This unit uses our most common resource, ‘The Fundamentals of Fire Fighting Skills’ (FFS), for most of the study and ‘Barron’s: Firefighter Exams’ book for additional learning and review. These books and other helpful resources are discussed in more detail on the Orientation Page, while the Fire Fighting Skills Homepage also outlines (with links as we go along) each of the units we will cover if you want more information.
Here is a list of the skills and learning goals for this unit, along with the page numbers for each. Ladders:
- Introduction to Ladders (FFS pages 356-7)
- Parts of a Ladder (FFS pages 356-9)
- Types of Ladders (FFS pages 359-62)
- Ladder Safety (FFS pages 336-70, 388-95)
- Deploying
- Carrying
- Raising
- Using
- Proper Placement and Angle of a Ladder (FFS pages 379-80)
- Learn about Rescuing a Victim from a window and Assisting them down a ladder (FFS pages 428-35)
- Additional Learning and Review: BARRONS pages 105-6, 344b, 397-8, 415, and 227-8 unless you want to do the last with The Truck Unit.
- Ground Ladder Tips on YouTube
Hands-On, Project, and Field Trip Ideas:
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- Visit a hardware store to check out different types of ladders
- Visit a Fire Station to check out the ladders on each apparatus
- Practice carrying a ladder safely (some or all of the FFS Skill Drills 13-2 through 13-10)
- Practice raising and lowering a ladder safely (some or all of the FFS Skill Drills 13-17)
- Practice Climbing, Tool Carrying, and Securing one’s self to a ladder (Skill Drills 13-18, 13-19)
- Practice raising and lowering tools with utility rope. (FFS Skill Drills 10-16 through 10-21)
- Photograph the parts of a ladder for your child’s personal Firefighting Skills book.
- Practice using a compass to compare the proper angle for ladder placement (~75°)
- Practice Rescuing a victim from a window and assisting them down a ladder (FFS Skills Drills 14-16 though 14-19)
So how did it go for us?!
Funny, though this is Unit 8, it is actually one of the very first ones we did in the school year. This spawned from the fact that we were painting our building and had otherwise unavailable extension ladders hanging around our property. We practiced lifts, and carries together, and checked the angle of our deployment. The ladders we used where not in particularly great condition and lacked the halyard ropes, but it was a good experience otherwise. There isn’t much to say about ladders in general but this unit has really useful life skill information, particularly as it applies to the often less coordinated little people, and very often in a hurry older little people.
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