purpose (spray/jet) nozzles with a shut-off; and a hose for every hydrant.^[4]

US rules (46 CFR 95.10-10) require each hydrant to have at least one length of hose, a spanner wrench and a hose rack, the hose to be kept connected to the outlet except on exposed decks in heavy weather, and a combination solid-stream and water-spray nozzle approved under subpart 162.027.^[3]

Canadian rules set a minimum hose diameter of 38 mm, with all hoses of the same diameter except smaller interior hoses for easier handling, require non-sparking nozzles, couplings and fittings on tankers, and require stowage that lets the hose run out without tangling.^[2]

For fishing vessels under the Torremolinos Convention, hoses must be long enough to reach any space where they may be needed with a maximum length of 20 m, with nozzle sizes of 12, 16 and 19 mm, and as many hoses as hydrants plus one spare.^[5]