This is a self rescue technique that our training Captain Chris Evans taught to our recruits for the first time this year. As you can see, this technique requires a certain amount of physical strength and agility as well as courage. This technique was taught and practiced on the second floor of a two story building. There are other self rescue techniques that were taught in this class. There were also techniques that were focused on saving a downed firefighter.
In this technique, the right arm of the firefighter is locked into two of the ladder rungs by putting his right arm through the ladder and hooking it downward around them. Then the left hand reaches to a rung below the others and holds on while the firefighter turns himself right-side up to go down the ladder feet first. As you can see the firefighter goes out the window head first in full firefighter protective gear including Self Contained Breathing Apparatus. The total gear weight is up to 40 pounds. In this photo there is a safety line attached in case of equipment failure or technique error. But in a real situation, there would be no safety line and the firefighter has to execute the technique without it. This is a risk that the firefighters have to take when the environment inside changes rapidly causing an orthodox ladder descent to take too long to save the firefighter and the rest of his crew that may be following.
There were firefighters in this group that were able to execute this move in under five seconds. They started on their hands and knees in the room on the second floor, got up and out the window, and down to a standing position on the ground outside below.
This is a perfect example of the strength that is needed to be a firefighter. Not only in physical strength, but also in knowledge and character to do what the ordinary person would consider crazy.