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It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

Equip your team with proven firefighting hoses that are a cut above the rest

Reliable, durable, and easy-to-use equipment is crucial in the demanding world of forestry firefighting, especially during the current high and exceptionally dangerous wildfire season.

At NIEDNER, we pride ourselves on being the reference point for high-performance fire hoses in the forestry industry. Our primary goal is continuously improving and developing superior products to enhance firefighters’ safety and effectiveness. By providing top-quality hoses, we help fire crews protect their teams, local communities, and the environment.

Let’s explore what makes NIEDNER fire hoses truly stand out in the market.

Battling the elements: Forest firefighting challenges

The South Texas 2020 petrochemical plant incident
Forestry firefighters face numerous issues when dealing with wildfires, primarily involving efficient and safe water delivery to critical and strategic areas of ground fires, surface fires, crown fires or firebrands (spotting).

One of the main challenges is transporting water to specific locations to protect people, buildings, and the environment.

The water source is often far from where it is needed, so tough fire hoses must be used to bridge the gap. These forest fire hoses must be flexible and lightweight to allow easy handling and deployment in rugged terrains.

In addition, they need to offer minimal resistance to water flow and have a long lifespan to withstand the demanding conditions of wildfire operations, which can last weeks at a time.

Another huge problem for forestry firefighters is the use of high-pressure pumps. While essential for delivering water over long distances, these pumps can be dangerous. Safety precautions must be a top priority when firefighting teams operate this type of equipment, as the high pressure can pose risks to the firefighters. Proper training and the right fire hoses can mitigate potential hazards during their work.

These challenges highlight the importance of having high-performance, reliable fire hoses that meet the specific needs of forestry firefighters.

NIEDNER: Superior forest fire hoses

NIEDNER - Performance thanks to a long-standing partnership

Engineered and built to endure the extreme conditions of forestry firefighting, NIEDNER’s wildfire hoses provide consistent quality and reliable performance that cannot be matched by any other manufacturer in the industry. 

Renowned for exceeding industry standards, our fire hoses are very versatile, namely in extinguish hot ashes left after the fire, ensuring comprehensive coverage in firefighting efforts. Furthermore, they are kink-resistant, ensuring a steady flow of water without interruptions, and are easy to deploy, saving precious time in emergency situations.

Our ALTRA 187 and ALTRA 18711 fire hoses, certified according to the USDA standard 5100-187C, are the most common choice among firefighting teams. NIEDNER’s FOREXFLO fire hoses are also highly regarded for their quality and lightness, making them a favourite among forest firefighters. Finally, our ALTRA FORTEX and ALTRA REEL fire hoses are much appreciated as they are consistently used to feed high-pressure pumps.

With a some service pressures of up to 300 PSI, NIEDNER’s forest fire hoses tick all the boxes when it comes to tackling wildfires of any size and nature. They give forest firefighters the confidence and hassle-free handling they need in the field.

Collaborative excellence with NIEDNER and WASP WILDFIRE

NIEDNER - Performance thanks to a long-standing partnership
WASP WILDFIRE, a leading supplier of wildfire protection products to provincial authorities, fire departments, First Nations, and contractors throughout North America, has been relying on NIEDNER hoses for the past three years. This partnership spans operations throughout Western Canada and California.

The company’s fleet of rental Type 2 Structure Protection Units, which operate under contract with British Columbia Wildfire Services, uses NIEDNER’s Altra Forestry hoses in various lengths and sizes.

The decision to switch to NIEDNER hoses has significantly boosted WASP’s customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

According to WASP representatives, customers immediately notice the fire hoses’ superior quality, kink resistance, and ease of rolling after use. WASP has also noted that NIEDNER’s products consistently perform to higher standards than other premium brands made in North America. For example, NIEDNER hoses meet and exceed all specifications and expectations when it comes to wildfire suppression and structure protection.

NIEDNER’s impeccable customer service and shorter delivery times provide a significant advantage during busy wildfire seasons when additional hose supplies are often required.

Due to nearly non-existent warranty issues and hose failures, the NIEDNER team often hears that our forestry fire hoses are “the best hoses on the market!”

