Ch. 19 Operating Aerial Apparatus Flashcards
Climbing and Riding on an Aerial Device
- Fall protection equipment for any personnel climbing ladder or riding in platform
- Fall protection features:
-on a ladder- handrails
-platform- railings and gates - Each operator should be equipped with a fall restraint ladder belt
- must be Safely Anchored any time:
-not actively climbing or descending ladder
-not actively entering or exiting platform
-device is in motion
Safety Tether Anchor Points
- Safety Officer selects length
- Use only structural features of ladder or platform
- Never:
-use feature that allows clip to slide more than few inches
-anchor onto cables, wires, lights
-operate ladder or platform alone
Climbing or Descending the Ladder
-Maintain three points of contact
-Anchor tether any time you pause in climb
Moving the Device with People on the Ladder
- Operator is responsible for people on device
- Starting and stopping rotation can cause device to jerk
- never rotate, elevate, or extend w/ people on ladder unless securely attached
-never extend/retract with people on ladder
-Create pinch and crush hazard - Maintain communication before moving ladder
Riding in the Platform
-Equipped with railings and gates to improve safety
-Must be tethered to structural feature
Aerial Device Wire Rope Hazard
-Stay clear of wire rope during operation
-Never touch wire rope while in tension or under load
-Wire rope will develop “barbs” which can slice skin
-Pinch hazard
Operating Aerial Controls
- Driver must be well versed in layout and controls
- Well trained in location, function, how it operates, and when it is used
- If visual contact can’t be made operator must rely on spotter w/ the following commands:
-Raise
-lower
-Rotate
-Extend
-Retract
Aerial: Primary and Secondary Control Positions
Primary Control
- Lower control located at turntable
- Responsible for safe operation and personnel near device
- Secondary Control
-When firefighter has secondary control driver must be at primary control
-Located at upper (tip) or in platform
-Final positioning of aerial ladder during rescue or other firefighting operations
Aerial: Using the Load Chart
- Ladders often rated at higher tip capacities as elevation angles increase
- Load chart gives description of load that can be distributed on aerial
-Some may be electronic load monitoring or envelope control systems
-can fail or give inaccurate info
-shouldn’t be relied upon
Operating Telescoping Aerial Equipment
- Include:
-Aerial Ladders
-Aerial Ladder Platforms
-Telescoping Elevating Platforms
-Telescoping Water Towers - Raising consist of series of motion elevating, rotating, extending, lowering
-Simultaneous control such with a “joystick”
-Using one motion at a time is recommended
-Movement must be slow, smooth and controlled (Feathering)
-Full speed should be minimized due to large amounts of dynamic stress
Operating Articulating Aerial Equipment
2 types
- Each has two or more sections called booms
- Two Types:
- Water tower
-equipped with master stream nozzle at end of boom
-Not intended to lift firefighters or equipment - Aerial Platform
-equipped with a platform and master stream nozzle
-Designed to carry firefighters and equipment
-Articulating platforms should be operated forward of turntable - Speed is proportional to amount of control lever pushed or pulled
- Hinge (knuckle) joint, particularly at lower elevations, may be behind, above, or below the position of the operator, making visibility difficult
Aerial Ladders with Piped Waterways and Water Towers
- Remote controls allow driver to manipulate fire stream
-Change stream, pattern, and direction - Pinnable waterways permanently attached nozzle system
-Either at tip or one section (fly) lower
-Fire mode at tip
-Rescue mode section lower
Aerial Ladders with Detachable Waterways
-Firefighter exposed to the heat
-Don’t have aerial operation controls at the tip
-Operated at turntable or ground level
-Ropes allow nozzle to be raised or lower
-Shut down the water when Firefighter has to climb ladder to manually change the stream
-Only one firefighter should be on top fly of aerial
Elevating Platforms
-Provide a safer standing position to operate stream
-NFPA requires heat shield and protective water curtain
-Have piped breathing air system
-Platforms have control panels that allow firefighters at tip to control device
Aerial: Cold Weather
-Causes increased viscosity of hydraulic oil, slowing overall operation
-Limit of ice build-up is ¼-inch
-Minimize shock loading
-High pressure steam or liquid to remove ice
-Strongest position is in line with chassis
-Consider keeping aerial in line with apparatus chassis (strongest position)
-Ice shrugging slowly extending and retracting aerial to remove ice (large amounts ineffective)
