A Suggestion for Facilitating Rescues at Fires
Page 49
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MITE recent lamentable occurrence ..11_ at Gillingham, where a number of lives was lost during a demonstration intended to show how people could be rescued from a burning building—and this loss despite the fact that the usual appliances for fire-fighting were at band hut could not effect a rescue—has prompted a correspondent who has had ranch experience in fire-brigade work to rrkake a proposal for a new type of resole appliance which might prove of considerable value.
He considers it is time that the ideas regarding the form of escape appliances should be completely revised, as the ordinary form of ladder has proved itself useless in many instances where people are entrapped in buildings of which the lower floors are on fire and where flames are issuing from the lower windows. Escape by means of a ladder is comparatively slow, as the persons to he rescued have to be carried down by the firemen, who have no easy task with stout people.
The ladders are also usually made of inflammable wood, painted red ; in fact, our correspondent entirely disagrees with the ideas of polished brass and this paint, which he thinks are often mistaken for efficiency; also with escapes with canvas chutes down which persons can be slid, for here, again, the fire danger is present.
The suggestion he makes is that something in the nature of the tower as used for the repair of overhead wiring, but capable of rising to a much
greater height, should be utilized. The apparatus might well be equipped with a horizontal telescopic gangway with high sides protected by asbestos sheets. The tower could thus be kept some little way away from the ,flames, but run out to reach a high window. A bag chute could easily be fitted, as indicated in our illustration of his conception of the design.
The firemen, instead of having to run up the ;ladders, could take their places and rise with the tower, this applying also to the hose, etc.
So far as the protection of the firemen is concerned, it is suggested that asbestos suits and asbestoscovered helmets with mica visors would he far, more useful than the present form of equipment.
Although the matter of the actual fire-fighting does not concern this journal, we feel that the type of tower suggested should be worthy of the eonsideration of firebrigades and equipment makers.