5- Truck Company S&T- Ground Ladders

Question 1

Many truck company activities involve the use of ground ladders. In a structure fire incident, ground ladders may be needed for any or all of the following:

*4 answers

Answer 1

-Gaining access to the outside of a burning building
-Reaching lockboxes to facilitate rapid and nondestructive entry
-Reaching windows to facilitate entry, horizontal ventilation, or rescues
-Accessing the roofs of some structures for vertical ventilation

Question 2

To perform ground ladder evolutions when needed, firefighters must be physically fit- with special emphasis on ___ ____ strength- and employ proper body mechanics and ladder handling techniques.

Answer 2

Upper Body

Question 3

Unless the situation dictates otherwise, the _____ ground ladder on scene should be deployed first, then the next, then the next, etc..

Answer 3

Longest

Question 4

The most critical factors when selecting and positioning ground ladders are:

*3 answers

Answer 4

-Primary objective (rescue, window, or roof access, etc.)
-Fire size and location
-Current and expected fire behavior

Question 5

The effective length of a ladder is always SHORTER than its actual length because of the safe ____ and ____ angle.

Answer 5

Climbing and Working

Question 6

The ideal climbing angle for ground ladders is __ degrees from horizontal.

Answer 6

75

Question 7

The proper distance from the building that the butt (base) of the ladder should be placed can be determined by dividing the used length of the ladder by ___.

*Used length = vertical distance above the ground where the ladder contacts the building - NOT the full length of the ladder

Answer 7

Four

Question 8

The ladder selected must not only be long enough to reach the objective at a safe climbing angle, but must also extend __ to __ rungs above any parapet or roof eave.

Answer 8

3 to 5 rungs

Question 9

____ _____ are equipped with staypoles (tormentor poles) for stability. The staypoles are used to assist in lifting the ladder vertically and in leaning the ladder into the building. When the ladder is in the vertical position and the fly section is being extended or retracted, the staypoles also provide lateral stability.

Answer 9

Pole Ladders

Question 10

Pole ladders are equipped with _____ (tormentor poles) for stability. The _____ are used to assist in lifting the ladder vertically and in leaning the ladder into the building. When the ladder is in the vertical position and the fly section is being extended or retracted, the ______ also provide lateral stability.

Answer 10

Staypoles

Question 11

A minimum of ___ firefighters are required to raise a pole ladder.

Answer 11

Four

*but adding a 5th or 6th firefighter increases safety and efficiency

Question 12

If a ladder is to be used for positioning a firefighter to break a window for ventilation, it should be placed alongside the window to the _____ side. The tip should be _____ the upper portion of the window.

Answer 12

-Windward (upwind) Side
-Tip should be even with the upper portion

*Same position can be used when firefighters need to climb in or out of narrow windows or direct hose streams into them.

Question 13

If a ladder is to be used for entry or rescue through a window, the ladder tip is usually placed on the ____ of the window, slightly ___ the sill.

Answer 13

Mid-Line of the window
Slightly below the sill

Question 14

While ____ _____ is not the only reason for using ladders to access the roof of a burning building, it is the most frequent.

Answer 14

Vertical Ventilation

Question 15

In the absence of an aerial device, ground ladders are the primary means of gaining access to the roof of structures up to __ stories in height.

Answer 15

Four

Question 16

While ladders can be used to construct a variety of water removal contrivances, they are most often used to construct ____ ____.

Answer 16

Water Chutes

Question 17

Water chutes are constructed on the floor:

Answer 17

Below the one on which the water has accumulated.

*They are positioned directly beneath holes cut in the upper floor to allow the water to be drained.

Question 18

To construct a water chute, use the following 5 steps:

Answer 18

1. Open a window in an outside wall
2. Position a step ladder or A-frame directly below the drain hole (or where the drain hole will be created)
3. Place pike poles at the edges of a salvage cover with the pike extended off the end of the cover
4. Roll the edges over the pike poles toward the middle until there is a 3ft width between the rolls
5. Hook the pike ends to the ladder and extend the poles out the window to create the chute

Question 19

When necessary to save lives, ladders can be used to bridge the gap between two points. If the gap between buildings is not more than _____ the ladder’s length, a single ladder can be laid on the roof of one building and the tip simply slid over to the other building.

Answer 19

One-third

*same technique can be used from window to window, roof to window, or vice versa between buildings

Question 20

If the gap between buildings is more than _____ the ladder’s length, a different technique must be used to bridge the gap. (it must be lowered into position from the vertical using guide ropes)

Answer 20

One-third