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Comment by cmuwayne on November 14, 2008 at 3:53pm

My second comment involves a product that I have seen in action. It is a ladder leveler and I was amazed by how great it worked. I would like to know if any of you have ever seen this ladder leveler and if so why don't the fire departments use them?

Comment by cmuwayne on November 14, 2008 at 3:51pm

Hello all,
I am Wayne. I am married to a beautiful woman who is a firefighter. I hope I am not overstepping my bounds by posting a few questions considering i am a spouse instead of an actual firefighter but I have a few issues that I could use some help with. First my wife is small, about 110 pounds on a real heavy day and I support her as best I can, but often times I worry about the activities she is performing. One of the main things I worry about is her up on a ladder. It is often times windy and dark and very easy to miss a rung. I don't want to hear horror stories but I would like to know if this is something that much smaller people have a bigger chance of running into troubles with or is it pretty even odds no matter your size?

Comment by Jenny Holderby on October 27, 2008 at 2:45am

A dear friend of mine was the training officer of a near by municiple department who hosts a local week long training opportunity for the region once a year. During training I had just gone up to the top of the smoke tower & rapeled down the side. Remember I don't like heights but I signed up for the class & I was determined to do it, as a SO I need to know how to tie knots & check ropes & watch for problems during high angle rescues. (Thank God we've never had one).
The dept had just gotten an new 100ft aerial ladder that everyone was admiring & climbing with the thing stuck straight up in the sky, just sitting there, going no where. Note also that my friend & I have known each other for many years & he knew I was feeling brave that day & he knew my issue with ladders. So he says "Hey Jen, c'mon WE are going to climb us a ladder." And I said "HEY Buddy, unless you have a mouse in your pocket YOU are going to climb the ladder alone, my butt is staying on the ground". He is persistant & he is a training officer so he tried again. "C'mon Jen, I'll be right there with you all the way".
I said: "Pal, I hate confined spaces. But if your butt is stuck in a hole, I'll come down to help you out. I don't like high angles but if your sorry carcus is laying @ the bottom of a cliff & you can't climb up by yourself, I'll come down & help you. That THING is going no where but up & nobody up there needs my help. The only reason you want to follow me on that contraption is so you have an excuse for my behind in your face. If you want me on that ladder, put it up to a roof, show me some smoke coming out of the building, stand on top of it & yell "HELP" & I will be there, but until then, my feet & my butt stay on the ground period."
I have never had a reason to climb a 100 ft aerial yet.
I have climbed to a second story window carrying tools, stood on the ladder & handed them inside. I have climbed to the roof & spent some time up there working on ventilation. I have stood on a ladder & popped the attic vents out. I have to set the ladder myself & make absolutely sure it isn't going anywhere before I take the first step. So instead of having a fear of ladders maybe I am just being extremely cautious.

Comment by Rich on October 27, 2008 at 1:28am

Hey I'll admit I hate being on a ladder....for me its my fear of heights....though when it comes down to it at a fire scene I will climb the 75' stick and operate our 100' tower ladder heck I will sit and vent a roof all damn day...just not a fan.

Kevin- for the arial the best thing you can do is set up the ladder and climb as high as you feel comfortable.... keep doin that and you will wanna push yourself to eventually get to the top. Its not a one day process but it works man....thats what my officers did with me when I first got in.

Comment by Kevin Teel on October 27, 2008 at 12:24am

Dustin, do you have any advice on someone afraid of climbing the arial. I had a situation where i was nervous and froze for 30 seconds on the arial because I thought i was going to lose my footing and fall in between the rungs. I'm primarily an engine guy but sometimes if manpower is low I tag in on the truck. Any advice for me will be greatly appreciated.

Kevin

Comment by Jenny Holderby on October 26, 2008 at 1:05pm

I'm one of the fire fighters who does not like ladders. On many occassions I have climbed a ladder when I HAD TO CLIMB IT but don't set a ladder in the floor & tell me to go up, cross & come down. I can't/won't.
As far as SCBA goes, there are numerous fire fighters who would rather not don SCBA unless the have to. When it becomes a necessity, the brain redirects and you do things you wouldn't normally do.

I have had several fire fighters who were uncomfortable in SCBA until they learned how to breath with it on. One of our newest members is "slightly clostrophobic" and came down with chest pains in training. I suspect the chest pains were actually an anxiety attack manifesting as chest pains. When he was taken to the hospital they found that he was also dehydrated.

Comment by Dustin J. Millis on October 26, 2008 at 12:47pm

I dont see how someone who would not put on an SCBA could become an officer. I mean, I know everybodys afraid of something and we really shouldnt judge them for it, but there are so many cases where a FF is totally uneffective when he wont even put on an SCBA. That doesnt set a very good example for younger FF's which is what I thought officers were supposed to do.

Comment by Mark Montgomery on October 26, 2008 at 5:54am

This is not, in my experience, uncommon. I have come a cross numerous firefighters over the years with all sorts of problems or in some cases phobias about many of the aspects we expect firefighters to take on.

For example, we had an officer who would not, under any circumstances, wear SCBA! This person was a training officer at a busy volunteer station but on 7 years working with him and at numerous calls I never on saw him even put a set on his back, let alone start up.