Repurposed Fire Hoses Used to Enhance School Safety

Repurposed Fire Hoses Used to Enhance School Safety

Firefighters are repurposing their outdated fire hoses, which normally would be recycled, into something that can be used to prevent intruders from entering classrooms.

A fire department in Arizona has sparked a new idea to help schools with their safety.

Rio Rancho firefighter Aaron McDevitt said after he learned of the Glendale Fire Department taking their old fire hoses and repurposing them into door sleeves for classrooms, he wants to do the same for his school district, reported KOB 4.

For the last 10 months, firefighters from the Rio Rancho Fire Department have been cutting up old fire hoses to be used for door sleeves. Each hose equates to about 50 door sleeves.

“We have to test these fire hoses,” explained McDevitt. “And if they fail the different parameters, then they're out of service and we can't use them anymore.”

As of September, they have made about 700. The sleeves are slipped over the door hinge so the door cannot open.

“Not be able to let someone in on a lockdown or shelter in place,” said Rio Rancho Public Schools Director of Safety and Security, Mike Padilla. “I would think that they would feel a little bit safer. Knowing that they're able to do that and secure their room or their library room or whatever room they're in.”

Padilla said the sleeves are now a part of the school district’s safety plan. Currently, the elementary schools do not have them, but Padilla said they are next.

The fire department said as of now they are out of hoses to cut.

The Ambridge Fire Department in Pennsylvania has also been repurposing its fire hoses after they saw how the west coast firefighters were using them to enhance safety at schools.

"It's a unique concept we saw was going on on the West Coast, and we thought it could be done here," Borough Manager Kauer told the Beaver County Times. "The assistant fire chief and fire chief met with Josh (Jones at the school district) and did test runs. It got the support of the superintendent."

Kauer said the fire department will always try and help the school district mitigate any risks to students and faculty.

"It comes down to a very simple concept," Kauer said. "We're a community. We're one and the same. It's for the citizens; they're the ones going to the school and frequenting the schools. We're looking out for the citizens."

About the Author

Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Securing Higher Education: Combating Enrollment Fraud and Empowering Student Financial Success

    Higher education institutions are facing a costly and growing crisis: enrollment fraud. Between 2020 and 2022, the cost[1] of acquiring a new student surged by up to 32%, straining already tight budgets. At the same time, “ghost students” using stolen identities to enroll fraudulently put institutions at even greater financial risk. Read Now

  • How Composable Security Technologies Fortify Campus Safety

    Campus security teams have faced myriad risks threatening the safety and well-being of students and faculty this semester. Leaders have made tough tradeoffs about where to focus and how to channel limited resources to best protect their communities — but they now have a much-needed lift to their toolkit. Read Now

  • How Emerging Technologies are Transforming the School Security Landscape

    Students can't focus on learning when they're worried about their safety. As education systems nationwide face evolving security challenges with limited resources, a new generation of integrated technology solutions is helping schools create safer environments while maximizing staff efficiency. Read Now

  • How to Harness ALPR for Greater Security Efficiency and Collaboration

    Within higher education campus environments, the demand for greater security, efficiency, and resources is ever-present. Many higher education teams are adopting advanced technologies to secure their campus, streamline operations, and continue to best serve their students and faculty. Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology stands out for its ability to meet a wide range of campus objectives. Read Now