A fundamental concern of first-due fire suppression companies is ensuring that doors do not pinch the hose. If a door swings shut over the line during interior operations, it will ultimately reduce, if not entirely eliminate, water flow; make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to advance the nozzle; and potentially trap firefighters and occupants. This is a concern to engine companies, especially those companies that practice dry line stretches to the immediate fire area.
Should this happen, there are a number of remedies. Some companies may roll the hose over itself and apply pressure downward, reducing the pressure enough to kick the hose free. Others may remove the door entirely; this not recommended, since you may need to control that door later. Another solution is for the company to radio the engineer to gate down the line until the problem is eliminated. Although each of these methods is effective, they all delay suppression efforts and put the engine company at risk of being burned while waiting for water.
The point is that any door the hose passes through must be chocked to ensure the door stays ajar, which is critical to a smooth and quick knockdown. A simple solution is to place wedges in the doors as you encounter them and make a steady forward push. However, since firefighters sometimes act like bulls in a china shop, disregarding finesse as they plow through whatever is in their way, including the partially open, chocked door through which the line passes, the effectiveness of the wedge may become compromised.
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