working fire training / copyright 2004 / volume 04-5 1 training ropes & rigging techniques, pt....

Working Fire Training / Copyright 2004 / Volume 04-51

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Ropes & Rigging Techniques, Pt. II Goals of Training Ropes & Hardware Requir

ements Haul Systems Line Transfer vs. Third-Man Pickoff Safety Line Philosophy Patient Packaging

Evolutions Discussion Quiz Continuing Education

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Ropes & Rigging Techniques, Pt. IIRopes & Rigging Techniques, Pt. IIRopes & Rigging Techniques, Pt. IIRopes & Rigging Techniques, Pt. II

Learning or refamiliarizing members with basic rope techniques

Understanding how these techniques will work in real scenarios.

Emphasis on conducting rope rescues in a safe manner.

Goals of Training



Always use static rope, not dynamic.– Rappelers and cliff climbers like dynamic rope because

it has more give; rescuers don’t need that.– Static rope used is a two-person load rope; 9,000 lb.

Capacity.– Static rope has a low spin tendency; important for

working with a Stokes.– Core carries 80% of the weight; the sheath carries

20%.

Rope & Hardware Requirements



Always use static rope, not dynamic (cont.).– Use training rope with a safety.– Don’t step on rope or smoke near it

(to avoid burning it).– Pad edges to avoid friction.

Rope & Hardware Requirements (cont.)



Carabiners: Do’s and Don’ts

– Make sure the gate is locked; don't drop them.

– Load carabiners in-line; don't let them turn sideways.




Rappel Rack & Figure 8– Use a Rack with a Line Transfer or Third-Man

Pickoff.– Add and subtract friction with more control

(depending on how many bars are used).




Gibbs & Rescue Ascenders

– Used a lot in haul systems; Z-rigs, 3:1, 4:1, etc.

– Shock loading the rope with these devices will damage the rope because they dig in. will damage the rope because they dig in.




Pulleys– Used for mechanical advantage– Size of rope to use with a pulley is determined by

rope diameter; specifically, four times the rope diameter.

half-inch rope demands a minimum 2" diameter pulley; you can go bigger but never smaller.

– Smaller-diameter pulleys will crush the rope by overbending it.




Harnesses– Rated for one person; all other devices are rated for

two persons. Important to remember in Line Transfer or Third-Man

Pickoff maneuvers: Don’t clip victim to your harness! Hook them to the haul system!

– Class of Harness Class II is basically just a seat harness (used in Confined

Space evolutions) Class III is a chest-and-seat harness.




Prusik Wraps:– Single:

Used around our main line or a working line; great for unloading your own system, like a rappel system.

Wrap them carefully so they don’t overlap or they won’t work.

Use it to make a foot loop for you to stand on.

Haul Systems



Prusik Wraps:– Tandem Triple-Wrap Prusik:

Use a long and a short Prusik cord Can replace mechanical grab devices like a gibbs, rescue

ascenders, etc. Use if short of hardware. Great for making a safety to a

haul system; when they stretch out, they lock off.

Haul Systems (cont.)



Anchors:– Must be bomb-proof

Keep in-line with rescuer if possible; avoid slack and load shock.

Steel beams and concrete abutments are excellent because they're anchored top and bottom. A handrailing probably isn't.

– Trees: Can be good Consider the size and root system; a 2" sapling won't

work! Make sure it's alive.




Anchors:– Boulders:

They must be huge and embedded in the ground.

– Vehicles: Excellent Be sure and remove the keys; chock it down in necessary.

– Equipment: Useful if very heavy and immovable




Anchors:– Picket System– Steel pickets planted in a row– System will lose efficiency as it grows:

Single picket: 700 lbs. 1:1 : = 1400 1:1:1 = 1800 3:2:1 System; different ways of rigging it

– Stud work: Use in a bind, but back it up with something else




Ladder Gin:– Use when you can only rig one side in a scenario

(as opposed to an A- Frame where you have two sides)

– You can use a single or straight ladder, extension ladder, etc.

– High-point anchor: Remember the angle must be less than 90 degrees!




