i recently purchased some rescue webbing online, i did not want rope because i wanted to avoid the bulky rope bag hanging off my belt (you know, the one everyone else stops carrying because it's always in the way).  so the webbing arrives and, lo and behold, there is no loop in the end for my carabiner.  i purchased nothing more than a 24' straight length of rescue webbing.  my bad for not checking before ordering.  Anyways, i now have the choice of tying an 8 on a bite and being done w/ it, or driving an hour to get it bar tack stitched which would (besides costing me $) help keep the bulk down, be a bit stronger, and maintain more of its original length.  so, what would you do?

ETA: new appropriate title

ETA:  nevermind.  i thought i could have it stitched at REI, but they don't do that.  So, a knot it is.  Now that I have your attention:  

What do you carry for self-rescue? Besides the webbing for bailing out, I also carry hardened wire cutters.

The webbing should be tied into a loop with a water knot.  If you need to you can use this for a hasty harnes for yourself or tie it around a victim or downed FF and pull them with the working end around your shoulder.

ETA:  I have a gerber on me, a radio, and between my partner and I a set of irons.

'mimber a RADIO is a basic safety tool!!!! I'm not sure why, but in the fire service this does not seem to be the rule.
Now, I carry 20ft of rope that I keep pre-tied in my right bunker pant pocket, and I never go in with out at least my partner and some irons.


Stay Safe
Matt

I keep my webbing tied in a loop with a water knot also.  I also carry a pair of wire cutters, a serrated Spyderco--which has a small lanyard and a snap hook and is always clipped into a pocket.  I also carry my handlight, radio on a radio strap, my tools of choice as dictated by the situation, my helmet light --redundancy.  and a pair of trauma shears for EMS incidents.

We just did a three day, very intensive RIT training course at our department.  It is very humbling, but extremely valuable as far as knowing my personal limts--physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  

Quoted: The webbing should be tied into a loop with a water knot.  If you need to you can use this for a hasty harnes for yourself or tie it around a victim or downed FF and pull them with the working end around your shoulder. ETA:  I have a gerber on me, a radio, and between my partner and I a set of irons.

i've already got the webbing tied into a loop w/ a water knot.  Now I also have 24' w/ a 'biner.  The 8 on a bite is supposed to be ok for webbing.  I added two safeties to it, also.  We're mostly residential, the 24' should be plenty for my needs.

Excellent post topic.  

Personally owned pro-bar halligan tool, 2 flashlights, (vulcan other is a survivor) a department radio, my personal radio, 50ft of 8mm rope, 3 prusiks, 2 decenders, (2) 6ft contious loops of webbing, 24" and 12" pieces of looped webbing in unknown ammounts, plenty of carabiners, wire cutters, masonry nails, and a utlility knife,  I guess is concidered my "self escape" stuff.   I critique the items I carry about every 3 months.  Sometimes I come up with better ideas ,  or have seen things used in survival classes that I like the idea of.  

I have a seat harness encorporated into my pants that sits between the outter shell and the liner.  

"Let me see your light" .........."sure, where do you want me to shine it"

When I'm assigned to the truck, I carry an LCII ammo pouch ("M16" 3 magazine) with the grenade loops surgically removed via x-acto knife. I can get 50' of 3/8" line in the main pouch with an Al carbiner attached, and a pre-formed loop of 1" tubular webbbing (13' IIRC - sized fro a "diaper sling" w/ turnouts on) tight rolled into the lid. I keep a "speed-8" on a steel biner on my truckman's belt.

I do hope everybody is familiar with the Munter hitch:



Even though in this image it's actually being fed on the "wrong" side of the biner (the rope should roll against the body, not the gate).

Forget about the "nylon on nylon" rule - the rope is continually moving, so one spot never gets burned.

In my pockets I've got wedges, a universal wrench, a 6-in-1 screwdriver, a set of channellocks, flashlight (sabrelight), elevator key (steel), bolt throw tool (like the kind from the K-tool kits) and some other goodies I can't recall now. Also have an electrician's knife with all my alarm box keys and pull station keys & allen wrenches.

BTW sigarak - if you've got access to a sewing machine, most machines can be equipped with a "leather" needle that will work on the webbing - I'd use a contrasting color 100% nylon thread. We're talking about survival, not NFPA compliance.

