Lookingglass Rural Fire District has successfully completed annual service testing of all structural and wildland fire hose maintained by the district.

In total, LRFD personnel tested:

• 10,700 feet of structural fire hose
• 4,500 feet of wildland fire hose
• 15,200 feet of hose overall — nearly three miles

This project was made possible in large part through the Oregon State Fire Marshal Staffing Grant, which has provided LRFD with additional personnel during the summer staffing period.

While improved emergency response is one of the most visible benefits of the staffing grant, the additional personnel also allow the district to complete important preventative maintenance, equipment inspections, training, and readiness projects that can be difficult to accomplish in a primarily volunteer organization.

Maintaining Emergency Response Capability During Testing

Testing more than 15,000 feet of fire hose required careful planning because LRFD still needed to maintain fully operational apparatus capable of responding to emergency calls throughout the process.

Crews could not simply remove an entire hose load from an engine or tender and leave that apparatus without adequate hose while testing was completed.

Instead, personnel worked through each apparatus in stages. Approximately half of an apparatus hose load was removed, inspected, service tested, and reloaded before crews removed the remaining hose and repeated the process.

Although this method required additional time and labor, it ensured that LRFD did not unnecessarily place an apparatus out of service during the testing process.

Significant Cost Savings for the District

Completing the testing with LRFD personnel also provided a substantial financial benefit.

Based on recent professional fire hose testing rates in Oregon, contracting the testing of LRFD's 15,200 feet of hose could have cost approximately $3,600 to more than $6,200, depending on the contractor and the services included.

For a small rural fire district, avoiding several thousand dollars in outside testing expenses allows limited district funding to remain available for other operational needs, including equipment, training, personal protective equipment, apparatus maintenance, and emergency response.

Why Annual Hose Testing Matters

Fire hose operates under demanding conditions and is repeatedly exposed to high pressure, abrasion, dirt, pavement, vegetation, weather, repeated loading and unloading, and the physical stresses associated with emergency operations and training.

Regular inspection and service testing help personnel identify problems such as leaks, damaged hose jackets, weakened sections, defective couplings, and other issues before the hose is needed during an emergency.

A hose failure on the fireground can directly affect firefighter safety and the ability of crews to deliver adequate water to control a fire. Maintaining and testing hose is therefore an important part of keeping LRFD's apparatus and personnel prepared for emergency operations.

Another Benefit of the OSFM Staffing Grant

The OSFM Staffing Grant has provided LRFD with more than additional personnel available to answer emergency calls. It has also provided the staffing capacity necessary to accomplish major readiness projects while continuing to protect the community.

With 15,200 feet of structural and wildland hose successfully tested, LRFD personnel have completed another significant annual maintenance project while keeping apparatus available for emergency response throughout the process.

Projects like this demonstrate how additional staffing directly supports LRFD's operational readiness, financial stewardship, and ability to provide dependable emergency services to the Lookingglass community.