Residential Laddering

The Sunday Preach:

Laddering

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of a day that made me extremely proud to be a fireman and fire officer. I was a member of the first to arrive ladder company that made 4 "grabs" (removal of civilian occupants) from a well involved residential building fire. While one victim was removed via the interior, the other 3 rescued civilians presented themselves at windows and were skillfully removed via portable ladders. This past week, my department bestowed a "Unit Citation" to the members operating at this box in recognition for a job well done.  

"The correct placement of portable ladders can add an additional layer of safety for us and decrease the time it takes to search for and save civilians... Don't make laddering the building harder than it has to be. Get the ladders off the rig and become a laddering pro in your department." 25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and LODD (Pg. 271)

While portable ladders in our view are primarily placed for US, (as additional access/egress points around the structure)... Don't overlook the obvious facts that civilian lives may require immediate rescue and those civilians trapped under immediate duress may jump if we aren't laddering pro's... well placed portable ladders can indeed be a lifesaving device.