Taking the power of partnerships one step further

NIEDNER - Performance thanks to a long-standing partnership

To further help the wildfire community even more, NIEDNER has also partnered with NewView Oklahoma, a non-profit organization that empowers people who are blind or have low vision, maximizing their independence through all stages of life. This tight collaboration has been instrumental in supplying forestry hoses to combat forest fires under a contract with the American government, while also providing accessible jobs to individuals living with vison loss. NewView praises the consistent quality of our products, and we value their unwavering commitment to delivering top-of-the-line finished products.

Through this partnership, NewView Oklahoma alone has shipped over a million hoses in the last 10 years, aiding the US Forest Service in protecting over a million acres of forest from devastating wildfires.

Through our partnerships with organizations like WASP WILDFIRE, SOPFEU, and NewView, we continue to support those on the front lines of wildfire suppression. Our joint initiatives have led to significant advancements in firefighting technology and reducing the devastating effects of wildfires.

If you’re looking for forest fire hoses with unrivalled reliability and performance, look no further than NIEDNER. Contact us today to learn more about how our products can make a difference in your wildfire management.

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MOST READ ON NIEDNER-ALTRA.COM

It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

Equip your team with proven firefighting hoses that are a cut above the rest Reliable, durable, and easy-to-use equipment is crucial in the demanding world of forestry firefighting, especially during the current high and exceptionally dangerous wildfire season. At...

read more
Unyielding under fire

Unyielding under fire

Williams Fire & Hazard Control and NIEDNER’s partnership stand up to multiple tests during Southeast Texas petrochemical plant fire When it comes to industrial incidents, equipment quality is not just about efficiency and performance—it's a matter of minimizing...

read more

NEED HELP?

Unyielding under fire

Unyielding under fire

Unyielding under fire

Williams Fire & Hazard Control and NIEDNER’s partnership stand up to multiple tests during Southeast Texas petrochemical plant fire

When it comes to industrial incidents, equipment quality is not just about efficiency and performance—it’s a matter of minimizing the devastating effects on the population, the environment, and all infrastructure. The Southeast Texas-based petrochemical plant fire in 2020 was a testament to the durability and reliability of NIEDNER hoses, which played a critical role in the emergency response executed partly by Williams Fire & Hazard Control.

Williams Fire & Hazard Control: An expert in emergency response

Since 1980, Williams Fire & Hazard Control has been a global leader in the emergency response sector. The company specializes in responding to land and marine-based flammable liquid fires with a record that speaks to the company’s expertise.

Daniel Clarke has been an integral part of Williams Fire & Hazard Control, serving as the Global Director for Emergency Response and Director of Sales for the Americas. With over three decades of service as a contractor and 11 as a direct employee, Daniel brings a wealth of seasoned experience to the team.

And it is thanks to his leadership, which was pivotal during the Southeast Texas petrochemical plant fire, where his strategic decision-making, his reliance on the expertise of his highly trained and motivated team and his crucial equipment selection led to a successful emergency response.

The South Texas 2020 petrochemical plant incident

The South Texas 2020 petrochemical plant incident

In 2020, an explosion occurred at a Texas-based petrochemical manufacturing company. Plant managers immediately contacted Williams Fire & Hazard Control to assist the in-house team in putting out multiple fires that had spread.

Handling the incident presented a challenge. Apart from managing several fires where extinguishing them outright was not an option due to the risk of chemical vapor release, the response required a nuanced approach, cooling and containing the fire without eliminating it immediately, necessitating the deployment of large-scale water curtains around the facility to contain the fire and protect the surrounding area.

Daniel’s team worked with another response team as the plan required a lot of equipment hoses. Together, they managed to deploy a water-shielding operation using NIEDNER’s manufactured 12-inch TAIGA 1200 hoses, capable of handling the low-pressure, high-volume pumps needed to flow 20-25,000 gallons of water per minute around the facility.

Niedner hoses: Put to the test…to the max

Williams Fire & Hazard Control’s response relied heavily on the NIEDNER hoses’ ability to handle extreme conditions. The hoses were crucial in setting up the water curtain, with their durability and performance ensuring that the operation could proceed uninterrupted. 

