15-FOOT TUBULAR WEBBING
INNOVATIONS: HOMEGROWN
Many firefighters arc familiar with the purposes, convenience, and usefulness of carrying specific tools and items in their turnout coat pockets. Some of the most common items include screwdrivers, modified channel locks or vise grips, spanner wrenches, chocks, and personal/utility ropes. Another useful, inexpensive, and easily carried item is a 15-foot length of oneinch tubular webbing. Individuals involved in rope rescue or rock climbing are familiar with this webbing, known for its strength and versatility.
Webbing comes in various materials, construction, and sizes. The type used in the rope-rescue environment is one-inch tubular nylon, which meets military standard MILW-5625 and has a tensile strength of 4,000 pounds.1 (Remember: NFPA 1983, Standard on hire Service Life Safety Rope, Harnesses, and Hardware, recommends a tensile strength-to-working-strength safety ratio of 10:1, making the working strength of the one-inch tubular webbing 400 pounds.) This webbing is known as shuttle loom or spiral weave because it is constructed by weaving the threads as a onepiece unit. The opposite of this is edge or chain-stitch webbing, which is formed by folding the two edges of flat webbing and stitching them together to form a tube. Chain-stitch webbing is weaker than tubular webbing, so it cannot be relied on for rescue work.
A 15-foot length of tubular webbing usually can be purchased from a reputable rope dealer or sporting goods store for about $6, so it is an affordable item. (Do not buy webbing from surplus stores or similar outlets because the possibility that the webbing will be damaged or defective or will not meet minimum specifications is greater.) Buy webbing that is a bright color, such as orange or yellow, to enhance visibility at night or in smoke-filled environments. The 15-foot length is convenient, as it can be rolled up or folded into a small, compact size and stored in a turnout coat pocket.
Overhand and water knots are effective when using tubular webbing. Overhand knots are used to create loops in the webbing and to serve as backup knots when tying a water knot. The water knot is used to connect two ends together. A girth hitch is easily tied with the webbing when a secure hold on an object or piece of equipment is required.
A 15-foot length of tubular webbing is adaptable and useful in many situations encountered by firefighters and rescue personnel. It is effective in carrying tools up ladders, eliminating the need in some cases for a firefighter to climb a ladder with only one free hand. For example, by tying the ends of the webbing together, slipping a girth hitch around the handle of a power saw, and putting the loop around the saw’s blade guard, you create a carry strap and thus can climb safely to the roof of the building to perform vertical ventilation. Once on the roof, the webbing can be removed and used as a harness around the saw operator.
For departments that use escape or rescue ropes, the webbing can be used as an anchor strap around a secure anchor point, allowing for a connection point for a life safety rope and alleviating the need for a tensionless hitch. Properly trained firefighters can use the webbing to tie a quick harness around their waists and legs, allowing them to rappel or single-slide from a position that must be immediately evacuated and is not in reach of ladders or other means of escape.
(Photos by author.)
A length of webbing can be used as a connection point between a ladder and a firefighter entering from the exterior to search a room so that if conditions worsen quickly or unexpectedly, the firefighter can find the way out. With a loop tied in each end of a length of webbing, two firefighters can be tethered to search a large, open floor space such as that of a gymnasium, auditorium, or warehouse. Several other uses for the webbing on the fireground include tying off and securing portable ladders, holding doors during forcible entry, and hauling equipment from one floor to another.
When performing vehicle extrication, firefighters can use several pieces of webbing to secure an unstable automobile. Webbing can be used to secure cut and Happed roofs or widened passenger doors. The webbing works extremely well for displacing pedals because of its strength and ability to be held tightly and comfortably in a rescuer’s hands. In other rescue situations, such as high-angle or confined space, the 15-foot length of webbing can be used to tie a patient securely to a stokes basket or backboard or to form a simple loop used under the arms to assist in lifting or dragging a victim.
The uses of the 15-foot length of tubular webbing are numerous. The webbing’s compact size allows it to be carried by all fire and rescue personnel, ready for use. Members should be well-trained in its uses. The webbing should be inspected after every use and replaced immediately if it has been overstressed, cut, worn, or frayed.
Endnote
1. Tom Vines and Steve Hudson. High Angle Rescue Techniques, Dubuque, Iowa: National Association for Search and Rescue. 1989, 26.
