Spring Issue 2 - Knox Box

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Storz: What’s in a Name?In parts of the worldit is called a Stortz fitting.In the U.S. it is mostcommonly spelled Storz.Regardless how you spell it,a Storz connection is the generally acceptedcoupling used on all large diameter firesupply hose and a growing number of firehydrants and fire department connections.How did it come into existence? What arethe practical uses?Historical BackgroundThe concept of a fast action couplingwas the late 1800s brainchild of Germaninventor Carl Storz. A Storz couplingis essentially a variation of a hoseconnection. It is quick, reliable, and hasseen service in American fire departmentson large diameter fire hose for decades.It is also used as the auxiliary FDC intaketo supplement fire sprinkler systems orother fire protection applications like foamdeluge systems. It is generally used in 4inch and 5 inch sizes in America, but isavailable in Europe in a variety of sizes forapplications other than fire fighting. NFPA1963 Standard for Fire Hose Connectionsdefines the requirements for 4 inch and 5inch non-threaded connections. It definesthem as: “A coupling or adaptor in whichmating is achieved with locks or camsbut without the use of screw threads.”Compared to a conventional connectionthat has a threaded male and femalescrew connection at either end that canbe attached in only one direction (withoutthe use of an adaptor), a Storz connectionis a two-way universal coupling that can bejoined to another Storz coupling end. CarlStorz patented his design in Switzerlandin 1890 and submitted it to the U.S.Patent Office in 1893. It soon became astandard for fire hydrants throughout muchof Europe. While it saw wide spread usagein Europe in the early 20th century, ittook almost one hundred years before theconcept was embraced and implemented inthe United States. In 2007, all major U.S.hydrant manufacturers offer Storz as anoriginal equipment option.A detail of the original Storz fitting illustrationsubmitted to the U.S. Patent Office in 1893 byCarl Storz.Regulating StandardsThere are essentially two recognizedstandards that impact the construction,and application of Storz Connections;NFPA 1963 and DIN (Deutsches Institutfür Normung, or the German Institute forStandardization). While NFPA 1963 is thegenerally accepted Standard in Americaand addresses/sets all pertinent acceptancestandards, the original DIN Standardshave long been the benchmark for Storzapplication and construction acceptance inthe rest of the world. In some cases theDIN Standards are higher. Since Storz wasa German invention and it has enjoyedover a century of actual usage, the DINStandards do merit considerable respectand consideration. An example is DIN14303 and 1725 standards that specificallystate that any aluminum used in a Storzapplication must be ‘forged’ (hammered,machined, and formed like a Blacksmithmight do) and not ‘cast’ (heated until itis liquefied, then poured or ‘cast’ into amold). The DIN standard goes on to statethat in the interest of firefighter safety,any cast aluminum connection componentsmust be reserved for non-fire fightingapplications and suggest these productsbe used for agricultural purposes. Thisshould be something local jurisdictionsand contractors take into account whensetting acceptance criteria for theircommunity. It is interesting to note thatthe top U.S. component suppliers including<strong>Knox</strong> Company’s StorzLok use only forgedand/or machined materials on all Storzproducts.Tactical BenefitsThe impact is evident in several ways.Storz connections typically connect moreeasily and more positively. Things weredifferent in the days prior to Storz andlarge diameter hose when fire departmentsused multiple sections of 2½” hose. Oncea supply line was laid between the firehydrant and the engine, many times adistance of hundreds of feet, a firefighter,after flushing, connecting the hose, andturning on the hydrant, would have to walkthe entire lay with a couple of spannerwrenches in hand and tighten eachconnection along the way. Depending onthe length of the lay and the number ofconnections that needed to be tightened,this could take a significant amount oftime. With Storz connections, the firefighterstill has to make that walk, but less time isneeded to walk/inspect the hose, gettingthe firefighter back to the engine andavailable to fight the fire. Another tacticalbenefit is that there is not as much needto have engines with different hose laysfor either supply or attack evolutions. Thishas made it easier for individual enginesto be more self-sufficient, allowing firedepartments to spread out more withsingle engine stations, compared to multienginestations, potentially lowering initial
