What is the purpose of an Occupant Use Hose?

The purpose of an Occupant Use Hose is to assist occupants in fighting incipient (initial stage) fires. This type of hose is installed within buildings to empower occupants—who may not be trained firefighters—to take immediate action to control or extinguish small fires, thereby potentially mitigating the situation before firefighters arrive.

This can be especially critical in the early moments of a fire when a quick response may help prevent the fire from spreading, giving occupants a chance to escape safely while simultaneously addressing the fire threat. The design and placement of Occupant Use Hoses aim to provide accessible and straightforward means for non-professionals to engage with fire suppression efforts.

In contrast, the other choices focus either on limiting the use of the hose to trained firefighters, suggesting storage purposes instead of active fire control, or implying a connection to external water sources, which do not align with the primary function of occupant use hoses in fire safety protocols.