By Michael N. Ciampo
Footing a ladder, sometimes referred to as heeling or butting a ladder, isn’t one of the most glamorous or spectacular jobs on the fireground. Considering today’s short-staffed fireground, we’re lucky if it even occurs. It is one of those “essential” items we all were taught at fire academies sometime during our careers. We all saw the print and photos in the “book” and then performed the tactic on the training ground. A couple of weeks later we were tested both by a written and practical skills examination, to see if we could perform this necessary fire tactic. Yet, could we have been taught wrong? Perhaps. We’re still being taught this tactic “by the book”, but we’re taught to use an antiquated method. Let’s look at a scenario and then ask ourselves if we’ve ever faced that situation.
One afternoon, following a thunder and lightning storm, the dispatch center receives a 911 for a dwelling struck by lightning. As you respond on the first due ladder company assigned as part of the outside team, you receive instructions to ladder the roof and begin an examination of the burnt and scorched shingles. As one member ascends the ladder, you position yourself behind the ladder, bracing it, with your back to the building. Although you were taught not to glance upwards for fear of being hit by something, you attempt to take a glance to see what exactly is going on. Tilting your head backward to get a quick look at the conditions above can’t be done. The fire helmet’s back brim is hitting the air cylinder and affecting your mobility and visibility. As the other firefighter begins to lay his tools on the roof and make his way off the ladder, the smoke issuing from the dwelling’s eaves changes rapidly. Suddenly, things are changing and could go from bad to worse. The firefighter on the roof may have had his means of egress cut off by the advancing fire. All of this time, the firefighter footing the ladder may have been oblivious to the events unfolding above due to his positioning.
Maybe this scenario seems far-fetched, but it could happen. If it hasn’t happened to you, maybe you’ve been the firefighter underneath the ladder when another member has dropped a tool while climbing. As it falls, if you’re lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse of it, you have a fifty percent chance of moving in the right direction to avoid being struck. Then there is always the guy under the ladder who gets to perform the “turtle maneuver”. That’s when you’re footing the ladder from underneath and another firefighter begins to vent the windows above and all you hear is the sound of breaking glass. In an instant, you shrug your shoulders upwards towards your neck, tilt your head down, close your eyes, and hope that all those sharp glass shards miss your body. Or maybe you’ve been underneath the ladder and the firefighter climbing up carrying the saw in a sling over his shoulder and hand tools slips for a moment. In an instant, the saw swings off his back and smacks your arm giving you a wake up call. Whatever the situation, lets hope you’re not under there just staring forward and watching the incoming units performing their tactics. In case you forgot, the fire building is behind you and your work should be in front of you!
Let’s be realistic, many of the “books” and fire academies have been teaching it this way for many years and will continue to teach this as the only technique to use for footing ladders. The examples above illustrate that the longevity of techniques learned may be questionable. I know from teaching around the country that there are a lot of you out there saying, “but that’s how I was taught.” Well, as an old college professor once told us in one of my first fire science classes, “long acceptance does not make it right.” Sometimes, even in the fire service, we have to step back and reevaluate our tactics, techniques, and practices to fit in with modern day society. Learning both techniques of footing a ladder is always advisable, but we need to use the one that offers us the most benefits and makes our job a safer one.
Footing a ladder while facing the building or “from the front” is a more practical approach to use on today’s fireground. We all seem to be understaffed during the first few crucial minutes on the fireground. Leaving a firefighter under a ladder can be a waste of precious manpower, but bringing him to the front will yield other operational and safety benefits.
Look up and size up
First, as an added safety measure, two sets of firefighters’ eyes will be constantly sizing up the fire building and its ever changing conditions. For instance, if a firefighter is performing a leg-lock maneuver working off one side of the ladder and conditions changed towards his back side, hopefully, the firefighter footing the ladder from the front is constantly scanning the fire building, and quickly reporting any changes in conditions to the member operating on the ladder. Remember, staring down at your foot on the heel of the ladder or at your hands bracing the ladder’s rails offers us no benefits, look up and size up.
Of course, when a member is venting glass from above, it is necessary to watch the initial impact with the glass and the travel direction of the flying glass shards. The firefighter footing the ladder must look downwards if small glass shards are coming down in his direction. In some instances he may have to reposition himself to avoid any large sections or pieces of glass from hitting him. In this case you may still be able to leave one arm or leg up against the ladder to butt it properly. Working around any area where ventilation and broken glass are present is inherently dangerous. Strive to wear all the necessary protective equipment to avoid injury.
Another benefit to footing the ladder from the front is realized if a member climbing were to slip or lose his balance while climbing. The firefighter footing the ladder can spring to action to quickly climb up a few rungs and reach upward with one arm to offer the firefighter support or a moment to regain his balance. Being positioned behind the ladder may make it too time consuming to be of any help.
In a rescue scenario, having the firefighter footing from the front allows quick access up the ladder to assist with victim removal. Plus, he can climb the ladder and support the descending firefighter and victim. In a situation involving multiple victims, the firefighter footing the ladder may have to have quick access up and down the ladder in order to expedite the removal of all the victims.
Remember, performing this tactic from the front:
- Reduces the chances of being struck by a tool that was dropped by a member climbing the ladder;
- Reduces the chances of being struck by glass shards during ventilation operations;
- Reduces the chances of being hit by a hook’s handle as a member climbs or descends a ladder;
- Reduces the chances of being struck by any building components, materials, or tools that may fall as a firefighter transcends from the ladder to a roof, into a window, or as the ladder is placed against the building;
- Reduces the likeliness of being caught under and struck by the ladder if the base kicks out on an icy surface or steep incline.
As with all fireground tactics and operations, we need to strive to perform our duties more safely and efficiently so that they benefit us. Footing the ladder from the front offers us many advantages and should be our first choice when faced with that task. Let’s try to be proactive and assist one another on the short-staffed fireground that so many of you face out there on the streets today.
Lieutenant Michael N. Ciampo is a 19 year veteran of the fire service and has spent the last 14 years in the Fire Department of New York. Prior to joining the FDNY, he served five years with the Washington, D.C. Fire Department. He has a B.A. in Fire Science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is a certified NYS Instructor and has been the lead instructor for the FDIC and FDIC West H.O.T. Laddering classes. He is also an editorial advisor/contributing editor of Fire Engineering.
