Great video for November's Hose management training. 

Here is an example for use in your hands on training this month for hose movement. Remember: Flowing and Moving is a technique used in specific scenarios. We are not advocating that you get down low and utilize this technique for every fire. This is A TOOL for your toolbox. You may need this technique when faced with a push situation where you cannot stop and flow, especially when you're advancing for life and saves. 

Practicing without flowing is key, and yes there are instances that you do not want to be down on your knees (where there are high probabilities of needles, etc.). 

Sometimes we are pushed down. When we are pushed down, we can usually improve our visibility. Visibility is key! Get out there and move some hose!

​Moving Hose Smart and Strong

Advancing a charged fire hose is one of the toughest jobs on the fireground. It takes strength, endurance, and smart body mechanics to move the line efficiently while conserving energy. The key is to use your larger muscle groups, not just your arms.

Start low and stay balanced. Keep your back straight, your core tight, and drive with your legs. Use your hips and body weight to push the hose forward instead of pulling with your arms. Work in short, controlled movements, pulling a section toward you, then advancing your body and the hose together.

Always communicate with your crew. The nozzle firefighter should lead with control while the backup firefighter feeds hose smoothly to prevent kinks or bunching. Every member of the line should move with a purpose and support each other’s progress.

Training should build real-world strength and technique. Practice in limited gear and the in full gear, simulate advancing charged lines through doors, around obstacles, and up stairs. Focus on movement, coordination, and endurance more than brute force.

Five Key Techniques

Stay low and drive from your legs.

Keep your core tight and your back straight.

Advance in short, smooth sections.

Communicate clearly with your crew.

Train for movement, control, and endurance.

REMEMBER: 
Hose advancement is not about strength alone. It is about technique, teamwork, and control. When firefighters use their larger muscles and proper form, they move the line faster, safer, and with less fatigue. Remember that if you are struggling with advancing lines, then you MUST get out and train more! Technique! Technique! Technique!

Again guys, THIS IS A TOOL! We don't advocate for always flowing and moving! In fact, most of your hoseline movement and management will not include flowing and moving, but you need this as a tool in the toolbag! GET AFTER IT! Be about it! WE are here for THEM!

Comella Techniqe Explained. Use this for November's Hose Management Training (HANDS-ON)

Using Your Power: Leveraging Larger Muscles for Effective Hose Advancement

Advancing a charged fire hose is one of the most physically demanding tasks on the fireground. How efficiently a fireman moves hose through a structure or across terrain can make the difference between a smooth, coordinated attack and a chaotic struggle. One of the key elements to success is understanding and using your body’s larger muscle groups - not just brute force or arm strength. I have mentioned it before multiple times, there is no substitute for working smarter and not harder. You have a brain for a reason!

1. The Power of Mechanics Over Muscle

When you rely on your arms alone to pull hose, you quickly burn out. The arms are designed for control and guidance - not for sustained pulling or pushing power. The real strength comes from your legs, hips, and core.

Legs provide the drive and forward momentum.

Hips stabilize your movements and allow you to "walk" the hose forward. (Have you seen or performed this?)

Core muscles support posture and help transfer power efficiently from your lower body to your upper body.

Think of hose advancement like pushing a weighted sled in the gym - you’re using your legs to drive and your core to stabilize, not just yanking with your arms.

2. Staying Low and Stable

The lower you get, the more control and leverage you gain. Staying in a crouched or kneeling position keeps your center of gravity low, reduces fatigue, and allows your legs to do the heavy work. It also improves visibility under the smoke layer and provides better nozzle control.
When moving the line forward, lean into your legs, not your shoulders. Keep your back straight and move with a rhythm that allows consistent, powerful pushes rather than short, choppy jerks (and make sure your communication mirrors this within your team).

3. Using the "Pull and Crawl" Technique

One efficient method is the pull and crawl or reach and slide technique:

Pull a loop or section of hose toward you using a controlled arm motion.

