A Sure Means of Access and Egress— Portable Ladders
DEPARTMENTS
Volunteers Corner
In my last column, I dealt with the importance of placing portable ladders at private dwelling fires. I tried to focus on the interior shafts that might be found, especially the stair shaft.
These shafts merit additional attention because they are so very important, not only to the occupants, but to the firefighter as well. These are the shafts that allow fire to extend to the upper floors. Adding to the complexity of fire extension, the upper floors are more often than not the sleeping spaces in most multi-story private dwellings. In many cases, our ladders will be representing the only secondary means of egress to the persons trapped inside.
It is extremely important to mention that portable ladders, once placed on the outside of the building and ascended for search operations, must never be moved by ground personnel. If additional venting is necessary or if fire conditions dictate additional ladder placement at other locations, the ground crew must bring these extra ladders from the apparatus to meet venting and searching objectives.
Once a firefighter enters a window via a ladder and begins his search, he must have confidence that his means of egress will, in fact, be there upon his return. Thoughts during a search must be directed totally on the firefighter’s objective, finding victims and fire extension. There should be no concern over removal or repositioning of the ladder by untrained personnel.
Training sessions with portable ladders should revolve around nomenclature; proper climbing angles; safe raising, lowering, and operating; and should also incorporate the fact that once a firefighter enters the fire building from a ladder, this ladder will be thought of as an unmoveable, permanent part of the building.
Within the fire building, portable ladders can be used in a variety of ways. When the stability of the interior staircase is in question, many times a portable ladder can be used to replace it. Place the ladder so that it covers the entire stairway. The tip must rest above the header that supports the top of the stairway. If it is one or two steps down, the ladder will “go” with the staircase in the event of failure. In many cases, your 20-foot straight ladder will be better than an extension ladder.
Although an extension ladder can be used for this evolution, it will be difficult to extend it to the proper length because it will not be in a vertical position. Both the 20-foot and the extension ladder will give you a very flat climbing angle, and care must be exercised while ascending and descending, but it’s much better than falling into the basement or the floor below. A short extension ladder (16 feet) or attic ladder is often used to replace the rickety, pulldown attic staircase (usually installed by the homeowner). This ladder will be able to support the weight of the firefighters and a line if necessary.
One of the most useful portable ladders in the fire service is the “A” frame. This ladder can be used in any location where it’s not possible or practical to have a substantial support.
In brush fire operations, the “A” frame ladder can be used to bridge fences for ease of line stretching and also for the safety of the firefighter. Trying to climb chain link fences in full turnout gear is both difficult and dangerous, as your coat almost always gets caught.
In structural fires, the ladder can be used to check attic spaces or the area above hung or dropped ceilings with a minimum amount of damage. And, of course, anyone who has responded to an emergency caused by a smoking fluorescent light ballast knows the hassle of disconnecting the ballast without the advantage of an “A” frame. (I remember once telling a purchasing chief that I would trade one of our 50foot bangor ladders for one 8-foot “A” frame any day.)
Portable ladders are also a must at oneor two-story light commercial buildings (taxpayers or strip stores).
In private dwelling firefighting, we think of vertical shafts and the problems encountered with vertical venting. In light commercial fires, our thoughts go to horizontal voids (the dreaded cockloft) and the need for fast vertical vents [natural (skylights and scuttles) and man-made holes] to stop the rapid horizontal fire movement associated with these buildings. Since these stores are usually fortified in the rear (making cross ventilation difficult), the hose lines will have no place to push the fire and line movement will be either slowed or completely stopped.
Vertical venting means a commitment of manpower to the roof for the use of both hand and power tools. Anything can happen on the roof. Wind shifts, partial collapse, the roof cover flashing over etc., all can cut the firefighter off from the ladder he used for initial access. One very experienced firefighter once told me that there is no such thing as too many portable ladders at a taxpayer fire—ladder as many sides as possible.
When selecting portable ladders for access to or from a roof, it is best to pick a length that allows the tip of the ladder to be raised five to six feet above the roof line. Many publications recommend two feet, but let’s face it, when it hits the fan, I want my ladder at eye level and not where I have to look for it—and I don’t want to stand on line to get on the only available ladder!
Portable ladders on the fireground are extremely versatile, lending themselves to a variety of uses, such as displacing your weight at an ice rescue call; bridging buildings or cave-in sites; providing access for exterior line operations if the stability of the building is not in doubt; forcible entry; doubling as makeshift stretchers; and, along with salvage covers, serving as chutes to channel out a window dripping water from the floor below the fire.
Only your imagination stops you from using your tools to their fullest potential—and portable ladders are no exception.
