By JASON HOEVELMANN
YOU MUST USE THE aerial device, like any other piece of equipment, regularly to be proficient with it. Considering that you drive this apparatus numerous times a day for inspections, public relations events, administrative duties, and emergency calls that do not require you to set up the device, the actual operation of the aerial is sometimes a forgotten art. However, when you need it at a fire, you need it immediately—without hesitation or mistakes. This article presents a drill to help with muscle memory and sighting the ladder or bucket.
First, find a building that is safe to use and offers accessibility to your apparatus. If you find a location that doesn't block traffic, that is a plus. My department prefers to train on a roof with changing elevations and lines to make for a more challenging drill. The drill also requires the operator to look at different sight lines and elevation changes going from one station to the next instead of one, flat sight line. At fires, there are no easy situations, so we try not to train easy, either.
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