Heeling the ladder

[Billy Lewis]

I just saw a video (again), one that I am sure many of you have seen, in which a firefighter is heeling a ladder and walks away, thus...face plant for the guy climbing.....so what do you guys think? Heel the ladder from the front or the back?

[admin1]

If you watch closely, it looks like the dude who falls steps on a rung that is above the roofline, which may have caused the foot of the ladder to kick out.

To answer your question, I prefer to face the building when I foot the ladder.

[HANKINS]

I aggree with Fergy. For normal ladder ops, I like to face the ladder so I can watch what is going on. Now if we are talking about a taller ladder, 35 lets say, footing from the inside takes more of the bounce while climbing.

Hankins

[firemansac]

Whether he stepped on the rung above roof line if the ding dong hadn't walked away from the ladder it prob. wouldn't have kicked out. I like footing from the front to keep an eye on conditions for my partner and as for getting out of the way of falling debris I think I can get out of the way. That's my knickle worth.


frank

[barker]

Footing from the front..this allows you to stay engaged with the fire, the building and what your partner is doing. Footing from the back you have turned your back to the enemy and all hell could break loose and you would not know it...at least not as soon.

[Billy Lewis]

I agree guys footing from the front seems the way to go for all the same reasons as stated above. Another important point is ladder placement. Are you on grass, concerte, blacktop, is it wet, dry? Matter of fact just today at a little fire we had, the truck split, two to the roof, two inside. FF1 up the ladder while FF2 footed the ladder, FF1 on the roof now, FF2 now going up the ladder, handed the saw to FF1, went to step up on the roof, and bam ladder slips out, face plant. The FF was fine, just more embarrassed if anything. After taking up and discussing what happened. FF1 who threw the ladder admitted that better ladder placement could of prevented the ladder slip. The ladder was thrown on a concerte driveway with a slight slope. Lessons were learned, everyone went home.

[tomwebb]

I agree footing from the front allows alot more view of what's happening around you. On the other hand...we in dispatch only have to make sure our chair doesn't roll away down the office. Unless we are having races or something.

[baldy]

I know nothing about this topic...I'm on a engine

[Begley]

If the ladder had been at a better angle for climbing onto a roof vs as flat as it appears it might not have kicked out ( assuming the climber didn't go above the roof line). In any case I hope he hunted down his "partner" and brained him with a hook! UNACCEPTABLE!!

[sinclair]

Healing the ladder

It seems like we are always heeling the ladder with our backs to the building because that is the way we taught ourselves. It is probably never a good idea to turn your back to the building don't you think?

We have also been utilizing the ladder strap a lot. while throwing the ladder look for a good spot to secure the ladder strap on the roof line. We have ladder straps on all our ladder.

[SKINNEY]

- Correct placement
- Correct climbing angle
- Set the feet
- Climb smoothly and methodically, not sloppy and bouncing

and you don't even have to have another fireman to "foot it".

Remember dudes climb ladders all day and don"t ask for help.

[SKINNEY]

But, to answer the question...from the front. Behind the ladder is a bad habit, could be a bad place to be during VES, with the potential for glass stickin' in ya.