By Michael N. Ciampo
Prior to climbing up the portable ladder to the roof of a two-story private dwelling with a “walkable” roof and fire extending into the attic space, the member checked the dogs of the ladder. The first member about to climb should always check that the dogs are locked so the ladder doesn’t retract once the member begins to climb the ladder or places his body weight on the extended section. Remember to also extend the ladder well above the “three rungs are sufficient” rule because firefighters come in all shapes and sizes. A tall firefighter exiting the roof may have to bend over and reach for the ladder to descend, causing him to lean forward and off the roof as he reaches for a rung to hold onto. If the ladder were well over the “three-rung rule,” he could simply hold onto a rail or upper rung and pivot off the roof onto the ladder in a well-balanced position, making him less likely to fall off the roof.
As the first member of the roof team began climbing the ladder, he carried a hook and halligan. He placed the head of the hook onto an upper rung and slid the halligan up along the opposite rail while maintaining a full grip on the underside of the rail with his free hand. The second member carried a saw in a sling over his back while sliding an ax up the other rail. Remember, bring a hand tool that is sufficient enough to open the roof in case the saw has mechanical failure or won’t run if the smoke chokes the engine out. (The saw needs an AIR and fuel mixture to run.)
As the first member got to the roof, he sounded (banged or tapped) the roof with his hand tool and then, as he placed his one boot on the roof, he sounded the roof again to check stability. Try to follow this two-step procedure before stepping off the safety of the ladder; transferring from the ladder without sounding could have catastrophic results if the roofing was severely compromised by fire below. It is also a good practice as you proceed across any roof—sound it for stability!
The two firefighters looked for a good place to begin their initial roof cut. Since the fire was at one end of the dwelling in a rear bedroom and extending to the attic, they went to the backside of the roof. Both members noticed some smoke pushing between the shingles about halfway up and chose this location to cut. When working in private dwellings, cutting an initial vent hole too low or near the soffit may be counterproductive. Fire normally burns upward and will more likely run up the joist toward the peak than run down the joist. Also, if the fire and smoke are already self-venting out the bedroom windows, you shouldn’t need to cut there. Choosing an area about halfway up ensures you will hit some of the fire room; and, as a wise old officer once reminded me, cutting right at the roof peak or ridge may vent the attic space but not the fire room. In these structures, the hallways usually run along the same line as the peak, and the attic flooring may run down the center of these spaces, making it harder to push the ceilings down below and requiring a longer hook.
As the members made the first cut a few feet in from the roof’s edge, the firefighter holding the hook smacked its head into the shingles and sheathing. He lifted up on the hook’s handle so that it was about waist high next to the saw operator and in line with the cut, which acted as a safety brace. Not only did this support the firefighter and assist him with his balance as he cut, but it also prevented him from stepping off the roof’s edge if visibility decreased. This tactic is very useful when operating at or near a roof’s edge; remember to keep the hook at about waist level—too low a level can cause the firefighter to trip over the handle. While he maintained the brace, he also held onto the back of the saw operator’s coat to guide him toward the rear as he walked backward during the cut.
Once they cut the hole and removed the sheathing, they needed to push down the ceiling to complete overall ventilation of the fire room. By this time, other firefighters arrived on the roof to assist. As soon as the sheathing was removed, two of them lunged forward to push down the ceiling below. Firefighters must use caution here and pause and think for a moment. If you lunge forward over the hole, escaping heat, smoke, and gases can and will ignite! Instead, try to position yourself inline with and have your face turned away from the ventilation hole. This way, if the by-products do ignite, you can move away from the hole. Leaning over the hole exposes you to these dangers and may result in your slipping and falling directly into the hole as you push down the ceiling. Luckily for the two members, the firefighter who used the hook as a safety brace grabbed onto their bunker coattails while they were pushing down the ceilings below.
At the change of shifts, one of the guys asked, “What’d you do up on the roof last night?” The firefighter looked embarrassed and ashamed and answered, “Nothing really,” and quickly became the brunt of a few jokes. However, he had had the foresight to create a safety brace and safely prevent another firefighter from falling into a hole. That’s what we should strive to do on every run, give the gift of looking out for one another.
MICHAEL N. CIAMPO is a 24-year veteran of the fire service and a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York. Previously, he served with the District of Columbia Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is the lead instructor for the FDIC H.O.T. evolution “Truck Essentials.” He wrote the Ladder chapter and co-authored the Ventilation chapter for Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II (Fire Engineering, 2009) and is featured in “Training Minutes” truck company videos on www.FireEngineering.com.
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