From On Rope:

The overlap should be three times the width of the webbing being sewn. The number of passes should be nine per inch of webbing. If one inch webbing is being sewn there should be three inches of overlap and at least nine passes. On Rope, 3rd Edition © 1987, National Speleological Society, p.274)

Always carry a Radio, Our department issues out wire cutters for every SCBA and are attached to a shoulder strap. Then I also carry 25 ft of rope in a little nylon bag for water bottles (got it at sports authority and it works great) 6 ft of webbing tied in a loop with a water knot for a tag line or rescue line. 2x Flashlights one on helmet other in pocket (both pelican stealth lites). Two mini spanners in my pocket that I "acquired" from the Nat'l Forest Service (for those times I feel lazy and don't want to put any effort into breaking down hose). A small pair of channel locks and a screw driver with a reversible head.

I have two of these in my pants pocket and they work great for organizing your small tools
AWP Box Pouch

20' webbing on a biner
CRKT knife
wire cutters
spare light
McCloskey tube

Quoted: 20' webbing on a biner CRKT knife wire cutters spare light McCloskey tube

what's that?

some yankee thing

IIRC it's a 5' length of clear vinyl tubing so you can buddy breathe with a mask mounted regulator equipped mask.

Remember when you used to wedge your low-pressure hose into your buddy's mask to escape?

<crickets>

Never mind.... I'm old.

Believe it or not, we're actually issued a 25'- 3/8"rope and 2 al. biners. We developed a pocket on the right pants leg (The Norfolk pocket)  that is divided lengthwise top to bottom. The front half of the pocket has a top-flap velcroed loop that one end of the rope/biner-on bight attach. The rest of the line is stuffed into pocket w/ another biner at the end. The velco loop allows readily deployed line-quickly.
I also carry lineman's pliers, adjust.wrench, reversible screwdriver, half-serrated CRKT on lanyard, a G2 lite in pocket/ a 90 degree tilted head lite on chest, spare leather work gloves, exam gloves, cpr one-way pocket mask, short sections of utility cord to tie various dumb-dumb stuff, radio, a few wedges and task-specific tools.  Good thread!

Quoted: IIRC it's a 5' length of clear vinyl tubing so you can buddy breathe with a mask mounted regulator equipped mask.

ding ding ding!

Mine is 4 ft of 3/8" ID clear PCV that I keep rolled up in a pocket. If your partner is having regulator troubles or something you stick one end under the face seal of both masks and you can make it out together. No mask sharing needed.

My department issued a self rescue rope bag that is attached to the Scott SCBA harness.  It is very easy to remove with one hand.  It has 50 feet of 8mm escape cord in it.  We do not use any type of descender or carabiners.  We use some sort of anchor in the room/building, we trained on this using an axe buried into the floor close to the window with a figure eight on a bight around the head of the axe and a clove hitch around the handle like you are hoisting it.  Obviousaly wall joists or a bit better of an anchor would be perfered, but given the limited amount of time you may have to get out and location of such an anchor (using 1/3 of your line inside a room) we trained with the worst case.  We then wrap the rope around our body and SCBA, hold both parts of the rope at your chest and crawl out the window.  It looks and feels a bit unatural but it works damn good with very little equipment.

I do not know how to put a picture in the tread otherwise I coudl show you a picture of it.  If someone is willing to help me with I would appreciate it.  Thanks and stay safe.

Quoted: Quoted: IIRC it's a 5' length of clear vinyl tubing so you can buddy breathe with a mask mounted regulator equipped mask. ding ding ding! Mine is 4 ft of 3/8" ID clear PCV that I keep rolled up in a pocket. If your partner is having regulator troubles or something you stick one end under the face seal of both masks and you can make it out together. No mask sharing needed.

That's like 30 years old if not longer.

Not to mention hos can ya get a seal sticking that tubing in you're mask. You will dump all you air in a super short time using such a rig.

With the new MSA SCBA's we have they have RIT connections & ya can get up to a 40 foot hose to connect a bottle to you're budy or connect you to him. We have 10 foot hoses on the SCBA &  a couple of 40' ones for RIT packs.

media.msanet.com/MSAFireVideos/HudRit.html

Check out the above link

Can also be done with a halligan bar across one of the two bottom corners of the window.....otherwise same technique.

i should add that i also carry my Denver Tool in structures.  Also, keep my radio handy along w/ lightbox.  

