EZ-Scape™ Intergrated Self-Rescue Belt

[ProgressiveRescue]

I know this is a bit off topic for our forum however I know i'll get good info here. Does anyone use the EZ-Scape™ Intergrated Self-Rescue Belt. If so your thoughts and any info good or bad would be greatly appreciated.
Stay Safe,
Mike Donahue

[AFD696]

There are a variety of pros & cons to escape belt and/or SCBA mounted systems versus one mounted to a class II harness.

The pros are mostly on the department side of having less units to inspect (a per seat option vs a per firefighter), potentially less cost (depends on # of units and cost of ownership of unit). Potentially purchasing through a grant for updating SCBA is another reason why departments may choose these systems.

The cons mostly affect the end user, training may not be as comfortable, they may not fit every user, and the culture of the firefighter wearing their waist belt: If the belt isn't fastened they do not have a system. If they ditch their airpak they lost their system. Some older rigs have trouble storing the SCBA systems additional size as they weren't designed for it, so it may take some modification.

[Golzy12]

There are a variety of pros & cons to escape belt and/or SCBA mounted systems versus one mounted to a class II harness.

The pros are mostly on the department side of having less units to inspect (a per seat option vs a per firefighter), potentially less cost (depends on # of units and cost of ownership of unit). Potentially purchasing through a grant for updating SCBA is another reason why departments may choose these systems.

The cons mostly affect the end user, training may not be as comfortable, they may not fit every user, and the culture of the firefighter wearing their waist belt: If the belt isn't fastened they do not have a system. If they ditch their airpak they lost their system. Some older rigs have trouble storing the SCBA systems additional size as they weren't designed for it, so it may take some modification.

We had a demo unit we tried out and it looks like my dept is leaning towards getting the Ez-scapes. I think it's a great system. I personally wear a bailout kit on a gut belt and after trying the Ez-scape set up I like it a lot more. It's a lot cleaner to have the kit integrated with your scba then to wear an additional gut belt. Another thing I liked is that the belt is detachable from the airpack (you pull a couple of tabs on your belt and it releases) so you can ditch you pack and bail. I don't like that the belt is more difficult to tighten and loosen, it makes it more difficult to remove your pack if you needed to do a reduced profile maneuver. Since the belt has a 2:1 adjustment on one side of the belt you can end up with a lot of belt tail if your in the skinnier range of your belt size. I personally end up with about 2 feet of belt that I have to tuck in somewhere, not a deal breaker, just annoying. The dept likes the Ez-scapes because it forces everyone to wear a bail out kit, they cant leave their kit on the floor of the rig.

[AFD696]

There are several models of EZ-scape systems

The EZ-Scape 1 does not detach from the SCBA, only the 2,3 and 4 do that.

Also the EZ-Scape 1 utilizes a Kevlar webbing and RIT FIRE AL auto locking descender, while the 2,3,4 use a technora rope with a sterling F4 as the descender.

[ProgressiveRescue]

Great information guys I really appreciate it. I knew I would get the info I needed from our fourm.
Thanks Again,
Mike

[DCFDRescue2]

I presented a paper on the topic of bailout kits at the 2010 International Technical Rescue Symposium:

http://www.itrsonline.org/PapersFold..._ITRSPaper.pdf

I think the presentation was better than this paper, but there is probably some useful info in this paper as well. And if you've never been to ITRS, it is a rope geek's dream come true. Lots of research being done. If you go to the itrs website and click on the "papers" tab, you can download many of the past presentations.

If anybody has any questions on the paper, please feel free to give me a shout at

[email protected]

[AFD696]

Mike - did you also see my PM to you?

[ProgressiveRescue]

I presented a paper on the topic of bailout kits at the 2010 International Technical Rescue Symposium:

http://www.itrsonline.org/PapersFold..._ITRSPaper.pdf

I think the presentation was better than this paper, but there is probably some useful info in this paper as well. And if you've never been to ITRS, it is a rope geek's dream come true. Lots of research being done. If you go to the itrs website and click on the "papers" tab, you can download many of the past presentations.

If anybody has any questions on the paper, please feel free to give me a shout at

[email protected]

Thanks for the info DC I'll check it out. Being a rope geek myself I'm sure I'll have a great time navigating around this site.
Thanks!
Mike

[ctfirefighter145]

EZ-Scape

Before you buy these, or even consider these, need to bring them to your FD and field test them extensively. These additions can between 5 and 7 pounds of additional weight, and the waist belt, in my personal opinion, loses its ability to 1) act as a hasty harness on a victim, 2) is next to impossible to quicky open or loosen. You need to weigh the benefit of having all this extra stuff on you against the loss of a lightweight pack AND adding multiple new entanglement hazards.

Over the last two decades, the fire service has worked on decreasing the weight of these, ounce by ounce, and decrease the amount of bulk on them. These systems go in the exact opposite direction.

Dont just buy the latest and greatest, don't blindly listen to the sales rep, figure out if this is truly what your department needs (if you're a department with high rises, your needs are different from the residential fd), given how your specific department operates.

[FiremanLyman]

I presented a paper on the topic of bailout kits at the 2010 International Technical Rescue Symposium:

http://www.itrsonline.org/PapersFold..._ITRSPaper.pdf

I think the presentation was better than this paper, but there is probably some useful info in this paper as well. And if you've never been to ITRS, it is a rope geek's dream come true. Lots of research being done. If you go to the itrs website and click on the "papers" tab, you can download many of the past presentations.

If anybody has any questions on the paper, please feel free to give me a shout at

[email protected]

Thanks for the read. Enjoyed it.

There are a lot of "stuff" out on the market. While for the uninitiated in rope rescue might feel more comfortable using a mechanical friction device, I like a rope bag and a *gasp* non-locking carabineers tied on both ends. Use a Munter hitch as the DCD.

The non locking is because bailing out is one of the times that I will accept risk in the carabineers,both ends stops you on the end of your line if your rope wasn't long enough. Then you are hanging on it instead of dropping off the end, which is better than burning up in the room.

[DCFDRescue2]

Thanks for the read. Enjoyed it.

There are a lot of "stuff" out on the market. While for the uninitiated in rope rescue might feel more comfortable using a mechanical friction device, I like a rope bag and a *gasp* non-locking carabineers tied on both ends. Use a Munter hitch as the DCD.

The non locking is because bailing out is one of the times that I will accept risk in the carabineers,both ends stops you on the end of your line if your rope wasn't long enough. Then you are hanging on it instead of dropping off the end, which is better than burning up in the room.

A couple of quick questions for you:

What are you hooking your Munter biner to?

Is it already attached and ready to go?

Have you considered how difficult an edge transition is when you have one hand trying to keep the MUnter closed so yo don't go freewheeling?

I ask only because I have learned the answers after a LOT of trial and error.

[FiremanLyman]

A couple of quick questions for you:

What are you hooking your Munter biner to? Munter 'bineer is attached onto my escape belt, it is also the end that comes out of the bottom of my ropebag.Is it already attached and ready to go?

Have you considered how difficult an edge transition is when you have one hand trying to keep the MUnter closed so yo don't go freewheeling? We do it plenty of times, never under a panic situation, but I am very comfortable with it.

I ask only because I have learned the answers after a LOT of trial and error.

No problem asking. The described system is what I use, have trained on it, works well. As I said as a experienced rope dude I like this system. I have no problem with people carrying more, I just can do it with less.