useful for who like fire fighting

1. Knots and bends used
in fire fighting
Vishnu A C
SOE, CUSAT

2. • Ropes are widely used in the fire service.
• May be your only means for rescue
• A fire fighter must be able to tie simple knots
accurately and without hesitation.
Introduction

3. • Life safety
— Used solely for
supporting people
• Escape
— Used for emergency
self-rescue
• Utility
— Used in most cases
when it is not
necessary to support a
person
Types of Rope

4. • Never used as utility rope
• Must be used when supporting the weight of one
or more persons
• NFPA 1983 specifies design, construction, and
performance criteria.
Life Safety Ropes

5. • Technical use life safety rope
– 3/8” (9.5 mm) or greater, but is less than 1/2”
(12.5mm) in diameter
• General use life safety rope
– is no larger than 5/8” (16 mm) and no smaller
than 7/16” (11 mm) in diameter
Types of Life Safety Rope

6. • Used for self-rescue in
extreme situations
• Designed for the
weight of one person
• Should be replaced
after one use
• Use the rope only as a
last resort.
Escape Rope

7. • Is not used to
support a person
• Used for hoisting,
lowering, and
securing equipment
• Requires regular
inspection
Utility Rope

8. • Ropes can be made of many types of
materials.
• Earliest ropes were made from natural vines
woven together.
• Now ropes are made of synthetic material and
Wire ropes.
Rope materials

9. • Wire rope is a combination of steel wires
arranged around a central fiber core
• The breaking load of wire is considerably
greater than that of fiber rope of equivalent
size
• it is far less flexible
• limited to equipment usage like winch,
ladders, etc.
Wire Ropes

10. • Natural fiber ropes were often made of manila.
• Currently used for utility, not life safety, tasks
Drawbacks to Using Natural Fiber ropes
• Lose their load- carrying ability over time
• Subject to mildew
• Absorb 50 percent of their weight in water
• Degrade quickly
• Difficult to meet block creel construction
requirement with natural fibers
Natural Fibers

11. • Nylon first
manufactured in
1938
• Synthetic fibers have
been used for ropes
ever since.
Synthetic Fibers
• Several newer synthetic materials – Polyester,
polypropylene, and polyethylene

12. • Life safety rope is
always synthetic.
– Nylon
– Polyester
– Polypropylene
(Terylene)
Synthetic Fibers

13. Advantages to using Synthetic
Fiber Ropes
• Strength to Diameter ratio
• Longevity over natural fibers
• Thinner without sacrificing strength
• Less absorbent than natural fiber ropes
• Greater strength and added safety
• More fire-retardant than natural fiber ropes

14. Drawbacks to using Synthetic fiber
ropes
• Can be damaged by prolonged exposure to
ultraviolet light
• Can be damaged by exposure to strong acids
or alkalis
• Susceptible to abrasion

15. Rope Construction
• There are several types of rope
construction.
• The best choice depends on the specific
application.
– Twisted Rope Construction
– Braided Rope Construction
– Kernmantle Rope Construction
– Dynamic and Static Rope Construction
– Dynamic and Static Kernmantle Rope
Construction

16. Twisted Rope Construction
• Also called laid ropes
• Individual fibers
twisted into strands
• Strands are twisted
to make the rope.
• Both natural and
synthetic fibers can
be twisted.

17. Braided Rope Construction
• Strands woven like
hair braiding
• Exposes all of the
strands to abrasion
• Fibers stretch
• Double-braiding

18. Kernmantle Rope Construction
• Kern is the center
core.
• Mantle is the sheath-
like braided covering
that protects kern
from dirt and
abrasion.

19. Kernmantle Rope Construction
• Kern and mantle are synthetic.
• Provides a very strong and flexible rope that is
thin and lightweight
• Well suited for rescue work

20. Dynamic and Static
Rope Construction
• Dynamic
– Designed to be elastic
– Usually used by mountain climbers
• Static
– Has a limited range of elasticity
– More suitable for rescue situations

21. Dynamic and Static
Kernmantle Rope Construction
• Dynamic
– Constructed with overlapping or woven fibers
– When loaded, the fibers pull tighter.
• Static
– Constructed with fibers parallel to each other
– Little elasticity and limited elongation

22. Causes of Deteriorations of Ropes
• Abrasion and Chaffing
• Breaking of internal fibers
• Kinking or Sharp bends
• Dragging on ground
• Overloading
• Entry of grits into the fibers
• Chemical attack

23. Rope Maintenance
• All ropes require proper care.
• Four parts to maintenance:
– Care
– Clean
– Inspect
– Store

24. Care of the Rope
• Protect the rope from sharp and abrasive surface.
• Protect the rope from rubbing against another
rope or a webbing.
• Protect the rope from heat, chemical and flames.
• Protect the rope from prolonged exposure to
sunlight.
• Follow the manufacture’s recommendations for
rope care.
• Never step on rope.

