Drill Of The Week: Individual Level Drill – Knot Tying
Brought to You by the SUFD Fire Academy
NFPA 1500 (2002 edition) calls for the establishment of an annual proficiency evaluation for all members of the department. These proficiencies are to be determined and established by each jurisdiction and are specific to each job position within the department. Once established, each member will be responsible for maintaining these skill levels. Annual evaluations will be conducted to validate the ability to perform these skills. These evaluations are designed to validate competency in basic skill levels as well as identify opportunities for training at both the individual and company level.
This week’s drill involves the following knowledge/skills: types of fire service ropes, construction of ropes, cleaning and storage of ropes, components of a knot, basic knot skills.
The firefighter will tie five5 fire service knots and be able to identify their usage on the fireground. Knots will be tied in accordance with authority-having-jurisdiction (AHJ) procedures and will include the safeties that are necessary for secure knots.
For step-by-step procedures for building an emergency decontamination station, evaluation criteria, and safety precautions, as well as more company level drills, visit the SUFD Fire Academy.
