Tool Time
By Raul A. Angulo

Laddering For Marina Fires
It was in the middle of winter and the middle of the night when a call came in just after 2 a.m. for Elliott Bay Marina: “Boat fire.” By the time crews arrived, laid lines and had a water supply, the fire was consuming its fourth boat, and there were plenty of sailboats moored along the dock to fuel this fire if it wasn’t stopped.

Like lambs lined up for the slaughter, the boats bobbed up and down on the cold, choppy water. It was as if they were bucking, trying to escape, hoping the wind would push them away from the fire, but they were tethered to the dock, their mooring lines more like chains and shackles. 

Engine 20 Firefighter Tom Erickson and his crew were working a 1 3/4-inch hand line along one of the finger piers of the main dock. Due to the thick black smoke from the burning fiberglass, the crew had to mask up and fight this fire on air, even though they were “outside.” Finger piers are very narrow and many are less than four feet wide. The poor visibility due to smoke conditions made the edge of the pier difficult to see, and Tom fell into the water.

“I remember I was still holding on to the hose when I fell in, but when I hit the water, I let go of it,” he recalled. “I was wearing my full bunking gear and SCBA. I was covered and breathing air. I knew the guys heard me go in, but they couldn’t see me. It was easily 25 feet of water or more. It seemed I floated like a cork for about 5 minutes before I was rescued. It took me a little while to gather my thoughts.

“I was shocked at first because I didn’t expect to fall in. Then it was funny… and then a little embarrassing. I didn’t panic though. I knew I would float. I remember participating in a drill where we had to go into a pool with full turnout bunking gear and SCBA. I remember floating in the pool and how difficult it was to actually sink. As long as air was trapped in my bunkers, I knew I wasn’t going to sink.

“That experience in the pool really helped me keep my cool. It took both members to pull me out of the water. I’m a pretty big boy, and it took all they had to lift me out. Firefighter Barrons ended up going on disability for injuring his back while lifting me up. I felt pretty bad about that. It sure would have been a lot easier if we had a ladder.”

Hose clutters a narrow dock while firefighters battle a marina fire in Virginia Beach, Va., in 2003. Training for marina fires should include deploying ladders for self-rescue. Many communities have rivers, reservoirs and lakes with facilities for recreational boating. (Fire Apparatus Photo by Martin C. Grube)

Six years later, Erickson – now Lt. Erickson – went into the drink again. This time the fire was on a larger commercial dock. The fire was in an out-building. He didn’t forget his last experience and was being very careful around the water as he was sizing up the situation.

Floating Again
Suddenly, his driver opened up the wrong discharge port. The loud noise and wide water spray of an open butt caused Lt. Erickson to think the attack line had burst. He ran back to the apparatus to investigate and fell through the rotted planks of the dock into 10 feet of water. This time, no one saw him or heard him. Again, he remembers floating among the debris below the dock. He ended up swimming to shore without injury.

Lt. Erickson’s story happens more often than you think. Though the majority of U.S. cities are not waterfront cities, many communities have rivers, reservoirs and lakes open to boating. In fact, many new planned communities are building their own man-made lakes for recreational boating. If that’s the case in your city, you need to train for marina fires, and one component will be laddering the docks and piers for firefighter safety. 

Large commercial piers that accommodate ships are strong enough and wide enough to stage numerous apparatus. The chance of falling off one of these piers is minimal. Most accidents occur while trying to access the ship by steep gang planks, ladders or trying to jump on to the ship from the dock. Simply standing on these large piers poses no real danger. Marina docks are very different. Some can be extremely narrow with little room for error. Others are floating docks which rock with the ripples and waves of the water. It’s easy to lose your balance; especially when you’re carrying fire equipment in full PPE ensemble.

Truck and/or engine crews assigned to support operations or rapid intervention teams need to deploy ladders at various points around the hot zone of the dock. Unlike the commercial pier evolution, which requires a 35-foot ground extension ladder, this same operation can be performed with roof ladders and baby ladders, which are carried on every fire apparatus. The more ladders that can be placed into position, the safer the hot zone will be in case a firefighter falls into the water.

Ladder Of Choice
Because roof ladders are wider from beam to beam compared to the baby ladders, they are the ladder of choice simply because they’re easier to climb. However, leaving the baby ladder stowed on the rig accomplishes absolutely nothing for firefighter safety. Deploy it.