Ladder Gin:– Use it to rig a:

2:1 system for lifting a static line for rapelling a dynamic line with an offset mechanical system to haul a

Stokes, etc.

– Don't pull off-axis when using a Ladder Gin; it's not an A-frame; it relies on a straight-down load to keep it steady.

– Add a third line for stability if you have the room and secure the bottom of the ladder.




A-Frame:– Useful for trench rescue– Laterally sturdy as well as vertically sturdy when

you rig the guy lines– Takes a high-point anchor for a mechanical

advantage system – Use the A-Frame when two sides are available for

rigging; otherwise, use the Ladder Gin.




Mechanical Advantage (MA)– 3:1 and 4:1 are most useful; easy to rig– Increase MA if more lift is needed or you're short on

manpower.– There are disadvantages to using exceedingly large

MAs, such as 12:1 or 15:1: You use an awful lot of rope You lose sensitivity and can't feel what's happening to the

rope: snagging, etc.

– You can exceed the rope weighting and overload such a system




Line Transfer– moving a dead weight

(ex: unconscious person) from another haul system to the haul system of the rescuer system

Use no less than six bars on your rack!

Third-Man Pickoff– rigging a harness on a trapped person and moving

person to haul system of rescuer

Line Transfer vs. Third-Man Pickoff



It's becoming evident that safety lines are not essentially necessary on rescues. If we use rated equipment that's in good shape and use good technique, we can skip the safety.

However, if there's time and manpower to rig one, go ahead and do it. But if response speed is critical, go without it. Follow the S.O.G. in your department regarding the use of safety lines.

Safety Line Philosophy



Don't drive or walk on ropes. Rig tag lines on all personnel working near cliff

edges. Proper PPE: gloves and helmet, weather

permitting Make your assignments and go with it;

examine the capabilities of your people and use them accordingly.

Good communications, coordination and teamwork

Scene Operations



Stokes, SKED, LSP, Half-Back, Hastey Harness (see examples in Volume 04-4)

Patient Packaging



General Advice & Precautions:

– Set haul assignments: give assignments based on personnel strengths and preferences.

– Decide on rigging to use: mechanical advantage, hardware, etc.

– Select anchor points.– Select lift conveyance: Stokes, SKED, etc.– Is rescuer being lowered or rapelling down?– If lowering rescuer, be sure and load system before

descent begins.

Evolutions



General Advice & Precautions (cont.)– Position system so rope falls just beyond the edge of

cliff or structure; this way, the rescuer is within reach of rescue team and doesn't have to swing out too far.

– If it's too close, then our patient gets bumped up against the side of the cliff or structure below the rescue point.

– On Line Transfers or Third-Man Pickoffs, never connect the patient to rescuer's harness; only to the haul system.

Evolutions (cont.)



Ladder Gin: Lowering/Lifting– Anchor points add stability to system when they are

fairly wide; but don't set them too far back because long tag lines tend to pull on the system.

– Watch twists when using 3:1, 4:1 systems. Avoid nylon rubbing on nylon. Use a swivel if necessary.

– Set system length so there is sufficient height beneath the system hardware to haul Stokes over the edge without a lot of manual lifting

Evolutions (cont.)



Ladder Gin: Lowering/Lifting (cont.)– Consider using a redirect pulley system to move the

haul team away from the edge, reducing congestion at the point of rescue.

– A redirect also works well with a Ladder Gin because it keeps the pull force centered and in line with the ladder, avoiding movement side-to-side.

Evolutions (cont.)



Stairwell Carry– Use the line to hold the weight of a Stokes or lowering

device while rescuers escort the it down the stairwell. The dimensions of the stairwell will determine exactly how you handle the stretcher.

– Two carabiners connected by a swivel are the heart of the haul system

Evolutions (cont.)



Stairwell Carry (cont.)– As usual, pick a sturdy anchor point. In a stairwell:

this could be a railing base or support. or you could rig a high anchor point using a ladder at the top

of the stairwell if there's room.

– The routine is to lower, then manipulate the stretcher around the stairwell, then lower.

Evolutions (cont.)



