pPeople watching the Volunteer and Career firefighters from Purcellville pitch together to conduct the annual testing of all of Station 602s fire hoses might think of the strong American tradition of communal work. It was in some ways reminiscent of a barn raining where friends and neighbors come together to accomplish what one person cant. As they say many hands make lighter work.ppIn this instance fourteen Volunteer firefighters under the direction of Chief Bob Dryden were joined by the five B shift Career firefighters under Capt Kelly Williams for some serious manual labor on Thursday 24 September. It involved 11350 feet or nearly 38 football fields of hose. These nineteen men and women worked from 730AM – 3PM helping a contractor lay out the hoses charge them to the manufactures suggested water pressure and then closely look at each for mildew rot cuts burns and abrasions. All of this was to verify that no delamination or separation was seen which then allowed the contractor to certify them in compliance with a National Fire Protection Association NFPA standard. This standard helps insure that our equipment is ready to fight fires and also to protect the lives and property of those in peril including firefighters themselves. ppAnd just as before you couldnt tell who was a volunteer and who was paid staff as everyone pitched in to drain roll and repack the hoses on to the apparatus. Remarkable teamwork and teambuilding all around.nbspbrppp
Annual Hose Testing
