Bail-Out rope

[LtBlondie]

Anyone out there carry o personal bail-out rope on their gear?
I have 40' and after what happened in NY last week we should all have and been trained on the use of this life saver.

[LtBlondie]

Oh, sorry this is 40' of 3/8" with a pre-connected biner in the left bunker pant pocket and nothing else goes in this pocket. You don't want to be messing around with anything when you have to bail.
Just a thought

[colin911]

It's a great idea ... an initiative that our administration should run with as a department wide project.
The only rope we carry is in our RIT bag ... 2 lengths 30' - 40' pre-connected to biners as well ... but should be issued to everyone.

[scottmacd37]

Nothing here is over 2 stories tall.

[iamvff]

Originally posted by LtBlondie
Anyone out there carry o personal bail-out rope on their gear?
I have 40' and after what happened in NY last week we should all have and been trained on the use of this life saver.

How ironic, I was also thinking the same thing. 50' of rope, a couple of carabiners, and a prussics cord and I'm slidin down the building. just hope the rope doesn't burn before I get to the bottom. Sounds to easy and logical for some reason though!

Not hat we have many, if any tall building here, it just would make me feel better!

BE SAFE!!!
iamvff

[RESQTEK]

Nothing here is over 2 stories tall

If you were in a situation where you needed to bail out immediately and there was no time for a ladder to be placed at the window, the fall from the second floor, wearing full PPE could kill you or seriously injure you. The need for training in these techniques is not simply for firefighters working in tall structures. In fact, in a taller structure, you may have the option of retreating to other floors until a ladder can be erected. It doesn't take much for your escape route to be removed in a house fire.

If you have your hose line with you, push the nozzle out the window and to the ground, then slide down the hose safely to the ground.

[LtBlondie]

Yeh, that technique works awesome you have to make sure your line is tight from the truck so you don't fall that extra couple of feet when the line is streched by you sliding on it.
The bail out rope works that much better, you have your tool(ofcourse) never leave home without it. Drive the hooligan into the drywall on an angle at the side of the window frame, that's now your anchor, clip the biner and throw the line out, pull enough back to go around your waist and have the rope bight on itself to control your speed, it works sweet. You can walk down the wall if need be.
I'm going to try to put together a hands-on course in the spring in Vaughan so maybe if anyone wants in.. we could check into it through our depts..

[Techy5]

Your using a body belay? I had just been wondering if you were using a munter hitch or maybe multiple wraps on a beaner for friction control.

Just an observation but 3/8 or 10mm cordage is larger than you need.
7mm cordage of static/dynamic kernmantle would provide you with over 3000lb of strength, still allowing you to meet the NFPA’s 10:1.
The smaller cordage would allow you to carry quite a bit more rope or, alternatively, take up less weight/pocket space for the same length.

For those concerned about the effects of fire. Kernmanlte has a melting point of about 500f if I remember rightly. You can also get Kevlar rope (we use it in our RIT kit) which has a melting point in excess of 700f. Kevlar is very unforgiving though so watch the shockload when you bail.
Lt gives a very good description of how to make the manoeuvre and with practice you can do it using a 6 inch piece of rebar, or even a ballpoint pen!! I kid you not.

I wear a belt with a built in D-ring ($29us) as part of my station uniform. I keep a figure 8 loop tied in one end of 60ft of 7.5mm. A foot and a half further down the rope is a beaner with 5 wraps in it.
I clip the beaner into my belt’s D-ring, take the loop and slip it over the handle of my sledge. I place the sledge against the wall in the bottom corner of the window, (heavy side up) maintain continuous tension (to keep the anchor in place) and bail.

As with the hose slide though, this stuff needs to be practiced, often, and it would be irresponsible of me to suggest otherwise.
Never forget that these are last ditch efforts. You are taking them because you have NO OTHER OPTION.
Untrained, 80% plus of those who try either manoeuvre will probably fail and a substantial number will fail on their first attempt even with training.
I used to teach the hose slide as 1 of 16 FF survival skills and there are some definite tricks to it if you wish to be consistent.

