Rubber-coated hoses are used as supply hoses since they will move large amounts of water and do not need to withstand high pressures (NFPA Standard,1962).
Until the mid-19th century, most fires were fought by water transported to the scene in buckets. Original hand pumpers discharged their water through a small pipe or monitor attached to the top of the pump tub.
It was not until the late 1860s that hoses became widely available to convey water more easily from the hand pumps, and later steam pumpers, to the fire.
The 100 mm diameter hose is typically used as a supply source that would bring water from a hydrant to a port located on a fire truck. Water would travel to the tank and then pumped out to various smaller diameter attack lines used to extinguish a fire. Other uses include attachment to ground monitors that will place large amounts of water onto a structure fire.
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