Slide forward on your knees or in a crouch, using your legs to advance your body and the hose together.

Reset and repeat.
This method keeps your movements fluid and prevents overexertion in your upper body. 
Just don't crawl like an infant! 

4. Coordinating With Your Crew

Teamwork amplifies efficiency. Communicate clearly - especially when moving around corners or through obstacles. When the nozzle team advances, the backup firemans should help "feed" hose in smooth sections, using their body weight and legs to move larger loops forward instead of dragging hose by hand. This translates into moving hose back out of a structure as well, however, remember DO NOT PULL THE HOSE OFF THE GROUND!

5. Training for Functional Strength

Building strength for hose advancement isn’t about lifting the heaviest weight; it’s about functional movement:

Practice sled pushes or drags, simulating hose advancement.

Incorporate core stability and leg endurance exercises like squats, lunges, and planks.

Train in full gear periodically to condition your body for the realistic demands of the job.

6. Technique Over Force

There’s no single perfect way to move a hose - conditions, building layout, and especially our limited staffing all play a role in this. The important thing is to use good body mechanics and efficient muscle engagement. Technique, not brute strength, keeps you moving effectively and reduces fatigue and injury risk.

Key Takeaway

Advancing hose isn’t just about power - it’s about smart power. By relying on your larger muscle groups, maintaining good posture, and using deliberate, coordinated techniques, you’ll conserve energy, move more efficiently, and perform better under pressure.

Remember: this is A WAY to move hose effectively - not THE WAY. Every fireman and every situation is different, but solid fundamentals and sound mechanics are universal to good fireground performance. You can choose which fireman you want to be.



Click the link below for a video demonstration of utilizing your big muscles for your benefit: https://youtube.com/shorts/4LuT8mIjYjM?si=OsBkJXn9xe1sl250


​

Advancing the Attack Line through Obstacles - A Training Discussion
In the video we see a team advancing a charged attack line through a structure, negotiating obstacles, changing directions, and managing the hose as they move toward the fire seat. This presents some excellent points for discussion - as well as important caveats. The technique shown is a way to advance lines around obstacles - but it should not be taken as the only way. Every fireground environment, every building layout, every fire behavior scenario will demand judgment, adaptation, and best practices.


Strong Points from the Video

1. Proactive hose management: The crew is consciously managing the line as they advance - avoiding kinks, avoiding entanglement, and anticipating restriction points (doorways, halls, changes in elevation). That sort of forward thinking helps prevent unexpected delays or nozzle control issues.
   
2. Team movement and coordination: The lead firefighter advances with the nozzle and sets the pace; the backup or second firefighter supports the line, monitors slack, and ensures the line is ready to follow. Good teamwork makes the advancement smoother and safer.
   
3. Obstacle awareness: The video emphasizes that when the line must pass around, over, or through obstacles (furniture, debris, narrow doorways, stairs) the team slows slightly, repositions the hose as needed, and doesn’t attempt to "force" a move without rearranging hose or bodies. That patience and careful approach reduce the chance of sudden hose damage or nozzle loss of control.
   
4. Continuous nozzle readiness: Even while negotiating the obstacles, the nozzle remains ready to flow. The crew advances with water flowing (or poised to flow) toward the hazard. This means when they reach the hazard zone, they’re not delayed by hose positioning or nozzle hookups.
   
5. Awareness of environment and compartmentation: The team monitors the layout - hallways, doorways, potential pinch points - and chooses a path that maintains the best possible line progression, rather than simply charging blindly straight in.
   

Important Emphasis: Keep Low, Especially as You AdvanceOne of the most critical points for safe and effective hose advancement is the position of the crew relative to the fire and environment. As visibility decreases (smoke thickness increases, hot gases rise, and the neutral plane moves down) the need for low profile becomes paramount.

• Staying low helps you remain in the cooler gases near the floor, avoid super-heated layers at ceiling level, reduce radiant heat exposure, and maintain better visibility.
  