Quoted: Excellent post topic.   Personally owned pro-bar halligan tool, 2 flashlights, (vulcan other is a survivor) a department radio, my personal radio, 50ft of 8mm rope, 3 prusiks, 2 decenders, (2) 6ft contious loops of webbing, 24" and 12" pieces of looped webbing in unknown ammounts, plenty of carabiners, wire cutters, masonry nails, and a utlility knife,  I guess is concidered my "self escape" stuff.   I critique the items I carry about every 3 months.  Sometimes I come up with better ideas ,  or have seen things used in survival classes that I like the idea of.   I have a seat harness encorporated into my pants that sits between the outter shell and the liner.   "Let me see your light" .........."sure, where do you want me to shine it"

you sound heavy!

With the new MSA SCBA's we have they have RIT connections & ya can get up to a 40 foot hose to connect a bottle to you're budy or connect you to him. We have 10 foot hoses on the SCBA & a couple of 40' ones for RIT packs. media.msanet.com/MSAFireVideos/HudRit.html Check out the above link

The MSA HUD's are a pretty sweet little gadget. We have them on all of our packs and masks. Only problem with them is that because it sends a signal from your shoulder to your mask you can actually catch someone elses signal if your too close and EVERYONE FORGETS what color means what. Works great though if smoke is down to the floor and so thick that you can't see your pressure gauge on your shoulder.

Tagged for later reading, good ideas guys.

I carry a knife, window punch, flashlight, folding spanner, and a radio if I remember to grab it.


Need to add the pliers and webbing or rope and biner to the list.

Quoted: The MSA HUD's are a pretty sweet little gadget. We have them on all of our packs and masks. Only problem with them is that because it sends a signal from your shoulder to your mask you can actually catch someone elses signal if your too close and EVERYONE FORGETS what color means what. Works great though if smoke is down to the floor and so thick that you can't see your pressure gauge on your shoulder.

For us when ya 1st turn them on they can cross transmit, but as soon as they link with the mask then it won't happen. I've been inside with another guy right beside him and we never crossed.

I just go by bars, when it's down to 1 then it's time to go home

I've got a voice mike as wekk & they are sweet compared to trying to talk or transmit on a radio without one.

We do have problems with them eatting batteries like crazzy though.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: IIRC it's a 5' length of clear vinyl tubing so you can buddy breathe with a mask mounted regulator equipped mask. ding ding ding! Mine is 4 ft of 3/8" ID clear PCV that I keep rolled up in a pocket. If your partner is having regulator troubles or something you stick one end under the face seal of both masks and you can make it out together. No mask sharing needed. That's like 30 years old if not longer. Not to mention hos can ya get a seal sticking that tubing in you're mask. You will dump all you air in a super short time using such a rig. With the new MSA SCBA's we have they have RIT connections & ya can get up to a 40 foot hose to connect a bottle to you're budy or connect you to him. We have 10 foot hoses on the SCBA &  a couple of 40' ones for RIT packs. media.msanet.com/MSAFireVideos/HudRit.html Check out the above link

I'm aware it's a less than ideal setup, but if it comes down to it, I'll use it.  We have MSA with quick fills on the PASS, but haven't upgraded to the latest generation yet.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: IIRC it's a 5' length of clear vinyl tubing so you can buddy breathe with a mask mounted regulator equipped mask. ding ding ding! Mine is 4 ft of 3/8" ID clear PCV that I keep rolled up in a pocket. If your partner is having regulator troubles or something you stick one end under the face seal of both masks and you can make it out together. No mask sharing needed. That's like 30 years old if not longer.

Yeah... so are solid streams, rubber coats, and leather helmets!

Not to mention hos can ya get a seal sticking that tubing in you're mask. You will dump all you air in a super short time using such a rig.

It's intended solely for use on the way out of the environment. And a 1/2" tube is easier to seal around than the old "elephant trunk" LP hoses with metal ends.

Sheeit.. I was one of the last non-100% SCBA academy classes in IL (pallets & bales). Now, they use 'packs all the time.

Some rooks get into the shit, they won't know how to GTFO 'cuz they'ves never worked in pure smoke before.

BTW - In case you've never had to do it, you put your cheek on the floor and breathe through your nose. You should be able to see under the smoke (even if it's banked) and see your way out. And this is for getting out, not joining the "pre-carcinoma" club.

With the new MSA SCBA's we have they have RIT connections & ya can get up to a 40 foot hose to connect a bottle to you're budy or connect you to him. We have 10 foot hoses on the SCBA &  a couple of 40' ones for RIT packs.

We've got ones on our "primary" packs that are about 5' IIRC, and use the URC/MSA quickfill adapters. Not sure if they'll work with the ICM/PASS mounted fills or not.