Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)-All Chapter Numbers



Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)

Chapter 1-Ladder Types & Ladder Terms

"By The Numbers"

▪ Single ladders range from 6 to 32 feet.

▪ Roof ladders range from 12 to 24 feet (14 & 16 feet most common).

▪ Folding ladders range from 8 to 16 feet (10 foot most common).

▪ NFPA 1931, Standard on Design of and Design Verification Tests for Fire Department Ground Ladders.

▪ Extension ladders have 2 or 3 sections.

▪ Extension ladders range from 12 to 39 feet.

▪ NFPA 1931 requires that all extension ladders over 40 feet or greater to have staypoles.

▪ Pole ladders have 2 to 4 sections.

▪ Pole ladders range from 40 to 65 feet.

▪ Most modern pole ladders do not exceed 50 feet.

▪ 55 to 60 foot pole ladders were more commonly found on older aerial apparatus.

▪ Combination ladders range from 8 to 14 feet (most popular is 10 foot).

▪ Pompier ladders range from 10 to 16 feet.

▪ The preferred pitch for ground ladders is 75.5 degrees.

▪ The length label is affixed to the outside of each ladder beam within 12 inches of the butt.

Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)

Chapter 2-Ground Ladder Construction, Maintenance, & Service Testing

"By The Numbers"

|NFPA 1931 Maximum Ladder Loads |

|Type of Ladder |Maximum Load |

|Folding |300 lbs. |

|Pompier |300 lbs. |

|Single and Roof |750 lbs. |

|Extension and Pole |750 lbs. |

|Combination |750 lbs. |

▪ NFPA 1932, Standard on Use, Maintenance, and Service Testing for Fire Department Ground Ladders.

▪ Coast Douglas fir is kiln-dried/air-dried to 12% moisture content.

▪ For wood ladders exceeding 24 feet, truss beam construction will produce a lighter ladder than solid beam construction.

▪ NFPA 1931 requires rungs for solid beam and trussed beam ladders be a minimum of 1 1/4 inches in diameter at the center.

▪ Swell center rungs (rungs thicker at the center) must be 1 1/4 inches in diameter at the center, however, they may taper to 1 1/8 inches at the ends.

▪ NFPA 1931 requires rungs on wood ladders be spaced from 12 to 14 inches on center, plus or minus 1/8 inch.

▪ NFPA 1931 requires all structural components maintain 75% of their design strength at a minimum of 300oF.

▪ NFPA 1931 requires rungs on metal ladders be spaced 14 inches on center, plus or minus 1/8 inch.

|24 foot Ladder Weights |

|Type of Construction |Weight (lbs.) |

|Solid Beam (METAL) |74 |

|Solid Beam (WOOD) |75 |

|Fiberglass |85 |

|Truss Beam (METAL) |97 |

|Truss Beam (WOOD) |110 |

▪ Metal ladders subjected to 300oF flame temperatures for short periods are subject to failure.

▪ Combination ladder hinges lock in a 180 degree position to form a single ladder.

▪ NFPA 1931 restricts the length of pompier ladders to 16 feet, however, older models are found up to 20 feet in length.

▪ The minimum overall width of rungs on pompier ladders is 12 inches.

▪ A minimum of 2 standoff brackets on pompier ladders is required (one near top, one near bottom).

▪ Standoff brackets should set the ladder a minimum of 7 inches away from building (pompier ladders).

▪ A manual latching pawl is attached between the beams approximately 4 inches above the bottom rung of the fly section.

▪ NFPA 1931 requires halyard ropes to be a minimum of 3/8 inch in diameter and have a breaking strength of 825 pounds.

▪ 3 and 4 section ladders have a 2nd halyard, usually a cable, that threads through a pulley attached to the intermediate fly section(s).

▪ NFPA 1931 requires that cable used as halyards must be a minimum of 3/16 inch in diameter and have a breaking strength of 825 pounds.

▪ Staypoles are used both to raise and lower ground ladders over 40 feet tall.

▪ Heat sensor labels change color at 300oF, plus or minus 5%.

▪ Heat sensor labels must be affixed immediately below the 2nd rung from the tip of each section on the inside of each beam.

▪ Electrical hazard warning and ladder positioning labels must be affixed between 4 1/2 and 6 feet from the butt of the ladder.

▪ Ladders should not be painted except for the top and bottom 12 inches for identification or visibility.

▪ Pawl torsion springs should be replaced every 5 years or as needed.

▪ Cylindrical supports used for ladder testing should be 1 inch in diameter and placed under the test ladder 6 inches from each end.

▪ Test load area for the horizontal bending test is 32 inches long over the actual center of the ladder.

▪ Preload test weight for the horizontal bending test is 350 pounds, or 300 pounds if made before 1984 and is allowed to sit on the ladder for 1 minute.

▪ Test load for the horizontal bending test is 500 pounds, or 400 pounds if made before 1984 and is allowed to sit on the ladder for 5 minutes.

