The Fire Fighting water gun is an extremely useful tool for fire brigades and rescue teams around the world. They use the device to douse flames and other hazards from a safe distance, saving lives by reducing firefighters’ exposure to intense heat, toxic smoke and dangerous backdrafts.
Fire fighting water guns can be attached to a variety of vehicles and are also permanent installations in certain facilities that deal with highly flammable materials. They are typically powered by water at a high pressure, which allows them to dispense large volumes of water very quickly. The water jets can be shaped to target specific areas and are used for everything from water hosing down equipment to soaking entire warehouses.
Many people associate fire fighting water gun with water cannons that are commonly used to control crowds during protests and riots, but they can be used in the same way as a normal fire hose. The difference is that the firefighting water gun is mounted on a vehicle and can be aimed and operated by one person, while a standard fire hose is often controlled by a team of people.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, firefighters had very little in the way of technology to fight fires and save lives. They relied largely on bucket lines, where they passed buckets of water up to those at the front of the line. This was an effective method of putting out small fires, but it had severe limitations in terms of tackling bigger fires and controlling crowds.
The modern fire fighting water gun is more sophisticated and uses a series of pumps to generate an enormous amount of pressure. Some are kinetic pumps, which work like water wheels that turn with the power of gravity. Others use displacement pumps, with plungers or pistons pushing water through a pipe. Researchers in Russia are working on a more futuristic firefighting water gun that uses electromagnetic waves to move liquid.
A Fire Fighting water gun can pierce steel, concrete, brick and bulletproof glass before pelting the flames behind them with pressurized water. PyroLance, which developed the equipment, claims that it can puncture a double-brick wall or plywood in 30 seconds, a concrete block in 35 seconds and a sheet of aluminum in 10 seconds. The device also reportedly conserves water, as only about 10 percent of the typical pressure flow becomes run-off.
Firefighters are often forced to face difficult situations where they have to tackle a fire behind protective barriers. The PyroLance can get through such materials by delivering a three-millimeter hole in the barrier and then pelting it with water. It is being used by the Air Force and Navy, as well as some airports and fire services worldwide. The president of PyroLance has said that he finds it hard to convince firefighters that his product won’t put them out of a job, but he is determined to reduce their exposure to the dangers of fighting flames behind barriers.