Emergency Egress on the Fireground: The Ladder Bail

Created: November 7, 2008

When conditions inside a fire building change rapidly, the conventional methods to exit a window can be hampered by heat, window size and the firefighters profile.

Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 10: When it is time to perform the ladder slide, the firefighter will place their feet and knees to the outside of the ladder beams while holding onto the beams with their hands. Their body...
Figure 10: When it is time to perform the ladder slide, the firefighter will place their feet and knees to the outside of the ladder beams while holding onto the beams with their hands. Their body will be in a crouched position with their back as straight as possible which will place their weight in a position that will cause them to slide down.
Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 9: As the firefighter clears the windowsill, their momentum will cause their body to pivot at which time the hand on the rail should grasp the next closest rung across the body.
Figure 9: As the firefighter clears the windowsill, their momentum will cause their body to pivot at which time the hand on the rail should grasp the next closest rung across the body.
Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 8: Next, the hand on the rail is slid downward bringing the body of the firefighter forward out of the window.
Figure 8: Next, the hand on the rail is slid downward bringing the body of the firefighter forward out of the window.
Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 7: Using the "Extended Reach" technique, the firefighter will exit the window and stay low to the sill grasping the second rung of the ladder palm up and place the opposite hand on the...
Figure 7: Using the "Extended Reach" technique, the firefighter will exit the window and stay low to the sill grasping the second rung of the ladder palm up and place the opposite hand on the ladder rail. The hand on the rail is kept in an open grip position to allow it to slide.
Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 6: The momentum of the firefighter sliding forward will cause the body to pivot on the elbow hooking the second rung, ending in an upright position ready to descend the ladder.
Figure 6: The momentum of the firefighter sliding forward will cause the body to pivot on the elbow hooking the second rung, ending in an upright position ready to descend the ladder.
Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 5: The next step is to take the opposite hand and slide it down the beam of the ladder to the fourth rung down. Then the firefighter reaches out across their body with the hand that is on...
Figure 5: The next step is to take the opposite hand and slide it down the beam of the ladder to the fourth rung down. Then the firefighter reaches out across their body with the hand that is on the beam and grasps the fourth rung while sliding their body forward.
Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 4: When performing the "Hook and Go" or the "Hook 2 Go to 4" the firefighter places the first arm under the second rung down, palm up, "hooking" the rung with the elbow. The hand on this arm...
Figure 4: When performing the "Hook and Go" or the "Hook 2 Go to 4" the firefighter places the first arm under the second rung down, palm up, "hooking" the rung with the elbow. The hand on this arm should not grasp any rung at any time.
Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 3: When positioning the ladder for a ladder bail the tip of the ladder will need to be placed just below the windowsill. If the tip is placed inside or above the sill, the escaping...
Figure 3: When positioning the ladder for a ladder bail the tip of the ladder will need to be placed just below the windowsill. If the tip is placed inside or above the sill, the escaping firefighters may not be able to perfom the ladder bail.
Photo by Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 2: Ladders should be aggressively heeled from the side that is away from the building to easily offset the force of the ladder "kicking out" and to enable them to focus on the activities above...
Figure 2: Ladders should be aggressively heeled from the side that is away from the building to easily offset the force of the ladder "kicking out" and to enable them to focus on the activities above in a safe manner.
Courtesy of Jeffrey Pindelski

Figure 1: Looking back from 2007 to 2002, we have averaged 112 Line of Duty Deaths each year. Out of those 112, an average of 35 each year can be attributed to actual activities taking place on the...
Figure 1: Looking back from 2007 to 2002, we have averaged 112 Line of Duty Deaths each year. Out of those 112, an average of 35 each year can be attributed to actual activities taking place on the fireground. An average of 26 % or 9 of those per year can be linked to firefighters getting caught or trapped on the fireground.

When placing ground ladders for emergency escape purposes, the angle that the ladder is positioned will need to be less than the recommended 75 degrees or one-quarter of the distance from the ground to the window that is traditionally instructed for ladder placement. If the ladders are placed at 75 degrees or greater, an escaping firefighter would have an increased chance of sliding down the ladder too quickly or, even worse, missing it completely because of their momentum caused by gravity. A firefighter with an SCBA. on their back has a center of balance that can pull them "head over heels" if the angle is to steep. By placing the ladder less than 75 degrees it will ensure a more controlled technique by the firefighter exiting the window.

The tip of the ladder will need to be placed just below the windowsill (see Figure 3). If the ladder is placed at the window with the rails above the windowsill, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for a firefighter to exit the window. The firefighter will be forced to bring themselves up into the deteriorating conditions to get onto the ladder and window opening size will be decreased.

There are several ladder bailout techniques that are being instructed throughout the fire service. Only two of the available techniques will be discussed. These two techniques were chosen firmly based on the firefighter's ability to maintain control of their body as well as their descent.

"Hook And Go" Technique
The first technique is referred to as the "Hook and Go" or the "Hook 2 Go to 4". This technique has been a mainstay of many self-survival programs, but I believe that it was developed by the Illinois Fire Service Institute as part of their "Saving Our Own Program" in the early 1990's. An advantage to this technique is that a firefighter will not have to worry about relying on arm or hand strength to perform it.

The first consideration when utilizing any of the techniques is to make certain that a ladder is present outside the window and that it is positioned correctly.
The firefighter places the first arm under the second rung down, palm up, "hooking" the rung with the elbow. The hand on this arm should not grasp any rung at any time - to do so may result in a serious injury to the wrist (see Figure 4).
The opposite hand should be slid down the beam of the ladder to the fourth rung down.
The firefighter reaches out across their body with the hand that is on the beam and grasps the fourth rung while sliding their body forward (see Figure 5).
The momentum of this movement will cause the body to pivot on the elbow hooking the second rung, ending in an upright position ready to descend the ladder (see Figure 6).

"Extended Reach" Technique
The second technique to perform the same maneuver is the "Extended Reach" or Butterfly". Many firefighters prefer this method since they are actually grasping a rung which gives them a sense of security.

The first consideration when utilizing any of the techniques is to make certain that a ladder is present outside the window and that it is positioned correctly.
The firefighter will exit the window, staying low to the sill grasping the second rung of the ladder palm up and placing the opposite hand on the ladder rail. The hand on the rail is kept in an open grip position to allow it to slide (see Figure 7).
The hand on the rail is slid downward bringing the body of the firefighter forward out of the window (see Figure 8).
As the firefighter clears the windowsill, their momentum will cause their body to pivot at which time the hand on the rail should grasp the next closest rung across the body (see Figure 9).
The pivot should take place in a controllable manner with the firefighter's feet ending in a position to allow them to exit from the ladder in a safe conventional technique.

Once out and clear of the window the firefighter must quickly get out of the way so that the rest of their crew can also exit. This can be accomplished by the ladder slide. The ladder slide is only to be used in an extreme circumstance - serious injuries can result from the firefighter hitting the ground too hard with their feet if they slide down too quickly or lose control. Like the maneuver to clear the window, firefighters can easily lose control of their descent if the angle of the ladder is too steep. When practicing in training, make certain all of the same safety parameters are in place as the maneuver used to clear the window.

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