Ladder Testing: Taking the Pain Out of Compliance

Fire chiefs are responsible for the upkeep of all equipment under their control, including trucks, tankers, and other emergency response vehicles. Of equal importance are the first aid supplies and equipment such as the ladders that help them reach and rescue people trapped in life-threatening blazes.

Of all the equipment that firefighters use on the scene, ladders are subject to the most abuse They must be able to perform under heavy loads. They’re subject to tremendous heat. They inadvertently collect substances like salt, dirt, water and sand, which can jam pulleys and dogs, rot ropes and corrode any vulnerable working parts or surfaces.

On top of that, all ladders are not created equal. There are roof ladders, folding ladders, ground ladders, and pompier ladders, each with its own set of moving parts.

Because they can be made of either aluminum, fiberglass or wood, they each react differently to temperature and load stresses. The best way to verify their ability to do so is to conduct regularly scheduled tests.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Code 1932 Chapter 7, “All ground ladders shall be service-tested on the following schedule:

1. Before the ladder is placed in service for the first time.
2. At least annually.
3. At any time a ladder is suspected of being unsafe.
4. After the ladder has been subjected to overloading.
5. After the ladder has been subjected to impact loading or unusual conditions of use.
6. Whenever the ladder has been exposed to, or is suspected of, having been exposed to direct flame contact.
7. Whenever the heat sensor label has changed to indicate heat exposure.
8. After any repairs have been completed, unless the only repair was replacing the halyard.”

What the requirement doesn’t specify is whether or not the testers have to be fire department personnel- which is where ladder testing service providers come in.

Scarcity of resources has always been a sensitive issue with fire departments- now more than ever, given the current economic climate. Manpower is closely allocated, so any task that can be eliminated or outsourced is sought after.

Yearly ladder tests can be a real sore spot for fire marshals and chiefs, who know how valuable training time is to the men and women whose lives depend on it. Ladder testing is the last thing they want their personnel to be doing when a three-alarm fire call is announced.

Ladder testing services can relieve fire departments of the hassle and time-consuming tasks involved with yearly tests, by providing the expertise required to keep their customers in compliance with NFPA and ISO regulations and guidelines.

Trained professionals, many of them former firefighters, will handle the testing process from beginning to end, and within one afternoon, in most cases.

Provided services include:

• Pre-test survey and photo documentation of storage scheme
• Comprehensive compliance report
• Complete equipment inventory
• Documentation system the department can use throughout the year
• Suggested processes for keeping trucks organized and safe
• Visual inspection
• Ladder labeling and condition tracking
• Extension ladder hardware testing
• Roof hook test
• Horizontal bending test
• Documentation and disposal of failed ladders
• Suggestions for improvement and compliance

Firefighters trust their lives to the ladders that get those they rescue out of the danger zone.

Maybe it’s time more departments considered using ladder testing service providers.