National Standardization
"In a world of safety issues, it often takes a singular dramatic yet unfortunate event to bestow the social mindset with a conviction to enact change." - Putting Safety First by Grant Casy
Hose CouplingsHose couplings are connectors with interlocking parts to fuse hoses. When out-of-state firemen rushed to Baltimore during the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, their hose couplings would not join. Baltimore's hose couplings were not standardized, nor were any of the couplings in the United States at the time. After the fire, hose couplings were standardized and adapted by cities around the nation.
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In the Baltimore Fire:
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Standardization of Hose Couplings
"The lack of uniform threads is commonly cited as a factor in the massive destruction of the Great Baltimore Fire that started on Sunday afternoon, February 7th, 1904. The fire is believed to have been started by a cigar or cigarette that fell into the basement of the John Hurst & Company building [2]." -NISTR Report 7158, National Fire Protection Association |
Standardization of Hose CouplingsSegment from interview with retired fireman, Dave Balthis.
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