I have read these posts and am slightly confused about the 'clipping on to the HR' - this seems to have been a misinterpretation issue - everyone read back through them and see if I am missing something PLEASE!
Crashy said - "using the hose reel as a guide line" - not as a guideline and this is where the confusion started? He also added 'even worse the personal line' where diod that come from , surely not because he was told that following the hose was a suitable means to guide you out? As Andy says "I have heard of tracing the hose back to find the way out so long as you use the proper safety procedures ", I rather think this was what was meant when Crashy was given the suggestion, by whoever it was. This is a perfectly sensible idea and does not negate taking that same hosereel with you, that is unless you can think of a way of following it while carrying it that would mean you couldn't do so?! Seems to me that you turn round and follwo that bit that does tend to be lying on the floor, it will follow you out, but is trhat a problem, other than to crews going in who would not have it to trace?
Crahsy did you actually think this meant to clip to it? If so I am of the opinion that you maybe misunderstood. I would be seriously concerned if you had been taught that, I am sure that no one had taught you that - unless they too fallen foul of chinese whispers.
I am glad to hear it is not a policy and I am fairly confidetn that if you ask you may find you have been misreading the intention, did you not come up with the personal line thing yourself?
One thing you can be assured of is that the hosereel/hose will lead to the door you took it through, more likely that it would survive a fire than string too. Watch out for the semantics - I say a hose can be used a s a guide line to guide you out does not mean a guideline, which is a piece of string.