Firefighting ladders: types, parts, raises and angle

A folding ladder has two beams and no hook of any kind at the top.

The pompier (scaling) ladder has one center beam with rungs on both sides and a gooseneck hook set over a sill to climb floor to floor.

A combination ladder converts between straight and A-frame use and has two beams.

A roof ladder has two beams like a straight ladder; it is not a single-beam scaling ladder.

Locking the leg on the working side twists the body toward the work and makes leaning out less stable.

Leg strength is not the rule; the side of the work decides which leg is locked.

The leg opposite the working side is locked, so a firefighter working to the left locks the right leg and stays balanced while leaning out.

A leg lock uses one leg; the other foot stays on a rung to support the firefighter.

Hinged rungs let the beams fold together, so the folding ladder is narrow enough to carry through halls and fit a scuttle.

A combination ladder converts between straight and A-frame use but does not fold narrow enough for a scuttle.

A roof ladder keeps the full width of a straight ladder, too wide for a scuttle opening.

A pompier ladder is a specialty scaling ladder; it does not fold and is not built for attic scuttles.

Tie rods run between the beams to hold them together; they do not move the fly.

Guides keep the fly sliding in line with the bed; they do not raise it.

Stops keep the fly from being extended too far, without moving it up or down.

The halyard is the rope or cable pulled to raise and lower the fly section.

A changed label already signals possible heat damage; rechecking later leaves a weakened ladder in use.

A new label erases the record of exposure while the possible damage stays.

A changed label calls for a service test, not automatic disposal; a ladder that passes the test can go back in service.

A changed heat label means the ladder may have been heated enough to weaken it, so it is tagged out and tested before anyone climbs it again.

Paint does not turn wood into a conductor; the electrical hazard of any ladder comes from moisture and metal parts.

Paint covers the wood, so cracks, rot and heat damage cannot be seen during inspection; clear varnish leaves the grain visible.

Peeling is a cosmetic issue; the real problem with paint is what it hides.

A coat of paint adds negligible weight; weight is not why it is avoided.

Stops only keep the fly from being overextended; they do not hold it at a working height.

Guides keep the fly sliding in line with the bed section and carry no load.

Pawls (dogs) hook over a bed-section rung to hold the fly at the chosen height and must be seen locked before anyone climbs.

Butt spurs are at the foot and keep the base from slipping, far from where the fly locks.

The firefighter at the butt can see the whole ladder as it goes up, so that member calls the raise.

The member at the tip is under the ladder's weight and cannot see the base.

Distance from the wall says nothing about who has the view of the whole ladder.

An officer at the apparatus is not part of the raise and cannot see the ladder's footing.

A hand on the wall gives no grip on the ladder and can hide a slip until it is too late.

With both hands on the tool, the climber has nothing to hold if a foot slips.

A rope line is not anchored for a climber's weight and is not a handhold.

Sliding the free hand under the beam keeps a constant grip without letting go between rungs.

A tip at the top of the window is a ventilation placement, out of reach for moving a victim.

A tip beside the window suits ventilation; it does not line the ladder up with the opening for a rescue.

With the tip just below the sill, the victim can be brought over the sill onto the ladder without the tip blocking the window.

Rungs across the opening block part of the window and get in the way of passing a victim out.

Standing on the bottom rung is a way to heel from the outside; from underneath, the firefighter holds the beams.

Gripping the beams keeps hands clear of the climber's boots, and looking ahead keeps falling debris off the face.

Stepping back to watch the tip means letting go, which removes the heel entirely.

Hands on the rungs get stepped on, and looking up exposes the face to anything that falls.

A common guide is one firefighter for each 10 ft of ladder, always within the maker's rated load.

One per 20 ft is far more cautious than the usual guide; it is not the general rule.

A flat number ignores length; a short ladder cannot safely hold as many people as a long one.

Two per 10 ft doubles the usual guide and can overload the ladder.

The retracted length tells how much bed space the ladder needs, not its rated length.

The designated length, the number marked on the ladder, is measured along the beams with the ladder fully extended.

Ground to contact point describes reach, which depends on the angle, not the ladder's rated length.

The top rung sits below the tip, so this measure comes out shorter than the designated length.

Opened hooks set over the ridge hold the ladder in place and let it lie flat to spread the firefighter's weight.

Vent pipes are thin and can break or burn through; they are not anchor points.

Gutters are weak and the butt is not what anchors a roof ladder; a ladder resting there can slide off.

Nothing is nailed in place on the fireground; the hooks provide the anchor.

Heat labels are part of inspection after use, not the hazard check at the raise.

Checking a knot is not the first priority; overhead hazards are cleared before anything is lifted.

Routine inspection items can wait; overhead hazards come first when a ladder is about to go up.

Overhead power lines and other obstructions are checked before the ladder leaves the ground, because contact can be fatal.

Tying in or heeling does not change how the load spreads across rungs; it keeps the ladder from moving.

Securing a ladder makes lowering it slower, not easier; it is done to keep the ladder from moving while in use.

Tying in or heeling stops the butt from kicking out and the tip from sliding while people climb and work.

A tie-in or heel deals with the ladder's footing and top; it has no effect on how the fly is held at height.

A tip straight overhead would mean the ladder is nearly vertical, far too steep to climb safely.

Reaching overhead is not a usable check; the top rung is far out of reach on any working ladder.

Standing at the butt with arms straight out at shoulder height, the hands should just reach a rung, which means about a 75-degree angle.

Stepping on with both feet shows nothing about the angle of the ladder.

A full service test is done at least once a year; routine checks between tests do not replace it.

Two years between tests would leave hidden damage in a ladder in use far too long.

Monthly is the pace of routine equipment checks, not of the load testing a service test involves.

A five-year gap would leave a ladder untested through years of fireground use.