Manhattan Fire

[Remember585 815]

Anyone else notice that hardly anyone was wearing their waist straps in these photos?

This isn't the only time I have seen this.

I was always taught and presently teach my guys to wear them, as the manufacturer recommends. Not only can they help balance the weight of the pack, but it is also one less thing to get tangled in something.

Another thought - if you are wearing your pack without the waist straps and God forbid you go down, if I try to drag you to safety by your pack, it may come off of you, making your own rescue harder to accomplish.

Look out for your safety ALWAYS - you can't count on someone else to do it for you!

[EJS1810 7]

Most times you see an FDNY picture you see they dont have the waist straps buckled. I could never get a straight answer why they wear them that way

[tbendick 27]

Very few FDNY guys use the waist strap.. I know I am one of the few that does use. My reason is as stated above, If I go down I don't want to make it harder to get me out. I always try to get the new guys while they are on probation to keep using it. The hope being it will be like a seat belt and they would get to the point that it was second nature.

[xfirefighter484x 234]

I know that some of the guys here are saying the same thing, talking about how they don't want to make it harder to get them out God forbid they go down. Some of the guys in my department choose to leave their waist straps down, so that in the event they DO go down, it is easier to set-up the pack for an rapid extrication, by placing the waist straps, one under the groin from the front, and one from the back, and hooking them together (how I was taught in Truck Co. Ops, and in FAST). This is to prevent the pack from slipping off during FF victim removal. I don't go along with them, I always wear my waist straps, when I remember to, but I can kind of see a semi-valid point they make.

Edited August 17, 2005 by xfirefighter484x

[DMA327 12]

It's better to have to undo the waist strap and restrap for a rapid extrication then to get tangled up and spend an extra five minutes trying to untangle therefore becoming disorientated inside an environment where most of the time you cannot see anything!

[mfc2257 464]

I absolutely agree with the reasons above for wearing waist straps.

There is one reason to wear your waist straps that effects you every single time you've got your pack on, not just when you need to be rescued etc..... Exhaustion. The #1 cause of FF deaths in the US is still heart attacks, yet we all to often don't do the simple things to prevent them.

When you don your pak, don't give into the temptation to jerk down on the shoulder straps.... Tighten them just enough so that they aren't falling off. Then buckle your waist and sinch your pak up so that it rests above your hip bones. Tighten it as tight as you can but so that it is still comfortable. Then return to your shoulder straps and gently snug them again.

The end result is the entire weight of the pack is transferred down to your legs through your hips as opposed to your upper body which will fatigue you rapidly.

You should be able to take your thumb and slide it between your T/O coat and the back of the shoulder straps with little or no resistance.

[Lieut2 0]

I absolutely agree with the reasons above for wearing waist straps.

There is one reason to wear your waist straps that effects you every single time you've got your pack on, not just when you need to be rescued etc..... Exhaustion.  The #1 cause of FF deaths in the US is still heart attacks, yet we all to often don't do the simple things to prevent them.

When you don your pak, don't give into the temptation to jerk down on the shoulder straps.... Tighten them just enough so that they aren't falling off.  Then buckle your waist and sinch your pak up so that it rests above your hip bones.  Tighten it as tight as you can but so that it is still comfortable.  Then return to your shoulder straps and gently snug them again.

The end result is the entire weight of the pack is transferred down to your legs through your hips as opposed to your upper body which will fatigue you rapidly.

You should be able to take your thumb and slide it between your T/O coat and the back of the shoulder straps with little or no resistance.

[Lieut2 0]

one member told me they don't wear there waist straps so when they get entrapted they can get out easier. I pointed out that in all probability the loose straps is what will get you entangled in the first place.

Edited September 3, 2005 by Lieut2

[tbendick 27]

one member told me they don't wear there waist straps so when they get entrapted they can get out easier. I pointed out that in all probability the loose straps is what will get you entangled in the first place.

The entire issue has nothing to do we anything. Just bad habbits.

All FDNY SOPs for emergency procedures with a MASK are done with the waist strap. Also don't recall if it was mentioned here but the sensor of the pass alarm is on the back of the mask along the waist line. Scott states that you will get more false alarms when not using the belt strap