The Westwood Fire Company conducted fire hose testing contracted through a third party company. The purpose of fire hose testing is to provide a reasonable level of safety for users of fire hose and a reasonable degree of assurance that the hose, coupling assemblies, appliances, and nozzles will perform as designed.

Fire hose testing is conducted regularly and is required by NFPA 1962, Standard for the Care, Use, Inspection, Service Testing, and Replacement of Fire Hose, Couplings, Nozzles, and Fire Hose Appliances. In conjunction with hose testing, our ladders and water pumps will also be tested to ensure compliance with federal guidelines.

A lot of cost associated with a fire department is meeting standards for safety and health that are beyond our control but require us to meet for liability purposes. It is essential we follow these guidelines for the safety of our personnel and community members. We would rather a large diameter hose burst during a test of its maximum pressure then on a fire scene causing injury to our people or community members.