Line Transfer– Rescuer may go to five bars on the rescue rack when

lowering; when adding the patient to the system, never use less than six bars for added safety in descent.

– Upon reaching the patient either by rapelling or by being lowered, invert and work upside down as you hook the patient to the haul system. DO NOT hook the patient to your harness!

– Weight the system with the patient before you remove him from the ledge.

Evolutions (cont.)



Stokes Rescue– Diamond lash the patient into the Stokes, also making

adjustments for horizontal or vertical rescue.– Size of patient will demand adjustment of lashing.– Rescuer below maintains control of tag lines on the

Stokes as it is hauled up.

Evolutions (cont.)


Department DiscussionDepartment DiscussionDepartment DiscussionDepartment Discussion

The department involved in this month’s training pose some discussion questions that you can use as discussion-starters in your own department’s training sessions.

How will your department handle these scenarios?



“What constitutes a correct rescue technique? Is there such a thing as a bad rescue?”

“How does your department handle ropes? Does it keep them pre-rigged in a bag?”

“Here’s a question for the company officer: how do you assign duties on the rescue scene? Is it by ability? Seniority? What criteria do you use?”

-



“What is your department’s policy on safety lines during actual rescues?”

“Do you think it’s a good idea to be able to execute rescues using equipment that your department doesn’t own? Why might this be useful?”



“Is there any advantage to executing a rescue by a different method if the one you usually use has always worked?”

- Deputy Chief Steve RhinehartMaryland Heights Fire Protection District,

St. Charles County, Missouri


Ropes & Rigging Techniques: QuizRopes & Rigging Techniques: QuizRopes & Rigging Techniques: QuizRopes & Rigging Techniques: Quiz

Date__________________ Firefighter________________ Chief/T.O.______________ Education Credits _________Select the best answer:

1. True or False:

Keeping a downward weight on a Ladder Gin won’t help its stability.

2. True or False:

Because rapelling is an accepted technique, you should also use dynamic rope for rescues as you would with rapelling.

3. True or False:

Don’t let carabiners turn sideways.



Select the best answer:

4. Multiple Choice: Which of the following would you NOT use to grab in a safety system?

a. Rescue ascender

b. Prusik wrap

c. Gibbs ascender

d. Butterfly knot

e. None of the above



Select the best answer:

5. Multiple Choice: When considering mechanical advantage, which of the following are important?

a. Possible loss of sensitivity through the rope

b. Possible overloading of the rope weighting

c. Amount of rope that will be used

d. Less than optimal manpower

e. All of the above

(Answers on Slide 40)


Continuing EducationContinuing EducationContinuing EducationContinuing Education

Kramer vs. Kramer: Rope & Rigging Techniques, Pt. IIComplete written responses to the following three essay questions:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a county-wide task force for specialized rescue?

2. Describe how specialized rescue is conducted in your county or your area and list any changes you would recommend.

3. As a rule, do you feel that a county-wide task force for a specialty function is effective? Why or why not?

…CONT.

If you’re enrolled in the Open Learning Fire Service Program at the University of Cincinnati, here’s your opportunity this month to earn one college credit hour for watching Working Fire Training.


Continuing EducationContinuing EducationContinuing EducationContinuing Education

ENROLLMENT INFORMATION:

For more information on enrolling in the Open Learning program to gain college credit, call Fire at 800-516-3473 for a brochure or, to register directly, call the University of Cincinnati at 513-556-6583. Associates and Bachelors programs are available. Call to have your transcripts evaluated.

Send your responses to:

Mr. Bill KramerUniversity of Cincinnati

College of Applied Science2220 Victory Parkway, ML #103

Cincinnati, Ohio 45206


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Thanks so much for viewing Working Fire Training!

See you next month – stay safe!

Answers to quiz on Slides 42-44:1. False 2. False 3. True 4. d. 5. e.

working fire training / copyright 2004 / volume 04-5 1 training ropes & rigging techniques, pt....

Documents

static rope

rope hardware requirements

dynamic rope

training copyright

rope rescues

basic rope techniques

goals of training slide

training materials