25. Clean the Rope
• Use mild soap and
water for synthetic
fibers.
• Do not use bleach.
• Follow
manufacturer’s
recommendations.
• Do not pack or store
wet or damp rope.
Courtesy of Captain David Jackson, Saginaw Township Fire Department

26. Cleaning fire department ropes

27. Questions to consider when
Inspecting Life Safety Ropes
• Has the rope been exposed to heat or flame?
• Has the rope been exposed to abrasion?
• Has the rope been exposed to chemicals?
• Has the rope been exposed to shock loads?
• Are there any depressions, discoloration, or
lumps in the rope?

28. Inspect the Rope
• Inspect life safety
rope after each use
and on a regular
schedule when
unused.
• Look for cuts and
damage as you run it
through your fingers.

29. Inspect the Rope
• A life safety rope that is no longer usable must
be pulled from service and either destroyed or
marked as a utility rope.
Signs of Possible Rope Deterioration
• Discoloration
• Shiny marking from heat or friction.
• Damaged sheath
• Core fibers poking through the sheath

30. Store the Rope
• Avoid temperature
extremes and keep
out of sunlight and
away from fumes of
gasoline, oils, and
hydraulic fluids.
• Use a separate
apparatus
compartment.

31. Store the Rope
• Do not place heavy
objects on the rope.
• Rope bags may be
used or rope may be
coiled.
• If shock loaded,
inspect and consider
removing from
service.

32. Placing a life safety rope in a Bag

33. Knots
• Ways of fastening ropes and webbing to
objects or each other.
• Fire fighters must know how and when to use
knots.
– Knots are used for multiple purposes.
– Knots reduce rope load-carrying capability.

34. Relative Strengths of “Knots” for
Single Kernmantle Rope
• No Knot 100%
• Figure 8 75-80%
• Bowline 70-75%
• Double Overhand Bend 65-70%
• Ring Bend 60-70%
• Clove Hitch 60-65%
• Overhand 60-65%
• Two Half Hitches 60-70%
• Square Knot 43-70%

35. Knot Terms
• Working end
– Used in forming knots
• Running end
– Used in lifting or
hoisting
• Standing part
– Between the working
and the running end

36. Knot Terms
• Bight
– Make a Bight to form
a loop at middle part
of a length of line
• Loop
– Makes a circle in the
rope
• Round turn
– Makes a loop with
parallel ends

37. Safety Knot
• Secures the leftover working end of the rope
to the standing part of the rope.
• Ensures primary knot will not become undone
• To test, try sliding it on the standing part of
the rope.
– A knot that is tied correctly will slide.

38. Tying a safety knot

39. Loop Knots
• Used to form a loop in the end of a rope
• May be used for hoisting tools, securing a
person, or identifying the end of a stored
rope.
• Will not slip easily but are easy to untie

40. Loop Knots
• Figure eight knot
– Used to produce a family of other knots
– Seldom used alone
• Figure eight on a bight
– Secures loop at the working end
– Can be used to attach rope to fixed object or a
piece of equipment

41. Loop Knots
• Figure eight follow-through
– Useful for attaching a rope to a fixed ring or a solid
object with an “eye”
• Figure eight bend
– Used to join two ropes together
• Bowline
– Used to secure a rope to an object or anchor point

42. Loop Knots
• In- Line Figure eight
• Figure eight follow-through

43. Figure of Eight

44. In-Line Figure Eight
Steps of knot making

45. Figure-Eight Follow Through
Steps of knot making

46. Bowline

47. Bowline

48. Hitches
• Wrap around an object
• Used to secure working end to a solid object
or to tie a rope to an object before hoisting it

49. Hitches
• Half hitch
– Not secure by itself
– Used only in conjunction with other knots.
– Long objects may need several half hitches.

50. Round Turn with Two Half Hitches
The Round Turn
One Half Hitch
Second Half Hitch

51. Hitches
• Clove hitch
– Used to attach rope to a round object
– Will hold if tension is applied

52. Clove Hitch
Steps of knot making

53. Tying a Clove Hitch in the open

54. Tying a Clove Hitch in the open

55. Tying a Clove Hitch around and object

56. Tying a Clove Hitch around and object

57. Hitches
• Prussik Hitch
– The prussik hitch or “prussik” is formed from pre-
tied 8mm accessory cord.
– Operations company members should only use
the three-wrap prussik.
– The three wrap Prusik Hitch is for rescue loads up
to 600 lbs.

58. Prusik Hitch
Steps of knot making

59. Bends
• Used to join two ropes together
– The sheet bend or Becket bend can be used to join
two ropes of unequal size.
– The water knot or ring bend is used to join
webbing of the same or different sizes together.

60. Bends
• Overhand follow-through Bend
• Double overhand bend
• Double Becket Bend
• Square bend

61. Sheet or Becket Bend

62. Sheet or Becket Bend

63. Double Becket Bend
Steps of bend making

64. Overhand Follow-Through Bend
Steps of bend making

65. Double Overhand Bend
Steps of bend making

66. Square Bend
Steps of bend making

67. Hoisting an Axe

68. Hoisting a Charged line

69. Hoisting a Charged line

70. Hoisting a Ladder

71. Hoisting a Ladder

72. Hoisting an Uncharged Hose

73. Hoisting an Uncharged Hose

74. Hoisting a Power tool

75. Hoisting a Power tool

76. THANK YOU