1st time on the ladder

[RobertN]

Just returned from training. Tonight, us volunteers got to help set up our districts Truck. It is a 110' aerial. It is an unstaffed 2nd out apparatus, that is usually backfilled by an engine company when needed.

Tonight, we did complete setup, and supplied water from an engine.

It was my first time getting to climb though. Never been on more than a 35' ground ladder. It was really cool! The lights of Placerville looked pretty from up that high .

 

[creekbend]

:thumbsup: I bet it was a little windy that far up too.

 

[dmccarty]

Did you think ahead and bring an extra pair of underwear to change into after the climb?

Later,
Dan

 

[RobertN]

Actually, it was nothing like I expected or got excited about. Captian said watch the horizon while climbing, and stop if you get nervous. Watching the horizon, I was suprised by how high I got before I really checked where I was, and then just kept going.

And, as the Captian and the Engineer said, you gotta trust your equipment...

Did you think ahead and bring an extra pair of underwear to change into after the climb?

Later,
Dan

 

[Joe11]

Did you think ahead and bring an extra pair of underwear to change into after the climb?

Later,
Dan

^ haha.

 

[JB4310]

Interesting,
What do they use for fall arrest, a sliding ascender of some sort?

I work up high some times, but never climbed a ladder like that.

Was the ladder propped up against a building or just free floating in the air?

JB

 

[RobertN]

The ladder was free floated in the air. The nozzle was set for rescue conditions, so it was about 10' below the top of the ladder.

We wore a belt, with a large carabiner. When you get to the top, you lock in. Otherwise, the ladder does have rails/sides, that give it structure. The stand about 18" from the bed/rung of the ladder.

I have never been around these before, so I do not know what other districs SOP's might be in that regard.

Interesting,
What do they use for fall arrest, a sliding ascender of some sort?

I work up high some times, but never climbed a ladder like that.

Was the ladder propped up against a building or just free floating in the air?

JB

 

[BRB Hand]

No fall arrest on a FD aerial during ascent......You just have to be careful and as an earlier poster stated "Trust your Equipment"

 

[JB4310]

The ladder was free floated in the air. The nozzle was set for rescue conditions, so it was about 10' below the top of the ladder.

We wore a belt, with a large carabiner. When you get to the top, you lock in. Otherwise, the ladder does have rails/sides, that give it structure. The stand about 18" from the bed/rung of the ladder.

I have never been around these before, so I do not know what other districs SOP's might be in that regard.

So you are free climbing 100 feet high? no fall protection?

That's a little hairy, I see those ladders are very stable looking, but in the hectic environment of a working fire with water dripping down, possibly ice, at night, with all that gear on. seems like an accident waiting to happen.

There are very simple fall arrest systems for ladders,

Vi-Go Ladder Climbing Safety Systems (Cable)

I'm surprised OSHA hasn't intervened in that area of hazardous duty.

Be careful! JB

 

[charliepff]

The only time we use a fall arrest system is when we are soley working off of the ladder or bucket. We then use what is called a "ladder belt" to clip onto the ladder. They usually have a long lanyard to let us cut a roof while leaning off of the tip of a ladder. They are not very many deaths as far as working off of ladder trucks. Most of the nations LODD's are heart attacks and motor vehicle accidents.

I am not sure how RobertN's department works but here you need to have some experience before you are permitted to start working on a ladder truck. This still usually involves a lot of training to get fluent with it.

RobertN,

Do you have a webiste for the department with pictures of the apparatus? I currently drive and operate a 2003 KME 102 foot tower ladder. I am always curious to see other departments equipment.

 

[RobertN]

Yes, we use the "ladder belt".

Our ladder is not staffed as a truck company; when it is needed, one of our staffed engines diverts and staffs/responds with the ladder. So our paid guys that staff two primary engines get a lot of training on it.

I PM'd some info. Unfortunately, not much on our website for pictures :-(

We then use what is called a "ladder belt" to clip onto the ladder.

I am not sure how RobertN's department works but here you need to have some experience before you are permitted to start working on a ladder truck. This still usually involves a lot of training to get fluent with it.

RobertN,

Do you have a webiste for the department with pictures of the apparatus? I currently drive and operate a 2003 KME 102 foot tower ladder. I am always curious to see other departments equipment.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

We run two aerials (1999 E-One 75' stick 1,500 GPM/500 gallon and a 2010 E-One 100' platform 2,000 GPM/300 gallon). We run them as first out quints form our two stations.

I've never climbed either at full vertical extension yet, but once we had the 75' at full horizontal extension to climb from the parking lot of a school to the roof (maybe 15'-20'). It was pretty scary due to the ladder bouncing around so much from it being at such a low angle.

Like stated earlier, there is no fall arrest while you are climbing the ladder. You can lock in with a ladder belt when you are at the tip, but a lot of our firefighters are to big for the belts...

 

[ericher69]

Even up here in Canada there is no fall restraint on any ladder trucks until you get to the top; either platform or stick

We do use energy absorbing lanyards with 5 point harness though

 

[JB4310]

Even up here in Canada there is no fall restraint on any ladder trucks until you get to the top; either platform or stick

We do use energy absorbing lanyards with 5 point harness though

But what good is the lanyard and harness if it's not attached to anything?

I'm really surprised by this, it would be pretty simple to incorporate a moving fall arrest system in a 1/2 million dollar piece of equipment. Seems like unnecessary risk.
OSHA requires fall protection to climb fixed ladders over 20 feet, and for working from portable ladders, but not for climbing portable ladders. I would argue a ladder on a firetruck could be considered fixed.

It's one thing in a controlled training environment, that's dangerous enough, but at night at an active fire scene :confused2:

Are these ladders used very often and are they still produced, or is it mostly aerial buckets now?

JB

 

[5030]

...and I suppose all you tie yourselves off when using your extension ladder at home??

Somehow, I think not.

If you fall 10 feet or a hundred and land on your head or neck on concrete, the result is the same. bye-bye.

Even a step ladder fall can be fatal.

Years ago, I did high line work before the OSHA crap and then I owned a tree trimming business and I never ran a harness except when cutting up high to reduce the torque of the saw and the twist, but nothing else.

Now that I'm older, I don't like heights at all. I turned down a maintenance job in one of our plants because I'd have to work on overhead cranes 60 feet above the production floor simply because I don't have any desire to work up there, no matter what it pays.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

1/2 million dollar piece of equipment.

Our ladder we bought in 2010 cost upwards of $850,000. :confused2:

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Our ladder we bought in 2010 cost upwards of $850,000. :confused2:

and it's not that fancy either...