Ladder Bail Out

[NYSmokey]

What departments out there have implemented the ladder bail out in their firefighting operations? Our department received instruction on it but luckily haven't had to use it yet. Has anyone out there used it in an actual incident? Thanks in advance for your responses.

[BucksEng91]

Not on an actual incident, thank God. But we have gone to the infamous "Last chance" FF Survival class given by the state fire academy, where the ladder bail with invert is one of the techniques taught and practiced.

[rescue2bob]

I don't think the "ladder bailout" is something departments are going to put into SOP. What it is or was intended for was a choice YOU could make if you found yourself in a less than ideal position. Its another piece of knowledge in the so called bank between the ears.

[KyraE]

Sorry for the ignorance, but could someone explain exactly what a ladder bail out is? Thanks.

[BucksEng91]

Cali -

It's basically, for want of a better description, a head-first lunge out a 2nd or higher story window onto a ladder placed hopefully UNDER the windowsill, or at least not too far up into the window, in order to escape a basically hopeless situation - a flashover, for example. In such a scenario, turning your body and standing up in the window (which you'd have to do if you went down the traditional way) is not an option due to the hot gases, flames, and smoke forcibly venting from the window. It lets you keep a low profile, while getting your butt out quick.

The way they teach it now, it usually involves swinging your body back around to head over *** once you're out of danger, with a technique that's taught in these FF Survival courses.

Hope that helps.

[smokeater-n-hellraiser]

I'm not a big fan of this, but hey, if it's so hot that my gear has started to change colors, I'm not going to argue. I'm just going to get out.

[OLE]

Only as a last resort to save their own ***. We are never going train with it (too scared to try with legalities and everything) but were just told to visualize and more or less drew it out on the chalk board. Nobody has had to use it (yet).

[Truckie5055]

It's now a requirement to take it for FF certifacation in the state of KY they built mobile trailors to take it around to teach people. I agree with you guys though this may save your life but the way they teach us if everything is not set up perfect using their techniques could get you hurt worse.

[51Truck_K]

OLE,

Pardon MY ignorance, but are you F'ing kidding me? Told to "visualize"? What, "Become one with the Ladder"? That is absolutly insane. Who would tell, no, instruct,because when someone gets injured or killed doing this, they are going to be poionting the finger at the "Instructor". The ladder bail is yes, a potentially dangerous technique, but it a VERY effective and safe tool, when used properly. That means no 100 MPH dives out of windows, at least not with the hopes of hangin' on to the ladder! I would expect NO ONE to be able to sucsessfully pull off a head first ladder slide without proper training and doing it at least a coupl'a times in a non fire situation.

So get out the ladders, SCBA, and please don't forget the BELAY/SAFETY line.

Put me up for the week, I'll even come and teach y'all.!

[boesfwfd]

I cant agree more about the training. Nearly everything we do is dangerous. The only way to make it safer is TRAINING!! Proper training on the ladder bail can be done quite safely!! It is done safely by responsible departments and instructors on a daily basis across the country. Only an IDIOT would tell you to visualize it. Tell him to visulize his next paycheck. Do yourself a favor, and hire a professional fire instructor with experiance teaching this class. And lose the instructor that doesnt like to teach anything that isnt his idea.

[OLE]

51 Truck_K,

The person who told us is a firefighter from our department who went to our state's fire school and did it using rope and harnases and was just showing us so we had to visualize it since we weren't actually doing it. Since he's not an instructor, the department didn't see fit to have him show us exactly how to do it. Sorry I didn't clairify that earlier!

[Engine_tower1]

As of right now our department doesnt require us to talk the Mayday- Firefighter Down Class, but a few of the members here have taken it and it gave us a whole new outlook on calls. Thank god we have never had to use it before, but i can see our department making people take the class soon.

[distchief60b]

We did it on the military base I used to work on.. It is very intense yet very very beneficial. Try it. Some things are not always as easy and simple as they may seem.

[BillyMott]

My Dept. has also done the actual training on Firefighter survival including the ladder bail. All line personnel were involved and some of our neighboring Depts. came to participate also. We used both the straight head first slide to the bottom and the body invert just after clearing the window. To my knowledge no one has had to use it yet. One important observation here, This was THE most most paid attention to class I have ever been in. No lolly gaggers here. I guess everyone knew how easy it would be to end up on the ground head first and we all paid attention to every word. I believe our Dept. is still teaching it to the new hires while they undertake their 6 week orienitation training.

[chieffrank]

There have been several roundtable articles on this topic in Fire Chief magazine several months ago. Rick Lasky of the Lewisville, TX FD had some practical comments. Lewisville is 25 mi north of Dallas.

The technique should be looked at as just another tool in the toolbox when you become trapped and need to take extreame action to save you life or that of a partner of citizen. Its not exactly a routine evolution. But know it when you need it

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!