In two separate incidents, NIEDNER hoses demonstrated their superior durability. The first happened during a subsequent explosion that caused a massive 170-lb metal pole to fall on the hose, causing a jagged part to break off the pole and cutting a 2×2-inch hole into the hose.

“Water was shooting straight into the air, and because the whole town was evacuating, we had to wait before replacing the hose,” Daniel explains. “As we were waiting about 12-14 hours for everything to get in place, we were thinking that with such a massive hole in our hose, it’s just going to start tearing and tearing. But it never moved. As I kept checking every hour, it never tore any further, which was phenomenal. Even with the water shooting in the air, losing 250-300 gallons of water per minute, the water was still flowing through and getting where it had to be.”

No other hose on the market could have held this way. 

Daniel was equally astounded by the robustness of NIEDNER hoses in a second incident.

“At some point, we had a line running across the road. Big pumping diesel trucks were required because we had to fuel our pumps. One driver was trying to find a way around but was wearing breathing equipment and could not see very well. He backed up and hit the hose line, which was under full pressure,” Daniel recalls. “It was completely squished and scrapped under the carriage, and the full weight of the truck was completely on the line, grinding over it. The hose flattened like a pancake, and then boom, it popped right back up. Nothing happened.”  

“This was a stark contrast with what happened with another team on the other side of the facility, using another manufacturer’s product,” Daniel said. A truck driver also did not see the hose lying on the ground and bumped into it. “The hose was completely ripped apart.  That team was down for around four hours to replace the damaged hose. Water was everywhere,” he mentions.

“In the meantime, ours had been completely run over twice, but nothing happened; the water was still flowing just as it should. It was amazing; the hose was as sturdy as it could be.”

Performance thanks to a long-standing partnership

NIEDNER - Performance thanks to a long-standing partnership

Williams Fire & Hazard Control has a long-time partnership with Niedner, working together to ensure that hoses evolve with industry needs. 

Examples of this are the 7¼ DOUBLE 5 and 12-inch TAIGA 1200. Daniel mentions. “Things evolve in our field, with bigger tanks, more water, less hose lays. Niedner evolves with the industry. That is why we predominantly specify and use its hoses.” According to Daniel, Williams Fire & Hazard Control uses Niedner hoses for training as well as school and industrial weeks.

“You are not only getting fire hoses, but you’re also getting the whole team,” he adds. “We share our challenges with NIEDNER, and they work with us to develop a product that will meet the challenge. And they always stand up to the test of reliability, toughness, and ease of use.”

 The Southeast Texas petrochemical plant fire may have posed an exceptional challenge, but with Niedner hoses in their arsenal, Williams Fire & Hazard Control continues to prove that their response teams are prepared and equipped for anything.

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MOST READ ON NIEDNER-ALTRA.COM

It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

Equip your team with proven firefighting hoses that are a cut above the rest Reliable, durable, and easy-to-use equipment is crucial in the demanding world of forestry firefighting, especially during the current high and exceptionally dangerous wildfire season. At...

read more
Unyielding under fire

Unyielding under fire

Williams Fire & Hazard Control and NIEDNER’s partnership stand up to multiple tests during Southeast Texas petrochemical plant fire When it comes to industrial incidents, equipment quality is not just about efficiency and performance—it's a matter of minimizing...

read more

NEED HELP?

When a Hose Is Not Just a Hose

When a Hose Is Not Just a Hose

When a Hose Is Not Just a Hose

The Clavet Volunteer Fire Department serves Clavet, a small town located near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A team of volunteer and professional firefighters of different age groups provide critical support to the community during emergencies.

At the helm of the fire department is Mike Beamish. He is currently the department’s fire chief, firefighter, and sales representative of fire products.

Moving from working as an electronics designer to firefighting, he stepped into a role that had been part of his family history, following in his father’s footsteps, who had been a firefighter for 29 years.