When using a roof ladder, attach webbing or a body loop to the second rung below the hooks with a hose knot or a girth hitch. Extend the hooks before lowering the ladder into the water. Select a spot on the dock next to a cleat. Allow the hooks to take a bite on the side of the dock with the rungs centered on the cleat, and take up the slack in the webbing. Tie the webbing to the cleat using a figure-eight wrap or any non-slipping knot. Make sure everything is snug and that the weight of the ladder is evenly distributed between the hooks and the webbing. (Have the rookie or an engineman volunteer test the ladder since they are the ones most likely to fall into the water.)

Making It Secure
The same evolution can be performed with the baby ladder. The baby ladder needs to be extended all the way out and the rungs have to be lashed together in at least two places to prevent the ladder from slipping or from having the two sections come apart (this is still an extension ladder). Tie an additional hose knot or a girth hitch on the second rung from the tip and lower the ladder into the water. Make sure you are centered over a cleat and securely tie off the webbing. Depending on the configuration of the dock, you may need to tie off the ladder with additional webbing. The objective is to make the ladder as secure as possible for climbing.

Keep in mind that firefighters are working hard. Extend the ladder at least six feet or more below the surface to make it easy for firefighters to climb on to the ladder. Don’t make them reach. (Again, have the rookie or an engineman “accidentally” fall into the water and test the ladder so they can appreciate the difference in climbing the two ladders. Ask them for feedback; I’m sure they’ll give it to you later.)

Immediate action needs to be taken when a firefighter falls into the water. Take notice of the life ring stations that are mounted on many marina docks. Some have torpedo style flotation devices. Consider using pike poles, boat hooks and even fire hose to throw, pull or tow.

Many apparatus inventories have life jackets for their members. Though few of them, if any, can fit around a turnout coat with SCBA, if you can manage to wear one and still do your job, go ahead. Certainly after the emergency is over, company officers should ensure that all members are wearing life jackets for post fire investigation and operations. Use common sense.

Unlike the fall from a commercial pier, which can easily be from 20 feet or more, causing injury to a firefighter or a civilian, a fall from a marina dock can be much like stepping off the edge of a pool. Unless the firefighter strikes a boat or a section of the dock, simply falling into the water shouldn’t cause injury. However, the rescued firefighter should still be evaluated by the on-scene medics. Hypothermia is always a concern in inclement weather and cold water temperatures.

If you fall into the water, stay calm. You’re going to float. Call a Mayday on the radio and give all pertinent information as to where you have fallen into the water. Try and swim to a boat, the dock, to shore or to one of the new, recently deployed, rescue ladders. Activate your pass device and use your flashlight to signal for help. Try to climb up, but don’t be embarrassed to ask for assistance.

Train like your life depends on it – because it does. You have to train for this event. Crews need to practice throwing a life ring with a rope from a dock. This is easier said than done. The slightest wind can carry the life ring off target. Pick a target in the water and shoot for it. Make a competition out of it. Trust me, this simple drill can last up to an hour because every one will (like a game of horse shoes) keep at it until they are the reigning champion.

Finally, the lesson from Lt. Tom Erickson cannot be underestimated. He said, “I knew I wasn’t going to sink. That experience in the pool really helped me keep my cool.” Remember, some of your firefighters may not be able to swim.

Sinking to the bottom of a lake and drowning in a “suit of armor” can be a terrifying thought. Make an effort this summer to get your crews into the water with full turnout gear and SCBA. Use rescue ropes as tethers with rescue swimmers in the water. Do whatever it takes to make it as safe as possible, but get your people into the water. Whether it’s a pool or a lake, the only way your firefighters are going to have the self-confidence to know they won’t sink like a rock is to participate in this kind of a drill.  Just like the game on the David Letterman Show, Will It Float? It floats.

Editor’s Note: Raul A. Angulo is a 27-year veteran of the Seattle Fire Department and captain of Ladder Company 6. He is on the Educational Advisory Board for the Fire Department Instructors Conference and is on the Board of Directors for the Fellowship of Christian Firefighters. He lectures on fire service leadership, company officer development and fireground strategy and accountability throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.