[RE-wrenches] fire safety vs. fire hysteria

[Ezra Auerbach]

Don't forget to tell people to let their rural vfd know where their  
inverter disconnects are.

REgards,

Ezra Auerbach
(off grid ex volunteer firefighter.





On 8-Jan-09, at 4:18 PM, Dan Fink <danbob at hughes.net> wrote:

> Hi Jay --
>
> What we do for nasty slopes and bad weather is use roof ladders.  
> Firefighters ladder conventionally up to the eaves, one secures the  
> ladder and stands at the top, and a roof ladder is passed up from  
> below. It has big hooks on one end that are designed to hook over  
> the roof peak, and they adjust themselves for the roof slope. Then  
> it's easy to scramble right up on the roof ladder, even in snow or  
> on solid ice. Where the safety issue would come in is if the roof  
> ladder was accidentally hooked to the PV panel frames instead of the  
> roof peak.
>
> We are a remote area VFD, so roof ventilation is rare--I don't think  
> we've ever done it in the 34 year history of our department. But  
> roof laddering in winter is VERY common because of so many chimney  
> fires. The first time you climb one in a blizzard, it's scary...then  
> you realize it's quite safe and very handy. You can stand right by  
> the chimney and drop baggies full of ABC extinguisher powder right  
> down the chimney after removing the cap with a sawzall.
>
> BRAVO to everyone on this thread and the fast reaction to the  
> misinformation on the internet!
> I'm still working up my off-grid safety lecture and this is  
> providing much food for thought.
> I will make the presentation publically available when it's done.
>
> DAN FINK
> http://www.otherpower.com/
>
>
> Jan 8, 2009 10:56:40 AM, re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org wrote:
> As I follow this thread and just got off a 12 and 12 roof, I wondered
> how the fire departments deal with roofs you cannot get to easily?
> I've seen lots of photos of firefighers on roofs, but pretty much all
> flat roofs or low angle ones.
>
> For example
>
> a metal roof in the wet,
> steep roofs
> steep roofs in the snow?
> ETC.
>
> Just wondering,
>
> jay
>
> peltz power
>
>
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