Scots fire crews test new hose that can cut through walls

The Cold Cut equipment, which was originally developed to tackle blazes in the oil industry and then adopted by fire services in Sweden, is now undergoing trials in Aberdeen and

Aberdeenshire. The hoses are attached to water guns, which a firefighter presses against the outside wall of a burning building. The water is fired at 400 bars of pressure – 10 times the

usual force of a fire hose – and is so powerful it blasts through stone or brick walls. Once through the wall, the water jet immediately disperses and douses the flames, meaning firefighters

need not enter the building to put out the blaze, and anyone trapped inside can be rescued sooner.  If the trial is successful, it could lead to a dramatic drop in the number of traditional

appliances and fire tenders seen on Scotland’s streets. Vehicles with Cold Cut technology need 50 to 100 gallons of water, compared to 400 gallons on conventional engines, making them

smaller and more fuel-efficient. Alasdair Hay, chief officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Cold Cut is very high pressured water injected through a wall – even solid

granite walls.  “As soon as it comes through the wall, the pressure drops, so it won’t hurt anyone on the other side. “It puts the fire out twice as quickly as traditional techniques.” He

added: “Firefighters don’t need to commit internally to the building, so it’s safer for them, and because we’re driving the smoke away when we do go in, we can search the building more

quickly.”