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Permalink Reply by Rod Irvine on November 24, 2010 at 2:05am

have a look at the posts on tools you carry on your helmet the info is on there

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Permalink Reply by ColoradoDave on November 24, 2010 at 7:59am

Look at the post tools to carry on your helmet. I carry 2 on my lid and one in 1 in pocket.  Mine are "1 wood rod cut to I think "4 long and I used "4 Ridged shank nails and wrapped them in electrical tape. 

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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on November 24, 2010 at 9:02am

I've used both 'cherry bomb' and wedge chocks. I prefer wooden wedge chocks with a butt thickness of around 1". Very few doors have a floor gap greater than 1". Where cherry bomb chocks can only be used between the door and jamb, wedge chocks can be used either between the door and jamb as well as between the floor and door. More versatile.

Also, open a door in your house (or station) and measure the (diagonal) gap between the jamb and door, it's generally between 2 3/4" to 3"(from edge of stop to edge of door, for a door that only opens to 90 degrees), which means that to keep the door fully open you'd need a cherry bomb chock at least 2 3/4" dia. For a door that opens to or nearly to 180 deg. you'd need one almost 4" in dia., (Since it opens to 180 degrees a wedge under the door or between jamb and door works best. If it even needs to be chocked at all.

Also, unless you have a double 90 degree angle on the nail (up from the cherry bomb to a 90, a short straight run and then another 90) or a 'fish hook' bend, it can be easily dislodged, as it only keeps the door from closing to about 70 deg. which means the door gets bounced back and forth to the wall and open again and the cherry bomb can easily dislodge.

Wedge chocks can be dislodged by boots or hose and are best placed above the top hinge of the door and driven in firmly (or kicked in at the door's butt (narrow) edge at the floor). If you need to use a chock, any damage to the door, jamb or stop is irrelevant.

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Permalink Reply by FETC on November 24, 2010 at 9:17am

Word of caution, for the amount of times you use them, they are better suited for storage in your bellows pockets. That and most everything on helmets become entanglement hazards.

When I do the firefighter survival entanglement box, I make the students leave all this crap on their helmets before they start and often times are extremely frustrated with helmet entanglement...

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Permalink Reply by Ben Rackl on November 24, 2010 at 10:06am

Thanks for all the great info guys.

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Permalink Reply by Greenman on November 25, 2010 at 12:49pm

That's a good way to teach them to leave all that crap off their helmets! It might look "cool" to have wedges, etc on your helmet on TV, like you're "back in the the 'Nam" or something, but they just get "caught up" when you're actually working.

Greenman

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