As part of our Monday night drill series, Bedford Fire members trained on our first due engine (Engine 110) at the Fox Lane Middle School with a 2 1/2 inch hose line.

This line is seldom used in the fire service, but is commonly found on most fire engines because it packs a big punch when a lot of water is needed to knock down heavy fire volume. The drawback is, when fully charged, the hose line can be heavy, awkward and requires a higher pressure (which makes it harder to control). But, hey, that's why we train.

Car 2041 led the drill, first reviewing the deployment of the line, single and two person operations, and tactics to advance the hose line. Car 2043 acted as the MPO, hooking Engine 110 into a pressurized hydrant (a rarity in our district), and fed our hose bed of 2 1/2 while members advanced the line up an exterior stair case, mimicking an interior attack.