Fire hose reel overview
A fire hose reel is a particularly effective firefighting tool in the early stages of a fire. Its ability to quickly deploy the hose and spray water makes it an indispensable partner for firefighters. It is ingeniously composed of multiple components, including valves, inlet lines, reels, hoses, and spray nozzles, each playing a crucial role.
Installation site specifications
Shops and Refuge Floors
According to current national standards and regulations, fire hose reels are typically installed outside shops on both sides of pedestrian streets. According to Clause 5.3.6-8 of the Chinese Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings GB50016-2014 (2018 edition), a DN65 fire hydrant, equipped with a fire hose reel or fire hose, should be installed every 30 meters outside shops on both sides of pedestrian streets. Simultaneously, automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire alarm systems should be installed inside the shops to ensure rapid response in the event of a fire. Furthermore, automatic sprinkler systems are required in the corridors of each floor to ensure the safety of personnel and property.
Refuge floors, on the other hand, must be arranged according to Clause 7.1.15-3 of the General Code for Fire Protection of Buildings GB55037-2022. They must be equipped with fire elevator exits, fire hydrants, fire hose reels, fire extinguishers, dedicated fire telephone lines, and emergency broadcast systems to ensure rapid evacuation and timely rescue in emergencies. The refuge room must also be equipped with necessary facilities such as fire hose reels.
Buildings Not Requiring Indoor Fire Hydrants
According to the relevant provisions of the Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings GB50016-2014 (2018 Edition), certain types of buildings may not require indoor fire hydrant systems. These buildings typically have a low fire risk or have already implemented other effective fire protection measures. However, even in these cases, other fire protection facilities such as fire extinguishers and fire hose reels should still be provided as required by the code to ensure the safety of people inside the building.
8.2.2 Buildings or premises that meet the requirements of Clause 8.2.1 of this code may not require indoor fire hydrant systems unless otherwise specified. However, to ensure fire safety, it is recommended that these buildings or premises be equipped with fire hose reels or portable fire hoses.
Petrochemical Facilities
According to Section 8.6.4 of the Petrochemical Enterprise Fire Protection Design Standard GB50160-2008 (2018 Edition), fire hose reels should be installed near heating furnaces, Class A gas compressors, pumps and heat exchange equipment whose medium temperature exceeds the auto-ignition point, and oil pump rooms with a length of less than 30m in process units. The protection radius should ideally be 20m.
Similarly, indoor fire hydrants should be installed on each floor of the extrusion granulation plant in petrochemical enterprises, and equipped with fire hose reels or portable fire hoses to ensure fire safety.
Power and Transportation Facilities
In nuclear power plants, according to the conventional fire protection design code GB50745-2012, standardized fire hydrant boxes should be used and equipped with self-rescue fire hoses. Fire hose reels should be equipped with 20m or 25m long fire hoses with an inner diameter of 19mm, and direct-flow spray mixing nozzles.
In subway design, according to Section 7.3.5-4 of the subway fire protection design standard GB51298-2018, except in underground sections, fire hydrant boxes must be equipped with fire hoses, nozzles, and fire hose reels to ensure efficient firefighting capabilities.
Other Important Buildings
In hospital design, fire hose reels should be installed at nurse stations. In clean operating rooms, if indoor fire hydrants are not installed, fire hose reels and other fire extinguishing equipment should be provided. Fire hose reels should also be installed in logistics buildings to ensure fire safety. For civil airport terminals, the spacing between indoor fire hydrants should not exceed 30 meters, and the effective water jet height of the nozzles must be at least 13.0 meters.
Summary
From shops to petrochemical plants, from power facilities to public transportation hubs, and even hospitals, logistics centers, and civil buildings, fire hose reels provide safety in a flexible yet efficient way through standardized installation locations and configurations.
