Excerpts from jsonline.com:
The Oak Creek Fire Department (WI) has a a training dummy made out of old rubber fire hose that they’ve named HOSE-A. While this is the first hose mannequin in Oak Creek, the idea isn’t isn’t original and came from a fire department in Arizona.
About 300 feet of rubber fire hose was utilized to make HOSE-A.
When hose was slated to be retired, the department brainstormed ideas how to utilize it for training and the idea of creating a dummy was proposed. Typical training dummies cost about $1,500, are full of sand and more rigid. HOSE-A weighs a little over 100 pounds but air bottles can be added to increase the weight, if needed. A pediatric-size dummy will be constructed along with possibly another adult-sized dummy.
The department plans to dress him up for community events, and kids will also be able to take the pediatric dummy through an obstacle course.
The fire department is also working with the Oak Creek Police Department and school district to possibly utilize segments of old fire hose to save lives during a mass shooting — specifically in schools. Pieces of fire hose fit onto pistons that operate most modern doors. Placing the thick rubber hose on the arms of the piston like a sleeve prevents the doors from opening. The fire department is figuring out how many different types of doors this idea will work to secure and is hoping to incorporate the hose into lockdown drills.
“In an active shooter situation, a teacher can slide this hose over the piston,” Firefighter Aaron Krukowski said. The goal is to have the hose in place for the start of the 2022-23 school year.
