“Tastes Great … Less Filling”

BY BOBBY HALTON

One of the best old beer commercials used to feature a group of guys yelling at one another, "Tastes great," and another group of guys responding, "Less filling." The brilliance of the commercial was that it got both points about the beer across to you, that it was great tasting and less filling. For many years in the fire service, articles and panels featured debates much like the "tastes great/less filling" commercial. Some of them still go on today—for example, the smooth bore vs. fog nozzle saga. Firefighters on one side scream "penetration and flow," and firefighters on the other side scream "versatility and heat protection."

The reality is that both nozzles and other types have a place in the American fire service. Based on their design, they are well-suited to different types of fires and different conditions. The smooth bore is obviously a critical component of pre-1993 standpipe operations, as that standpipe was designed for a 100-foot, 2½-inch handline used with a 11⁄8-inch tip flowing 250 gallons per minute. The fog nozzle is a wonderful tool, especially if you have to approach a blowing gas line to reach a valve. So both nozzles have their place on every engine, and it should be up to the intelligent, well-trained, and skillful firefighter to know when to use the right tool at the right time.