Fire Department Storz Connection - What is it and How is it Used?

A fire department storz connection is a type ofown specific 2½" fire hose thread. If a large
fire department connection that is normally usedfire broke out, they may not be able to rely on
with firefighters' large diameter hose (LDH). It hassurrounding municipalities to help out because
one major characteristic, however, that differsanother city's hoses would simply not match up
from other types of fire department connectionswith New York's fire department connections. The
-- there are no threads. The hose is attached touse of storz would eliminate this problem.
the connection with interlocking hooks and flanges.The fire department storz connection was
There are two main benefits to this type ofinvented in Europe in the late 1800's by Carl
fitting. One being that the connection betweenAugust Guido Storz. Shortly thereafter, it became
hose and storz is quick. Generally, a hose can bestandard on fire hydrants throughout Europe.
locked into it with a 1/4 turn. By comparison,More than 100 years later, cities in the United
hoses with threaded couplings often take severalStates are still struggling to adopt that standard
turns. The other benefit to using a fireon their hydrants. Most fire departments must
department storz connection is that it's a universalcarry special adapters to connect their large
fitting, which means that as long as the twodiameter hoses, fitted with storz couplings, to
mating connections are the same size, they will fithydrants, fitted with threaded couplings. The tide
together. 2½" threaded couplings, on theis turning, however, as all major US hydrant
other hand, often differ in dimension betweenmanufacturers now offer storz as original
cities, which can be dangerous if a large fire wereequipment.
to occur. For example, New York City uses their