air bottle carrying methods

[smeacair]

I am curious to how other fire departments
carry or transport their spare bottles to and from the scene for staging or refill.
Input from others would be great.

CS of HFD

[BucksEng91]

Ummm...generally on the apparatus.

I'm not sure I understand your question. Is there any other way to get spare bottles to a scene other than to carry them on the apparatus?

Are you referring to HOW they're carried on the apparatus? I'm a little confused here...

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J. Black

The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and may not reflect those of any organization with which I am associated.

[BucksEng91]

Wait...I think I get it now. I had a brain fart. You're asking how the bottles get from the actual scene to the air truck?

The air truck in our area is a special service vehicle that has a wheelbarrow-like cart, pushed generally by a probie or a junior firefighter. The cart travels to the manpower pool, to each engine, the truck(s) and rescues, gathers up the used bottles, and takes them to the SS. Then, refilled, they're delivered back to the appropriate apparatus or personnel.

------------------
J. Black

The opinions expressed are mine and mine alone and may not reflect those of any organization with which I am associated.

[smeacair]

Let me clarify. After arriving on-scene, what are some of the methods used(other than carrying by hand) by fire crews to physically transport spare air bottles to a staging area for bottle change-out.


Thanks

[This message has been edited by smeacair (edited 05-26-2001).]

[CFD14]

one in each hand.

[Plug-Ugly]

[NCFiremedic]

Hold'em right you can carry two in each hand :-)

[This message has been edited by NCFiremedic (edited 05-26-2001).]

[NozzleHog]

You guys are comedians, don't quit your day jobs yet though.
If I understand the question, it's what do you do when you have to hump a spare bottle with you (along with everything else) into a high-rise or subway for example.
One simple method I've used:
Take out that 15 foot X 1" nylon webbing pre-tied loop. You know, the one you carry in your coat pocket because it is so useful? Make a girth hitch around one end of the bottle, another one around around the neck of the bottle above the cylinder valve and presto...a handy carrying strap you can sling over your shoulder.

[OLE]

We (volenteer) have our spares on the aparatus. But when we need bottles to be filled, we simply take our Chevy Yukon back to the station to be refilled. Or someone's pickup or what ever is handy.

[Lewiston2Capt]

I have seen where a peice of webbing about 4' long had loops sewn into the end of it. Two bottles can be carried when the webbing is pulled through one of the loops and placed over the neck of the bottle. The webbing provides a really good shoulder strap. Just have to watch how much swinging they do.