Dave

[LtBlondie]

Hey want to teach with me Dave??LOL

[LTPVFD]

We don't carry personal bail out rope at the present time, but we probably should. Our highest buildings right now are 3 story apartment buildings. With future planned development of at least 2 nine story towers, and 2 six story towers, bail out rope will be an option we will have to look at.

The positive side to the new development, is that they will probably be the safest buildings in the community. They will have to meet all the conditions of the fire code, including sprinkler systems, which will enhance occupant and fire fighter safety. :)

Stay safe !!


LTPVFD

[JGallagher]

Originally posted by RESQTEK
If you were in a situation where you needed to bail out immediately and there was no time for a ladder to be placed at the window, the fall from the second floor, wearing full PPE could kill you or seriously injure you.

Well I will start flapping my arms some fast!! If there was no time I would jump.

[LtBlondie]

That's what the boys did last week in NY and look where it got them, they just took their "Bail-out" bags away 2 weeks prior to this accident.
Check out JBRescue.com he has some great prices on Bail-out bags, if your city won't buy you one...buy your own!!

[Fireknight]

We have been training with self rescue here and the bail out rope is carried by some members now, It is a great course and should be taken by everyone in the fire service. I especially liked the course part where you locked the rope through your fists and rolled out a three story window. The fall doesn't bother me it's the sudden stop at the bottom.....;)

[LtBlondie]

What about entanglement training? Did you do that as well, that's just as important, most guys do one of two things...wrestle with whatever their messed up in and run out of air forgetting to call for help, 2nd they try for a bit and then give up and lay there until they run out of air, call for help !!Then mess with the entanglement so you don't become another statistic, everyone should learn the "swim" method to get out of these situations too.

[Fireknight]

Yes LT, the course covered, self rescue, bailing both ladder and rope, entangement and confined space as well as RIT.
It is taken over three days and even that seems rushed.

[LtBlondie]

Good stuff gald to see others taking this seriously.Thanks

[Techy5]

<grin> I live and breath this stuff Lt, just like you.

Dave

p.s.
An often overlooked solution to entanglement situations is the simple removal of ones backpack.

[iamvff]

I was just surfin the web and came across this story about the N/Y fire fighters. we weren't far off topic.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/275366p-235684c.html

be safe
iamvff

[firemedik911]

Good subject,
We are talking about rope, but there is a lot of things you can bring with you... To save your ass... such as rope (of course) cutter, wedge, flash light and many more...

LtBlondie, i am also looking to do hands on training, i might need help... I am in Trenton...

Stephan Charest
firemedik911@hotmail.com

[LtBlondie]

I spoke to our Training Chief, he said he 's going to try to get me the approval to hold a course, for York Region then i mentioned maybe me travelling to outlying depts. he had no problem with that, so we'll see how that pans out..

[procleaner]

Just looking for some input into a bail out bag. After hearing what happened to the F.F.'s in the Bronx it got me thinking that I might like to have something like this in my gear. Should I purchase a kit or make up my own? What do you carry and if possible post a picture and explain how it is used and where you attach it to on yourself when bailing out. Thanks.

[firemedik911]

Of course if no body wants to pay for you might think to buy one for yourself... It is your safety...
All depend what you are looking for, i think 10-15' feet (sealed) in your pocket will be good enough... For the bail out bag: if you buy a cheap bag you can tie it to your SCBA with a 50' rope (also in a waterproof bag) that will be big enough no needs to get more, if you have the basic survival stuff in your pocket (wedge, cutters, etc).

That is my opinion...

Stephan Charest

[Threeeightynine]

Bailing out is dangerous and should never be attempted without belay lines and nets below because ou can get hurt.. bail out bags protect your rope so get something that will do that