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What's On Your Stick?
This past week we did some aerial operations and flat roof ops training over a three day period. We used our own 105 foot straight stick and a neighboring departments 105 foot bucket. What learned real fast was that everyone uses their ladder/aerial device differently and has different equipment on the ladder/aerial device.
It made me very curious about why departments build and set up their device certain ways. So, I have taken some time to look at a few aerial apparatus over this past week just to get a better idea about what is out there. Does it make a difference to me if it is not my device? Absolutely!
We run a great deal of mutual aid and there is a good chance that I might be operating off of someone else’s aerial device. It is good to know what the different options are on our surrounding sticks. How does the nozzle work? What tools are on the ladder and what do I need to bring with me? The options go on and on.
So, what do you have on your stick? What tools are mounted and do you like to have on the ladder? Does your device provide air or are you limited to what’s on your back? If there are roof/attic ladders on the stick, what are their lengths? Will they reach down from your tallest parapet wall?
There is nothing like being prepared and this is sometimes overlooked because it is not always used, especially in rural and suburban areas.
Give us your feedback and comments, we are all waiting to learn some great ideas and suggestions.
Train hard and stay safe.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Russ on
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Great Topic Jason! on the stick i like having a pike pole and axe. In a bucket in addition to the pike and axe, i like having a halligan, attic ladder, section of utility rope (able to reach the ground) and assorted straight tip nozzles. when it comes to aerial devices i am a little more partial to tower ladders because of the versatility
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Permalink Reply by Jason Hoevelmann on
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Thanks Russ. Those are some really good suggestions. There has got to be a good deal of differing preferences and I can't wait to hear them all. Thanks for commenting.
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U R welcome and i have a followup question. do you believe that there is a practical need/use for fog nozzles on aerial devices? in my opinion they have their applications but a solid stream kills more fire, your and anone elses opinion please?
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I agree the solid stream is better for fire attack, no doubt. The whole idea is "big water", right? However, the only time I would prefer a fog nozzle is I was using the aerial for an elevated master stream for exposure control. Other than that, the smooth bore is the way to go if you ask me.
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Permalink Reply by Brotherhood Instructors, LLC on
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Hey Jay,
We have a 6' Hook and a Halligan tool mounted to the tip of our aerial ladder. This tool compliment allows the Roof FF two free hands while climbing, since the roof rope or saw is slung over the shoulder.
Some companies also have a 10' folding attic ladder (suitcase ladder) mounted on the top fly as well. This is a great advantage as it can be used to descend high parapets, gain access to an uneven roof-line (building to building) or give you that much needed "boost" to get you to the top of a roof bulkhead to take the skylights above the stairs.
Just my 2 cents!
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A broom stick, just kidding. A straight stick is just a ladder/aerial device, no bucket. Typically a ladder with a bucket is labeled a tower ladder. Hope this helps.
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Permalink Reply by lang on
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We've got a tower ladder at my dept. We have a hook and folding ladder in the boom. In the bucket we have flat and pic head axes, 100 ft of 1 3/4 handline with automatic nozzle, ladder belts, a smooth bore nozzle on one master stream, a automatic nozzle on the other, utility rope, and different tips for the smooth bore, and a halligan and I think that's it.
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Permalink Reply by Chris on
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Up here in the Northeast our Tower Ladder carries Flat head, pick head, Haligan, bolt cutters, short length of 1 3/4" nozzle, long hook, short hook, 12' roof ladder, search rope, door chalks, 2 6' lanyards, breathing air lines, and some things specific to cold weather that i have not heard yet, shovel, chinmey chain set up with gloves and mirror. We also have a chain saw scabard mounted on the outside of the bucket so the saw is not sitting on the floor unless you take a circular saw.
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Also, on my stright stick quint at my vollie dept. we have a 8' hook, flat head, chimney set up and some other small misc stuff in a box mounted at the tip, and a 16' roof.
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Permalink Reply by Doug on
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My thoughts exactly. And we've used ours for exposure protection on a few occasions in the fog pattern setting. I have no problem having an adjustable nozzle on the stick, we've pumped right along side areal devices with smooth bores and outperformed theirs with our adjustable. Oh, and we carry an 8' pike pole and a pick head axe on our stick.
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