Ground Ladders: The Forgotten Art

1. Ground Ladders: The Forgotten Art • Lieutenant Todd Wernet • Seattle Fire Department

3. What do we need to know • Ladder Uses • Ladder Construction • Ladder Tactics • Ladder Safety

4. Ladder Uses • Rescue • Access to upper floors • Ventilation • Bridging • Make-shift structures

5. Rescue & Access

6. Ventilation & Bridging

7. Make-Shift Structures

9. Ladder ConstructionAluminum or Wood

10. Wooden Ladders • DISPELL THE URBAN MYTHS ABOUT WOODEN LADDERS • DISCUSS DIFFRENCES IN: • SAFETY • WEIGHT • MAINTENANCE • DESIGN • COST

11. Electrical Safety • FEMA statistics indicate that metal ladders cost the U.S. fire service approximately one firefighter fatality a year. • These totals do not reflect non-fatal injuries attributed to these ladders

12. Aluminum Ladders • Metal ladders can suddenly fail if exposed to heat or flame over 200° F (annealing)

13. Weight • The common perception is that aluminum ladders are lighter weight than comparable wood or fiberglass ladders • Example: 24’ extension • Wood 110# • Metal 75-142# • Fiberglass 99-133#

14. Maintenance • NFPA 1932 requires ground ladders to be visually inspected at least monthly, and after every use • Aluminum & fiberglass require waxing of beams • Wooden ladders require spot finishing • All ladders require minor bolt, rivet and halyard checks

15. Design • Truss beam • Solid beam • Straight • Extension

16. Cost • Wooden ladders are more expensive up front • -24’ Extension Ladder • Material Cost Life • Wood $1,600 Indefinite • Fiberglass $ 750 Unknown • Aluminum $ 680 15 years

18. Ladder Tactics • Positional Assignments • Complement • Selection • Carries • Approaches • Raises • Placement

19. Positional Assignments • Roles & responsibilities of crew members • Two, three, or four person operations • Tools & equipment • PPPN: Company discipline

20. Ladder Complement • NFPA 1904 (1991 edition) requires a minimum complement of 115-feet of ground ladders • Multiple configurations are acceptable

21. Ladder Selection • When in doubt, go with the larger ladder • Your application may change • 5 rung rule

22. Ladder Placement • Type of Structure • Weather Conditions • Operation • Staffing • Fire Forecast

23. West Coast & East Coast Loads

24. Carries • Low Shoulder & High Shoulder

25. Carries • Flat & Beam

26. Approach • Diagonal or Perpendicular

27. Raises • Beam & Flat

28. Raises

29. Footing the Ladder • Old School & New School

30. Roof Package • Extension Ladder • Roof Ladder • Chainsaw • 6’ Roof Hook

31. Roof Package

33. Safety • Everyone’s Responsibility • Proper PPE • Adequate Personnel • Training • Placement

34. Proper PPE • For drilling this includes a helmet, gloves, and steel toe boots. • For all responses it includes all protective equipment

35. Adequate Personnel • Staffing is part of your initial size-up in the morning. Pre-assign positions (tool assignments) to maximize your effectiveness

36. Training • Make it real: The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in war

37. Securing your Fly

38. Visual Acuity • At night you lose 50% of your ability to see hazards

39. What to take with you • We are all professionals, volunteer or career • Its not enough to just get a ladder vertical • Safety should always be your main concern • We all deserve a round trip ticket

40. What to take with you • When we do our job right, people live to see another day • We need to pass the importance of the “not-so-glamorous” jobs to the next generation

42. Incident Commanders • Always be aware of what is going on around you • Your people will thank you