WVFD highlights benefits of newer technology

Published 4:00 pm Saturday, January 18, 2025

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The Windsor Volunteer Fire Department has been benefiting over the last several months from the receipt of newer technology and is seeking to update more of its equipment as early as this spring.

WVFD Public Information Officer Walter Bernacki said the department has applied for a grant to replace some outdated fire nozzles and a fire hose.

He noted that the nozzles are around 24 to 25 years old, and the hose is approximately 15 to 20 years old. 

He indicated that the fact that this equipment has age to it is important, but so too is the fact that it represents less advanced technology compared to what is currently available.

“A lot of these hose companies in the last few years, with newer materials and things available, have produced some better quality hoses that reduce friction loss and provide for what they call lower pressure operation,” Bernacki said. “So a lot of the newer nozzles coming out by these nozzle manufacturers are what they call low-pressure nozzles, which means that they can flow just as much if not more water at a lower pressure when matched with this newer-style hose, which the advantage to fire departments and members in the fire departments is you can flow just as much if not more water with less nozzle reaction.”

He explained that nozzle reaction refers to the movement of the nozzle in the hand of the one holding it due to the water flowing through it. 

“Whenever you can reduce that (reaction), obviously it reduces fatigue, reduces the chance for injury, because in case that nozzle reaction was real high, you don’t want it flying out of your hand, because then you have basically a deadly weapon,” he said. “That thing’s whipping around under that pressure and can hit people or equipment and stuff like that and do some damage.”

He noted that WVFD members tested newer nozzles and hoses, and they were impressed with the difference in pump discharge pressure, which could be reduced, creating a positive chain reaction.

“Now you don’t have to run the pump or the engine as hard to get the same or greater volume, which means that it reduces maintenance, increases life of the pump and the engine and transmission because you’re not running it as hard,” Bernacki said. “So there’s a lot of new technologies out there, and we’re looking at those.”

He indicated that the WVFD is aiming to fund the new nozzles and hose through the Virginia Department of Fire Programs Mini-Grant. He said that last he heard, final decisions on recipients of the grant are supposed to be made by February.

“So if we hear by sometime in February, if we get approved for it, once we place the order, we would probably have everything within a month, I’m guessing, roughly,” he said. “So if we were awarded the grant, those items would probably be received and in service by April/May.”

WVFD is currently benefiting from newer technology received in late summer/early fall of 2024.

Bernacki said that at least in part through a grant, Isle of Wight County replaced all the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) in the county.

“We went to a little bigger SCBA cylinder with a little more cubic-feet-per-minute capacity, which means the firefighters can stay in the fire a little longer and it didn’t really add too much extra weight,” he said. “It added a little bit of weight, but if you can compare it to how much more time you could spend in the fire to assist with either rescue or extinguishment, it was a benefit.”

He later said, “We’ve been using those for the last several months and (with) really good results and feedback from the members of the department, at least our department. They really like them.”