Nozzles control the flow, velocity and direction of water that we use to fight fires. Firefighters need to know everything about the nozzle that they have on their hose. This includes not only whether push or pull opens the bale but also which nozzle can achieve a straight stream and which delivers a wide fog spray.

Fire fighting nozzle are important because the right nozzle can help firefighters extinguish a fire more quickly and effectively. The nozzle provides the proper shape, flow and pattern of water to penetrate burning structures and stop the chemical reaction that causes fires by removing oxygen from a flame’s fuel sources. Nozzles also determine how far, and how fast, water moves and how deep it penetrates a burning structure to cool and extinguish its fuel.

Regardless of the type of firefighting nozzle a crew has on their hose, a crew should consider its expected gallonage at rated pressure, personnel availability, and patterns needed before making a decision about which nozzle to pair with their hose. Some nozzles offer constant gallonage at a specific orifice size while others, such as automatic nozzles, allow firefighters to select a straight stream or a fog spray at a given nozzle pressure, optimizing reach in low water flows.

The National Fire Protection Association has guidelines for spray nozzles that dictate how nozzles must be constructed. These standards, written in NFPA 1964: Standard for Spray Nozzles, also create how much water a firefighting nozzle can produce at its rated pressure. fire fighting nozzle