Discovering NIEDNER: A game-changer for the Clavet Volunteer Fire Department

MIKE BEAMISH
Fire Chief, Firefighter, and Sales Representative of Fire Products

Mike became Clavet’s fire chief nearly four years ago. His encounter with NIEDNER was a turning point. “I hadn’t heard of NIEDNER before my time at a distributor for fire products,” he recalls. His discovery of NIEDNER’s ALTRA 3D hose at a trade show gave him pause as to the potential next-generation fire hoses could have on his team.

“Our team never used to be picky on fire hoses. When we needed new ones, we only based our criteria on availability and price,” he says. “At the time, a hose was just a hose.”

“However, we were facing significant delays and dealing with hose quality issues,” he explains. Mike says delivery timelines could span 20-24 months or more. “If it was more than a calendar year, it didn’t fit in our budget as we buy small quantities per year because of our small community,” he mentions.

Although the fire department was very cost-conscious, the low quality of many hoses was becoming a serious concern. “It’s great to have a low price, but we destroyed our hoses quickly. We wanted more quality.”

That’s when he decided to test the ALTRA 3D.

Testing NIEDNER hoses with the Clavet team reveals untapped possibilities

“Bringing the ALTRA 3D back to my crew for testing was when we really saw its potential,” Mike says, emphasizing the importance of practical, hands-on experience in evaluating firefighting equipment.

Describing the ALTRA 3D hose, Mike’s enthusiasm is evidently clear. “The flexibility, the maneuverability, the light weight, how it folds and gets back on the truck…It’s just nice to work with,” he says. This hose wasn’t just another tool but a game-changer in how his firefighters approached their job.

“As I said before, a hose is just a hose for most firefighters. But with ALTRA 3D, my team was very impressed at how it could make their job easier. My guys said, “Yeah, we really like it, and it’s easy to work with.”

The team noticed many other advantages of the ALTRA 3D hose. Mike indicates that the fire department has 2 primary engines, using 150-200 feet of hose for the supply lines and 150-200 feet of hose for the attack lines. When testing for the supply line, the ALTRA 3D hose was extremely durable as the team dragged it through the pavement. The ALTRA 3D was very reliable and easy to use for the attack line. “We didn’t notice any water hammer effect, and the hose did not kink at all,” Mike says.

A desire for better durability and reliability drove the decision to switch to NIEDNER. “When I can get more for less money, it’s an easy decision,” Mike states.

How Clavet leveraged NIEDNER’s customer service

Mike points to NIEDNER’s willingness to address the fire department’s needs, even if they ordered a small number of hoses each year.

“Color is important for my guys. Ten years ago, we decided all lines should be a different color to track the lines easily—and to know what goes where. Even our nozzles match the hose color. It’s foolproof. Because most firefighters are volunteers, we try to make it as simple for them as possible. “When we asked about different colors for the hoses, they came back to us quickly and delivered. That kind of support is invaluable,” he remarks.

The impact of ALTRA 3D hoses on the Clavet Volunteer Fire Department

The ALTRA 3D hoses have made a significant impact on the department’s operations. “It’s made our work easier, more efficient. We’re saving on our budget since we don’t need to buy hoses as often,” Mike observes. He also highlights the hose’s versatility:

“We use one attack line for everything—house fires, wildfires, car fires. It’s adaptable and fits all of our needs. The same applies to our supply line. It’s just a great price for the quality.”

The ALTRA 3D is also suitable for volunteer firefighters of all ages and physiques, making it easy to use across the board. Because the hose is so reliable and durable, the fire department was actually able to save on costs. “As a fire chief, the ALTRA 3D checked all the boxes. It says what it will do and does it.”

CATEGORIES
TAGS

MOST READ ON NIEDNER-ALTRA.COM

It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

It’s wildfire season. Are you ready?

Equip your team with proven firefighting hoses that are a cut above the rest Reliable, durable, and easy-to-use equipment is crucial in the demanding world of forestry firefighting, especially during the current high and exceptionally dangerous wildfire season. At...

read more
Unyielding under fire

Unyielding under fire

Williams Fire & Hazard Control and NIEDNER’s partnership stand up to multiple tests during Southeast Texas petrochemical plant fire When it comes to industrial incidents, equipment quality is not just about efficiency and performance—it's a matter of minimizing...

read more

NEED HELP?

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