Device Guards Against Failure Of Ladder Lock
For many years, the Harrods Creek, Ky., Volunteer Fire Department has been using leather safety straps on its ladders. Leather straps are prone to dry rot and are costly to replace. Although failure of locks on fire service ladders is rare, some sort of safety device should be used.
After a study of safety devices, including leather straps, hooks, and chains, this department has designed a device which is stronger, costs less and is easier to use than leather straps. The device consists of a snaplink with an interlocking gate and a 1/8-inch cable 13 ½ inches long with 1½-inch loops on each end.
The snaplink is hooked to the bottom of each fly. One end of the cable is hooked to the snaplink and the other end is allowed to hang free. The cable will not interfere with the proper operation of the ladder as the action of each fly will carry each cable away from the other sections, and the free end of the cable is too small to catch on anything.
Probably the most important fact is that the cable can be applied in about half the time required for the securing of a leather strap. In fact, most of the time required for application is for the fire fighter to lock into the ladder.
Note that the snaplink is not removed for securing the ladder. The free end of the cable is brought around the rungs to the snaplink and secured. Due to the adequate length of the cable, it can be used interchangeably on two or threesection ladders.
This device has proven itself well both in training sessions and on the fireground.
