IT’S JUST A PIECE OF ROPE
RANDOM THOUGHTS
It seems like yesterday, but it actually was more than 25 years ago. I was “brand new”—I passed probation and had just become that wisenheimer that many of us can become after two years of “experience” and before we become sharp once more after five years. We were assembled “at the truck” for our regular evening drill/ critique period. The officer, our lieutenant. was and still is regarded as the finest truck officer “on da job.”
“Brennan,” he said. “If you had to enter an occupied building that was on fire and you could take only one tool, what would it be?” Acting just as that twoto five-year “veteran,” 1 quipped, “That’s easy—a charged five-inch hoseline!” 1 had that smug expression on my face, and with darting eyes I searched tor a smile or laugh from my more senior peers or the lieutenant. 1 waited for my humor to be granted acceptance. There was none. Lesson #250 for me.
The answer he wanted was. “A simple piece of rope, 25 feet long, in the pocket of my turnout coat.” That answer never came that day. It came six months later, when he resumed recognizing that I indeed existed.
What were his reasons for such an answer? The same as the ones 1 used for the next 25 years of guiding and training firefighters entrusted to my care.
Search. Within enclosed areas; those you enter that are just too scary because of the fire extension threat, the color, or heat the bowels of the beast are spewing; or to begin a primary search while awaiting the gang to finish setting up the teamsearch equipment. Affixing one end of the rope to a stable object allows you to maintain contact with your exit or gives you a layout reference point should the “fan get hit.”
Do you use it all the time for search? No, but there are situations that books, evolutions, and preplans don’t tell you about.
Door control. It’s an occupied structure. You’re performing forcible entry. The door opens away from you into the fire area. You must be able to close it should the fire condition worsen. By affixing the rope to the knob of the door, you have control from a wider and safer area should the opening turn into an inferno.
Hauling inanimate objects. (If you’ve ever helped at a moving job, you know the value of straps) that require a better position or footing or additional personnel assistance to move.
Securing anything, but especially mattresses that are almost extinguished and must be transported outside the structure. How many of you have been trapped in a hallway, stair, or elevator as the smoldering mattress opened and rekindled? Once it is rolled or folded, it is easier and safer to handle if you tie it in that position. Your partner’s second rope is helpful here. And don’t forget to take that 2 1/2-gallon water extinguisher on the trip!
Lashing (supporting, really). These ropes serve as longer hose straps to take the weight off the couplings of the twoway gate fitting that serves as an auxiliary inlet to the pumper or an outlet for a standpipe connection below the fire floor, on fire escape stretches, or any outside stretch up the building to a floor or roof.
How about positioned ladders, especial . ly your ladder—the one you just used to get into the third-floor window? Remember “Butt at the base or lash at the tip”? They never told you how to do the latter.
Do you have a problem with members of your department moving a ladder th_____ you used to get into that bedroom window? Lash the tip and tie it to a piece of furniture with a simple loop. Any poorly trained firefighter wiio thinks of moving your ladder will get a serious message if he tries!
Moving tools during overhauling. “Hey, can you get that halligan up (or down) here?” Or, “Bring that line back down here.” There are many ways to do this—some ingenious and some safer than others—but that simple rope can be used for hoisting or lowering much more easily.
Sectioning off dangerous areas dur-, ing overhaul operations—that hole, that weakened flooring, the open shaft, the burned-away and weakened staircase, the too-close operations at the roof’s edge, the cornice that is almost cut free. The rope also can be used to give warning of and protection from those dangerous areas (sure it’s not yellow or filled with long, upside-down words, but we’re firefighters, damn it!).
Use the rope to hold things down, on., alongside, up. or any other thing your experience tells you.
