The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and Petzl developed the Petzl EXO Personal Safety System (PSS) to provide firefighters with a means for safely exiting a hostile environment in a burning structure. However, users must consider bunker gear concerns, harness requirements, and training issues regarding the device’s proper attachment and deployment. This system is designed to be worn on the outside of the firefighter’s protective pants and under the turnout coat for easy access, for rapid deployment, and to protect the system from the fire atmosphere.
Harness. The Gemtor 541-NYC is the third-generation Class II harness that FDNY currently issues to all members. Several changes have been made to it to incorporate the Petzl system while also allowing the use of the pompier hook independently of the PSS. A solid aluminum pompier hook with a triple-action self-locking gate on the hook has replaced the older solid-steel hook. The pompier hook’s standby location is now at the front center of the waist area instead of to the left or right. A steel D-ring incorporated into the harness’s A-frame allows the PSS to be preconnected and deployed within seconds (photo).
 Photo by author. |
A firefighter can use the harness to self-evacuate from a building in conjunction with his PSS, self-rappel using the pompier hook, perform a rescue lower and pickoff, or use it as a ladder belt.
The harness is available with a right- or left-side opening. Since the FDNY uses the left-side opening harness, the Petzl EXO rope bag mounts to the harness waistband on the right side. Which way the harness opens is significant; when used with the Petzl system and the individual firefighter’s bunker pants opening, it is critical to specify a left-side opening harness.
Bunker pants. For efficient donning of the Petzl system, both the harness and the pants ideally should open from the left side. The bunker pants and harness that FDNY issues to each firefighter open and close on the left hip; hence, the Petzl PSS is engineered to be fastened to the harness waist strap on the right rear hip.
If a firefighter has a right-side opening 541-NYC harness, he cannot use the Petzl PSS. If the issued bunker pants open and close from the right side, a left-side opening harness must still be used for the Petzl system if it is to be attached in the proper location. Another alternative is to use a harness that opens directly in front regardless of on which side the pants open.
To hold the harness in place, the FDNY-issued bunker pants have several attachment points (usually hook-and-loop straps) sewn directly to the bunker pants along the entire harness waistband, allowing a 360° attachment system between the harness and pants.
Petzl PSS. In developing this system, FDNY specified a rapid, multiuse anchoring system. The Petzl PSS system allows the firefighter to anchor remotely from the exit point (e.g., a radiator, a steam pipe, or a door jamb) or to anchor directly at the windowsill. The hook, manufactured by The Crosby Group of Tulsa, Oklahoma, meets National Fire Protection Association 1983, Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services (2006 ed.), with a 4.4:1 design factor ratio. The rated breaking strength at the tip of the hook is 4,946 pounds at a load rate of 1.2 inches per minute. According to Crosby, when the hook was placed under maximum load testing, it did not fracture but rather “opened up.”
An impact load from a firefighter exiting a window can reach thousands of pounds of force. Not all firefighter bailout systems/components are NFPA-compliant. But the Petzl/Gemtor system has been Underwriters Laboratories (UL) classified in accordance with NFPA 1983 (2006 ed.) to provide firefighters with a safe and reliable system.
The 50-foot rope is 7.5 mm in diameter, is comprised of 100-percent Technora® fibers, and has extreme heat- and cut-resistant properties. It has a 5,000-pound breaking strength and can withstand 1 1/2 to 2 minutes of exposure to 932°F. Drop and heat tests have been performed on this rope to ensure that the system maintains its high standard of integrity.
The Petzl EXO descending device is self-braking. If a firefighter exiting a window loses control of the descent, the automatic self-locking cam will immediately stop the fall until the firefighter can regain his composure and operate the throttle lever to complete the descent safely.
Petzl and the FDNY have rigorously tested the EXO to ensure 100-percent confidence. All three components-the hook, the rope, and the EXO descent device-are stored in a Kevlar®/Nomex® bag connected to the harness on the right side of the body with three retainer straps.
Whatever system is chosen, training is critical for safety. Before a firefighter or fire department purchases any EXO unit, Petzl requires the user to complete authorized training. Before using PSS on the fireground, firefighters must complete proper training on their use and the techniques used to exit a window.
LARRY COHEN, founder of Fire Ground Technologies, a fire service education company, conducts hands-on training nationwide and is a field instructor with the Illinois Fire Service Institute. Previously, he served as a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York. He also served as a firefighter in Squad 18, in Special Operations Command, and with Ladder 12 in Manhattan.
