The annual service testing of LDH appliances is an important part of a fire department's hose testing program. Whether done by fire department personnel or by a private vendor, service testing of LDH appliances is completed to ensure the safety and reliability of the device. NFPA 1962 provides a wide range of guidance on the care, use, inspection, and service testing of fire hose, nozzles, and appliances. During our travels we certainly find a wide range of LDH appliances in use - some quite old, some not; some in questionable condition, some not. The best practice is to conduct annual service testing on all LDH and to visually inspect and retest whenever an appliance is suspected to have suffered damage - such as being dropped off the back step of a pumper, or dragged down the road during a hose lay. While there have been a limited number of catastrophic failures of LDH appliances, no one wants to be around when such a failure does occur.

For more information on service testing LDH appliances, take some time to review the current edition of NFPA 1962 or contact a professional hose testing company.