CMC Podcast E3 - Should aerial ladders be used as artificial high directionals for rope rescue?

[@Rescue-mt7fl]

Look a little deeper than just recommendations that are anecdotal. Look at all of the cases of aerial ladder collapse and failures. There are many. Often these failures include weight and ladder movement. Loads that create a twist to the ladder, such as moving a load side to side, places all of the load onto one ladder channel with a resultant of pulling up on the opposite side. Raising and rotating at the same time is one of the largest areas this happens. The longer your ladder is extended, the more the bed sections pry against the ladder bed itself. This is a class 1 lever at its pry point at the bed sections and a class 2 when coming over the hydraulic arms. My rescue utilized both our straight stick tiller mounted ladders and our rear mount buckets for anchor points. In doing this we never extended the ladder beyond 50 percent extension. We ensured all ladder locks were engaged and the ladder controls were idled down and covered. We operated as close to 45 with a max of 60 degree slope to ensure resultant would pull back towards the turntable. For belay, we utilized the petzl ASAP lock so that there was minimal impact load from the potential failure. As to system, most frequently we utilized our anchor and system off of the rescue and not the ladder. Consider engineered anchors off of a separate apparatus where line runs as close along the line of the bed. In using another base anchor for your system, you can often move the run above the ladder similar to how the cranes cables run in truss constructed cranes. Consider a system such as a harken lokhead winch that guns back to your engineered anchor off of another apparatus. The 45 - 60 degree aerial alignment allows the rope to run above the ladder without running down rungs. Great discussion. Stay safe and practice before you need it.

[@taylorbracken5045]

Are you guys still responding to questions from this podcast?

[@andrewkreglow5457]

Hello, I was looking for the aerial manual which references using hydraulics to raise and lower a stokes basket. Specifically using extend/retract vs raise/lower for lifting. I heard it referenced in your podcast and was wondering where I could find it.

[@johnnovaktr2fd677]

I found a brief mention of it when I googled Pierce aerial apparatus manual pdf

[@andrewkreglow5457]

@@johnnovaktr2fd677 Thanks for the recommendation. Is there a way you could put the link to which manual you referenced, I get multiple manuals with that google search.

[@johnnovaktr2fd677]

www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcfrs-psta/Resources/Files/Driver/Aerial_Units/2016_Pierce_AWS_Aerial%20Operator%20Manual.pdf