Michael Fearing has been a firefighter for more than 30 years. He said a typical fire hose lasts 10-15 years. They get pressure tested each year and if they fail; they have to be replaced.
Over the years, Fearing has watched thousands of feet of used fire hose enter landfills.
“I’ve probably disposed of miles and miles of hose. And it was always like, it’s kind of heartbreaking,” said Fearing, a lieutenant at the Concord Fire Department. “Why are we, you know, we’re putting this into landfills and it cost taxpayers a lot of money to begin with and, of course, things wear out right? You can’t get around that, but just always brainstorming like what can we use this for?”
Being an advocate for the environment, he got creative. Instead of adding to the already full landfills, he works to keep material out. In 2019, he launched Hound Hose. He takes old firehoses and repurposes them into handmade dog and cat toys. He ships worldwide and is always looking for more wholesaler partnerships.