By Michael N. Ciampo
During training sessions you may be taught, "This is the way to do it," and embed that information in your brain. Many of you may even hear, "Well, that's our department's tactics and the way we do things around here." When you go to question the procedure or tactic with that simple word "but," you get that blank stare and hear, "Didn't I tell you how we do it here?" Should it always take a lesson learned on the fireground to change tactics and procedures, or should we have an open mind and look into other options?
Raising a portable ladder to the second-floor window, the firefighter placed the tip even with the sill and directly in the center of the window. As he stepped onto the ladder's first rung, his firm bounce butted the ladder deeper into the soft ground. He climbed, sliding the halligan up the outside of the ladder's left rail, hooking the pike pole in his right hand on an upper rung, making his way up the ladder while holding onto the underside of the ladder's right rail. When the hook's head was about waist level, he stopped and reached down to pick up the tool just below the head. He then raised it upward to hook it onto another upper rung (so he wouldn't have to climb with two tools) and maintained three points of contact with the ladder (both boots and one gloved hand).
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