Personal Escape Systems Safe Lives

You're facing an untenable position — fighting flames on an upper level floor of a multiple-story structure. It's very hot and it's time to exit, but the way you entered is blocked. There's only one way out — through the window and down. With the proper bailout equipment and preparation, this scenario is survivable. Without them, it can be disastrous.

The mantra of the fire service is “hope for the best and prepare for the worst.” Fire incidents have steadily declined over the past 20 years, but that can lull us into a false sense of security. The likelihood of finding yourself in a bailout situation may be greater now than ever. Here's why:

• Lightweight building materials used in modern construction can burn two to five times faster than materials used in older homes.

• Older construction can have substandard work, void spaces, nooks and crannies. Modifications often are made without going through an inspection and permit process. This can make orientation difficult and egress restricted.

• The average home has more “stuff” in it than ever before and the materials in our homes have more stored energy than ever before. This means more combustibles per square foot. The fire is going to be hotter and spread faster.

We can't do much to change those factors, but we do have control over our training, preparation and equipment.

TRAINING

The paramount rule of bailout training is prevention. Keep your head on a swivel, always looking for the warning signs. Never put yourself in a position that will compromise you or a member of your team.

The second rule is to know your best options for anchoring and egress. Learn the different techniques and what works best for specific scenarios. Practice until it becomes second nature and stay in practice. Always use fall arrest protection when training.

Inspect your escape system on a regular basis and keep it maintained per the manufacturer's directions. It also is important to keep it a “personal” system. It's a lot easier to have confidence in your system if you're the person who rigged it and maintains it. Use the toothbrush rule — never share it.

EQUIPMENT

The ideal tool for bailing out is a personal escape system that is certified to meet NFPA 1983 Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope and Equipment, 2006 Edition. It's important that the entire system is certified, not just the individual components. Remember this a system and needs to perform as one flawlessly. The components of a personal escape system typically are:

• Class II seat harness or escape belt.

• Life safety rope — A rope dedicated solely for the purpose of rescue.

• Load-bearing connectors — Carabineers, rings, quick links or snap links.

• Descent device — Friction or mechanical device utilized to control descent on a fixed line.

• Tether — Webbing that connects ascent device to a Class II harness or escape belt.

Over the years, I have seen many inventive firefighters develop their own systems using components from a variety of sources, including recreational equipment and hardware store purchases. This type of innovation often has been the genesis for advances in safety equipment and tools. The pioneers of personal escape systems are to be commended for acknowledging the threat and filling an equipment void, but homemade systems are not recommended because of the lack of testing, training, oversight and consistency.

The commercialization of personal escape systems during recent years has delivered an important level of quality control. There are a number of systems available to the fire service certified to meet NFPA 1983, 2006.

Like any other equipment acquisition, the selection of a personal escape system should start with a risk assessment to develop criteria. While each department is unique, the criteria for selecting a personal escape system likely will be based on ease of use, storage and attachment, weight, quality of components and whether or not the manufacturer provides training.