Outside vent: Hook on the Ladder Tip
A 6' Hook mounted to the fly of 24' extension ladder
I know this idea has been thrown around on the web, but we frequently get questions about the idea of securing a hook to the tip of an extension ladder: how? why? Lets see…
Horizontal ventilation is one of our best friends. It’s quick, easy, and requires minimal manpower. When you clear a window and leave a ladder at it, you’ve not only performed ventilation – but also provided a means of access or egress. Two common tools in this task are a 6′ hook and extension ladder.
A number of DCFD truck companies have used this simply “tip” to improve speed & efficiency. The hook is affixed to the tip of the fly section, so that it’s there when you get to the top. While this works perfectly with our particular brand of hook & ground ladder – different brands may require modification to the idea.
- Simply, a ring is secured to a rung about 3 rungs from the tip. The pry-end of the hook goes through here.
- The head of the hook fits into a natural space at the rounded tip of the ladder and a cheap (something easily replaceable and you don’t care if you lose it) strap is used to hold it.
You may think – why don’t I just throw the ladder on my shoulder and grab the hook? Well, if you can keep a free hand – why not? That free hand can be used to bring other tools, ground ladders, etc…
This idea works as a perfect compliment to the idea of dropping the ladder tip through the window for initial vent, setting the ladder, climbing & clearing the whole window with the hook, and VES’ing the upper floors.
Note: obviously here the ground ladders are on the side of the rig. Don’t forget that this idea could be used on the Engine Co’s ground ladders too. In addition, we’ve experimented with this concept with ladder beds (ladders slide in the back of the rig) and found that most of the time it still works… Don’t be afraid to experiment and make it work for you.
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