The following measurements are taken 5 minutes after the test load has been removed.

|Horizontal Bending Test Differences |

|Length of Ladder |Difference in Measurements |

|25 feet or less |1/2 inch |

|26 to 34 feet |1 inch |

|35 feet or more |1 1/2 inch |

▪ The test load for a roof ladder hook test, extension ladder hardware test, and pompier ladder strength test is 1,000 pounds applied for at least 1 minute.

▪ The test load area for folding ladders is 16 inches long over the actual center of the ladder.

▪ The preload weight for folding ladders is 160 pounds and is allowed to sit on the ladder for 1 minute.

▪ The test weight for folding ladders is 225 pounds and is allowed to sit on the ladder for 5 minutes.

▪ 5 minutes after test load has been removed from a folding ladder, there should be less than 1/2 inch difference than that of the pretest measurement.

▪ The liquid penetration test is an additional non-destructive test for metal ground ladders constructed of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy.

Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)

Chapter 3-Handling Ladders

"By The Numbers"

▪ NFPA 1901, Standard for Pumper Fire Apparatus.

|Ladders Carried on Pumpers (NFPA 1901) |

|Length |Type of Ladder |

|10 foot |Folding |

|14 foot |Roof |

|24 foot |Extension |

▪ Many fire departments prefer to carry a 3 section, 35 foot ladder instead of a 24 foot ladder.

▪ An overhead rack can be used to carry ladders longer than 35 feet.

▪ NFPA 1904, Standard for Aerial Ladder and Elevating Platform Fire Apparatus (1991 edition).

|Ladders Carried on Aerial Apparatus (NFPA 1904) |

|Length |Type of Ladder |

|10 foot |Folding |

|2) 16 foot |Roof |

|14 foot |Combination Ladder |

|24 foot |Extension |

|35 foot |Extension |

▪ Prior to the 1991 edition of NFPA 1904, one 40 foot or larger pole ladder had to be carried on aerial apparatus.

▪ NFPA 1902, Standard for Initial Attack Apparatus.

|Ladders Carried on Initial Attack Apparatus |

|(NFPA 1902) |

|Vehicle Weight |Length |Type of |

| | |Ladder |

|less than 15,000 lbs. |12 foot |Any Type |

|15,000-20,000 lbs. |14 foot |Any Type |

|over 20,000 lbs. |16 foot |Any Type |

▪ NFPA 1903, Standard for Mobile Water Supply Apparatus.

▪ A residential story will average 8 to 10 feet and the distance from floor to window sill about 3 feet.

|Ladder Selection Guide |

|Situation |Ladder Length |

|1st story |16 to 20 feet |

|2nd story |20 to 28 feet |

|2nd story |28 to 35 feet |

|3rd story |40 to 50 feet |

|4th story |over 50 feet |

▪ A commercial story will average 12 feet and the distance from floor to window sill about 4 feet.

▪ Ladders should extend at least 5 rungs above roof edge.

▪ Ladders used for ventilating from windows should be placed 3 to 4 rungs above window sill to the side of the window.

▪ Maximum extended length of extension ladders may be as much as 6 inches LESS than the designated length.

▪ For lengths of 35 feet or LESS, the reach is approximately 1 foot LESS than the designated length.

▪ For lengths of 35 feet or MORE, the reach is approximately 2 feet LESS than the designated length.

▪ The 35 foot extension ladder is the most versatile of all extension ladders.

▪ The proper distance from the heel of the ladder to the building can be determined by dividing the used length by 4.

Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)

Chapter 4-Raising Ground Ladders

"By The Numbers"

▪ IFSTA recommends that all ground and aerial ladders maintain a safe distance of at least 10 feet from all energized electrical lines or equipment.

▪ Single and roof ladders of 14 feet or LESS are easily rasied by 1 firefighter.

▪ Single ladders longer than 14 feet should be placed butt first against the building to heel the ladder.

▪ Typically, ladders of 35 feet or more should be raised by at least 3 firefighters.

▪ Firefighters handling staypoles should stand approximately 5 feet apart.

▪ When pole ladders are raised beyond 45 degrees, the staypole operators assume most of the weight of the ladder.

▪ One firefighter can safely shift a ladder that is 20 feet long or LESS.

▪ NFPA 1932 states that ladders shall not be rolled beam over beam to reach new positions.

▪ For a Dome (auditorium) raise, two 125 foot lifelines and minimum of 6 firefighters are required.

▪ NFPA 1983, Standard on Fire Service Safety Rope, Harness, and Hardware.

Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)

Chapter 5-Climbing & Using Ground Ladders

"By The Numbers"

▪ When carrying up another ladder, roof ladders should be shouldered 2 rungs above midpoint.

▪ The 1st priority in rescuing victims are those most severely threatened by current fire conditions.

▪ The 2nd priority in rescuing victims are the largest number or groups of people.

▪ The 3rd priority in rescuing victims is the remainder of the people in the fire area.

▪ The 4th priority in rescuing victims are the people in the exposed area.

▪ When securing a ladder for raising with rope, attach the ladder approximately 1/3 distance from the top.

▪ When drafting, a ladder can be used to maintain the 24 inch requirement for the strainer to be off the bottom of the drafting source.

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