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Hi Jay --<br><br>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.<br><br>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.<br><br>BRAVO to everyone on this thread and the fast reaction to the misinformation on the internet!<br>I'm still working up my off-grid safety lecture and this is providing much food for thought.<br>I will make the presentation publically available when it's done.<br><br>DAN FINK<br>http://www.otherpower.com/<br><br><br>Jan 8, 2009 10:56:40 AM, re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 3px solid rgb(102, 153, 204);">As I follow this thread and just got off a 12 and 12 roof, I wondered <br>how the fire departments deal with roofs you cannot get to easily?<br>I've seen lots of photos of firefighers on roofs, but pretty much all <br>flat roofs or low angle ones.<br><br>For example<br><br>a metal roof in the wet,<br>steep roofs<br>steep roofs in the snow?<br>ETC.<br><br>Just wondering,<br><br>jay<br><br>peltz power<br><br><br></blockquote></body></html>