HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WDTN) – An area fire department and school district are giving retired fire hoses a second chance to save lives by repurposing the hoses into door sleeves at Northridge Local Schools.
Northridge Local School District Safety Director Officer Clint Ball approached the Harrison Township Fire Department and asked department could make sleeves used to secure district doors.
“We got some out of service fire hose, cut it up to the specification that we determined would be best suited for the school,” Harrison Twp. Fire Captain Cody King said.
King said Ball got the idea after going through ALICE training, which stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate.
In the event of a lockdown or active shooter situation in at a school, every second counts. The fire hose sleeves can quickly be placed on the door to prevent an intruder as another layer of protection.
“You’re able to take the hose, slip it over the hydraulic mechanism for the door hinge, and if you slide that over, impedes anyone from being able to open it,” King said.
The fire department made around twenty door sleeves and provided an additional roll of hose to the district to make more as needed.
“The teachers were extremely excited to see us,” King said. “We added a layer that allows them to feel more safe as well. We’re doing everything we can to keep the children of this community safe.”
The fire department and Northridge Local Schools were already working together to strengthen the school’s emergency operations plan.
