There are several types of hose designed specifically for the fire service. Those designed to operate under positive pressure are called discharge hoses; they include: attack hose, supply hose, relay hose, forestry hose, and booster hose. Those designed to operate under negative pressure are called suction hoses.
How do you size a fire hose?
The general rule that most firefighters can remember is small fire equals small water and big fire equals big water. Small water refers to your basic 1½- or 1¾-inch hoselines; the big water refers to the 2½-inch hoseline. With a 1½-inch nozzle, the average water delivery rate can be between 150 to 200 gpm.Jul 25, 2020