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Permalink Reply by Moose on September 29, 2008 at 7:52am

Are you talking about the old "Swiss Seat" harness tied out of rope? With the leg loops and the waist loop so you can be lowered to "Rescue" someone from a window or something? That was back in the 70's wasnt it? I found a picture of it in the old Essentials workbook I have still. Thats been replaced with the Hasty Harness now.

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Permalink Reply by T. Crookshank on September 29, 2008 at 8:12am

Well, I took step-by-step photos and tried to assemble an instruction in Word, but with all the photos in one document, my PC took a dump and I lost my work. Next time, I'm buying a Mac.

Anyway, I'm going to try a different approach tonight. I'll post the pics to my photobucket account, and write the instructions into the headings for each photo. Might end up better that way...

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Permalink Reply by T. Crookshank on October 5, 2008 at 8:50pm

I call this the rescue knot. Basically it's a harness made from a rope for egress/rescue.

Sorry this took so long...

Step 1 - Take the end of a life safety rope making sure that at least three feet extends from the outside of your LEFT hand. This three feet must be preserved throughout the knot tying process. I refer to it as the "tail" later.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/1.jpg[/IMG]

Step 2 - Form a bight from the standing end of the rope. Remember, we have to preserve that initial 3 feet, the "tail".

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/2.jpg[/IMG]

Step 3 - Increase the size of the bight. If you're tying this around a small to medium sized person in street clothes, the bight should measure from their belly to the top of their foot. For larger people, or firefighters in bunker gear, the length should be from the belly to the floor or slightly longer. The reason: we're going to make a double loop figure eight, one loop for each leg. Did you remember to lengthen the bight from the standing side? Good, then you still got that original 3 feet - the "tail".

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/3.jpg[/IMG]

Step 4 - Make a double loop figure eight.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/4.jpg[/IMG]

Step 5 - Get in (or slip it on the person you're rescuing). You should still have that original 3 feet dangling between your legs (now you know why I refer to it as a "tail").

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/7.jpg[/IMG]

Step 6 - Now with the standing end in your left hand, extend your arm straight out...

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/8.jpg[/IMG]

Step 7 - ... now twist counter clockwise to form a loop. It is important that you twist counter clockwise and not the other way.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/9.jpg[/IMG]

Step 8 - dive into the loop, get it over the head, shoulders, and arms...

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/10.jpg[/IMG]

Step 9 - Now cinch it tight, as high as possible, just under the pits. You should be looking at a half-hitch in the center of the chest, with the higher side on the left. If the higher side of the half-hitch is on the right, you didn't turn counter clockwise when you formed the loop in step 7.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/11.jpg[/IMG]

Step 10 - Make a bight. If it helps you from being confused, you might want to throw the standing end over you shoulder while you work the knot at the intersection in the middle of the chest.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/12.jpg[/IMG]

Step 11 - Tuck the bight down and behind the right side of the half hitch.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/13.jpg[/IMG]

Step 12 - The bight now comes up and under itself. Pull it through... stil got that "tail" dangling between your legs? Good.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/15.jpg[/IMG]

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Permalink Reply by Kimberly A Bownas on October 5, 2008 at 9:01pm

Wow, that is really interesting and looks a little complicated. At least for me anyway. Great job with the instructions and the pics to go along with it. Did you learn this in a class by the way, I don't remember if you said that you had or not...Be safe...

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Permalink Reply by T. Crookshank on October 5, 2008 at 9:19pm

Kim,

This is required in our Academy, even though it's not in the IFSTA book, nor is it a part of NFPA guidlines. We have to rappel off the burn tower in this.

It's actually very simple, if you practice it. A video would be better, I'll have to follow this up with a vid. Maybe two: one in slow-mo in my civvies while explaining it, and the other as fast as I can do it with my bunker gear on... maybe I can even get a pic or video off the burn tower...

I am really not crazy about the format on this site. It's not like any other forums, and I can't seem to get used to it. My original post was cut off, apparently because it was too long, so I had to finish it in another post. Also, HTML doesn't work, so the pics aren't embedded.

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Permalink Reply by T. Crookshank on October 5, 2008 at 9:20pm

Step 13 - Pull the "tail" up through the bight. There are two pictures below. The first shows the "tail" being fed through a twisted bight. This is not a deal breaker, but the bight should not be twisted.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/17.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/18.jpg[/IMG]

Step 14 - As you pull up on the standing end, push down on the knot at the intersection in the center of the chest. The knot will cinch, and "filp". Really watch for this, you'll see it the knot basically invert.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/19.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/20.jpg[/IMG]

Step 15 - Tie an overhand safety knot.

[IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c158/calbaceli/21.jpg[/IMG]

Maybe next I'll do a a video, it might work out better that way.

Practice on yourself (in your bunker gear) and on other people (with and without bunker gear). It's intimidating at first, but with practice, it's actually very fast to tie.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Brooks on October 6, 2008 at 8:51am

A sling-link would be both faster and safer to use. Also, anyone can put a Sling-link on, even a victim with a littel coaching. Red goes on the legs, yellow on the arms and pull on the green.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Thomas on October 6, 2008 at 10:38am

Thanks for the website Catherine. I had no idea that site even existed. Great teaching tool!

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 6, 2008 at 9:28pm

Brian,

Nope, I'm talking about using the rope without tying any kind of harness out of rope, webbing, or whatever. I'll try to find a picture, scan it, and upload it.

The knots I'm talking about are from the 1975 MFRI Basic Firefighting book that pre-dated Edition 1 of the Essentials Manual by several years.

Ben

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Permalink Reply by Rich on October 6, 2008 at 10:52pm

Thanks for all your effort in putting this together. Not everyone runs with a sling-link, so this is good for everyone. Plus this is perfect for a non-tramatic rescue senario with multiple victims, ie. elevator stuck between floors. the rescurer ties this on himself, gets lowered, easily steps out of the system and has the first victim step into the system where he/she is raised to safety, and the system is easily lowered back down annd the next victim steps into the system and so on til you are raised at the end of the situation.
thanks for your time and effort,
Rich

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Permalink Reply by T. Crookshank on October 7, 2008 at 9:58am

Rich,

Your very welcome. That's exactly correct. I'll try to make a video over the next few days, I think it'll make more sense.

Cheers,

T

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Permalink Reply by Ret.Ol' fireman57 on October 7, 2008 at 11:33am

try this site and it's a good info.

http://www.animatedknots.com/indexrescue.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg...

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