y Larry Piggresponse times. It may be also partiallyresponsible for the advent of the multipurposepieces of equipment like quintuplecombination pumpers (quints) that cansupply their own large stream appliances.Another potential benefit is in thestandardization of equipment for mutualaid responses. There are literally dozensof different hose thread configurationsused in America. If a neighboring firedepartment crosses jurisdictional lines tocome to the aid of another fire departmentin a major incident, and can not connectto the fire hydrants and fire sprinklerconnections once they arrive, the resultscould be devastating. That is exactly whathappened in the Oakland Hills, Californiafire in 1991. That single incident claimedthe lives of 25 people, including a policeofficer and a firefighter. Close to 2500homes and over 400 apartments weredestroyed at a cost of over $1.5 Billion.Case study reports on the fire have listedincompatibility of fire hose and fire hydrantconnections as contributing factors. Storzconnections and large diameter hose havehad an impact on the sprinkler industrytoo. These connections are used in FDCapplications because of the higher gpmflow rates (500-1000 gpm) associated withlarge diameter supply hose. In sprinklerapplications where higher flow rates arerequired, many jurisdictions have optedto require one large Storz connection asopposed to a manifold with a large numberof conventional 2½” connections. While inDenver recently, a building official relayedthat their choice for a new constructionproject was a large manifold with eight2½” FDC connections, or one 5” Storz.While it does take more water to fill a largerdiameter hose, in a dynamic fire scenario,it is faster, more efficient, and will flowmore water with less friction loss, to layone large diameter line as compared tomultiple smaller ones.Types of Storz ConnectionsNFPA 1963 gives the generalrequirements for Storz connections usedby the fire service. Some types utilize agasket, some do not. Both have particularapplications, and may or may not beinterchangeable.Gasket TypeThere are two types of gaskets utilizedin some Storz connections. One is aPressure Gasket and the other is a SuctionGasket. While the end result is similar, theygo about achieving a water tight seal indifferent ways. The difference is in the typeand location of the gasket. Pressure gaskets(which are black)have a flap that isopen on the insidefacing the flow ofthe water. Waterpressure will seatthese gaskets frombehind as they swellmaking a waterproofseal. The Suction type gasket (grey orwhite) has a ridge flap on the outside rimthat forms an air tight seal when pressedagainst another suction gasket. Remember:Pressure and Suction gaskets are not meantto be connected together, that is why theyare significantly different in color. Somemanufacturers state that if mated togetherthey will leak resulting in a loss of pressure.Like any other gaskets associated with firesprinkler system connections, NFPA 25 theStandard for Inspecting and Testing of FireProtection Systems, requires these gasketsbe inspected regularly to insure that theyare in place and fully operational.Metal FaceWhile metal faced Storz connectionshave historically been reserved for use on firehydrants, they are now seeing use on intakeFDC applications. Instead of a rubber gasketthe inside face of the connection is raised,reducing the space between the two opposingcoupling sections. Since it is essentially adischarge connection, the outward flow of thewater offers a more natural seal. Additionallysince there is no gasket, there is less needto periodically inspect to make sure it is inplace. Again, the thing to remember aboutthese various configurations of connections isthat while they generally work as advertised,according to some manufacturers, they arenot interchangeable and will not work well ifmated to the wrong type opposing fitting.Storz is more than a slogan. It isthe standard that all large diameterconnections are judged. The spellingmay change as you move around theworld, but the material and constructionspecifications of the best suppliersand manufacturers remain true to theoriginal design. The tactical advantagesare realized by many fire departments allaround the world. Hopefully, you will findthis information both informative andenlightening and use it as a tool whendeveloping acceptance and applicationsstandards.
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