• As you get closer to the fire seat, the thermal conditions often worsen: ceiling collapse potential, flashover zones, rollover. That means the lower you position yourself, the safer and more effective your advance tends to be.
  
• In the video the crew maintains a forward posture and manages the line, but we should emphasize that in real conditions the occupants of the nozzle team should actively pick the lowest safe path available - slide the body forward, maintain contact with the floor when visibility drops, and watch for tripping hazards.
  
• Especially in upper levels or multistory buildings: heat, smoke, and super-heated gases collect upward. As crews go higher or deeper into the structure, the "ceiling layer" may become dangerously unstable or the smoke layer may drop lower. Advancing low gives you more time and better control to react.
  
  THERE IS NO REASON YOU SHOULD BE STANDING IN SMOKE IF THERE IS VISIBILITY AT A LOWER POINT. GET DOWN!
  
  
  

A Way - But Not The WayIt’s important to stress that this video shows one method of advancing a charged line through obstacles. It should not be treated as the definitive tactic for all situations. Here are some caveats and alternative considerations:

• Every building is different (layout, construction type, fire load, occupancy). What works in one scenario may not suit another.
  
• The obstacle types may vary: e.g., heavy furniture, partitions, stairs, attic spaces, structural compromise, collapsed floor sections. Crews may need to pre-plan, reposition additional backup lines, or choose alternate paths.
  
• Water supply, nozzle size, hose diameter/length, and crew size all influence how you advance. A method for a 1¾" attack line in a small compartment may not translate to a 2½" (or our 2 1/4") line in a large open-floor building.
  
• Ventilation, fire growth stage, smoke movement, and occupant risk all may demand modification: you may need a slower advance, more frequent resets of hose placement, or even a defensive approach until interior conditions improve.
  
• The method of advancing around obstacles may differ (e.g., retreating and resetting vs. pushing through) depending on conditions. Use of "jump-over", housekeeping, repositioning of lines, and good communications - none of these are shown in detail in the video but must be part of your training.
  
  
  

Integrating the Drill into Your Training

• Run the video for your crew and pause at key moments to ask: where is the nozzle, where is the backup? How is the line being managed? What happens when they hit the obstacle?
  
• After viewing, have the crew practice the same scenario - introduce furniture, doorways, stair transitions, and debris - and coach them on low-profile posture, line management, and obstacle anticipation.
  
• Emphasize the "stay low" rule: designate a "floor-finger" awareness moment in the drill - every time visibility drops, get lower, keep hand contact with the floor (or maintain sliding posture) until you regain a clear layer of vision or are past the hazard.
  
  
• Make sure when you are performing this hands-on to remember that communication is key (Remember the "Bump-Up", "Stop" "Left" and "Right" signal words that we use).
  
• Debrief: What went well? Where did line management slip? How could they have maintained better slack control or repositioned the line sooner? What alternative routes or tactics might we choose in a different building?
  
• Make sure to incorporate build-on tasks: once the line is advanced beyond the obstacle, what next? Stretch to the fire room? Flow water? Hit a fire seat? Deal with fire extension? This ensures the drill doesn’t stop at “just get past obstacle” but continues the offensive push.
  
  
  

SummaryThe video "Moving the Attack Line: Obstacles" offers a strong demonstration of moving a charged hose line through structural obstacles while maintaining nozzle readiness and team coordination. It is a useful training tool and highlights key principles: hose management, obstacle navigation, and team movement. However, we should use it as one of many tools in our training arsenal - not as the single accepted method. Most importantly, we reinforce the rule: as you advance toward the fire seat, go low - lower and lower as conditions worsen - to maintain safety, visibility, and control. Incorporate this into your training, tailor the scenario to your building inventory, your hose-line sizes, and your crew capabilities, and you’ll enhance your offensive line advancement skill set.

By Brandon Lane

Check it out!