Hey guys new to the forum just a quick question i got in a debate last night at are truck check about a 14 foot folding ladder it has the option of being an A frame ladder or being a straigt 14 footer and i was told by my captian that there is no uses for it so my question to you guys what would you use it for ?

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I suppose a use could be found at some point, but you probably have a 10 foot attic ladder, so it may be a duplication - just "taking up space." An advantage of the folding function is it could be free standing.

Welcome to FFN.

Try using an attic ladder to check a light ballast.

Good point. Balancing act.

a ladder like this would be great for checking above a drop Ceiling. you dont want to take a attic ladder and use it with a drop ceiling unless you can lean it against the wall and have someone foot the ladder. a ladder like this set up in the a frame postion will aloow you to check above the drop ceiling with out damaging it. Also which would you perfer to use your own depts lets say Little Giant ladder or a aframe ladder avialble on site that you have no idea how old it is, if its safe or not. I know I would choose my depts ladder any day over a ladder that may be found on site.

Has anyone here ever heard of the "Auditorium Raise"?  I learned it in Ladder Operations Training and it works with any size ladder.  If you need to check a balast use a 12' straight ladder and do this raise (If you have the manpower)

I realy see no use for a 14' folding ladder.  We have a 10' attic ladder that I feel is useless...we went to use it at a chimney fire last winter and it didnt fit in any of the closets that had an attic access panel in it to check for extension into the attic...we had to use the probie on his hands and knees so I could look into the attic!!  Folding ladders are for tight spaces, look into attics or above drop ceilings, use in rescues of firefighters fallen through holes in the floor and you need a quick method to get them up, we use them to stabilize suction hoses in frozen ponds as well, rig them up with ropes over a hole cut in ice and put the suction through one of the rungs.

There are many tools, many tactics, many ways to do any one thing, we should learn to use our basic tools in as many ways as possible and not tunnel vision (like you can only use the sharp blade of the axe to cut a vent hole...you CAN use the flat head as well and it works better, doesnt get wedged in the roofing)

 

Seems like we might have different ideas of what a folding ladder is. I consider a folding ladder to be the "attic" or "scuttle" ladder. The one I envision you are describing would be described more like a "combination" ladder, such as the Little Giant.

As far as there being "no use for it", I would have to disagree. It would be quicker to deploy if I had to get on the other side of a 6 or 8 foot cinder block wall, rather than breaching. If it's like the Little Giant, it could also be used as a make shift scaffold or work platform in certain situations. We in fact carry a 14 ft Little Giant which we frequently use to change batteries in smoke detectors in houses with vaulted ceilings, and have used it to scale fences. A lot safer than the narrow attic ladder, and easier to move inside a house than a roof ladder. Sometimes, you need a little imagination and think outside the box.

There are many tools, many tactics, many ways to do any one thing, we should learn to use our basic tools in as many ways as possible and not tunnel vision (like you can only use the sharp blade of the axe to cut a vent hole...you CAN use the flat head as well and it works better, doesnt get wedged in the roofing)

 

Thats basically what I was trying to say in my above passage.

 

You can also be talking about a folding "step ladder" as well in a 14' model?  Maybe that is what the OP was referring to as well?

I like the "LIttle Giant" type folding ladders they are very versatile and can fit many situations but we lack storage space for something like that, and even folded up they are bulky units to carry around with you even with a shoulder strap.

Many tactics, many tools; train train train on everything you have available to you.

Stay Safe

We have one. It's like the Willie Mays "as seen on TV" ladder. Definitely handy, especially in drop ceilings. Also splits off into 2 small stepladders, add a 2x12 and it makes good 3 foot scaffolding for washing the trucks.

 

I think your Captain is wrong. There are endless uses for folding ladders. Try getting a 10 or 14 foot straight ladder in an elevator!

Those type of ladders are ideal for making a porch where the steps are compromised, burned through, or both. There also great for covering interior stairs that are in the same if not worse shape. Tools and equipment are as functional as our imaginations let them be. Be safe.

I believe he is talking about the Little Giant ladder. It can be used as a straight ladder or an A-frame step ladder. If so they are not fire service rated. But they are very useful and we carry them on the rescue.

 

Multiple uses - YES - see below

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