Firefighter's safety kit

Abstract

Apparatus for assisting a firefighter in descending from an elevated position comprises a bag having a permanently closed end and an open end selectively secured by a pair of snaps. A length of rope has one end secured to a first loop permanently attached to the inside of the bag at the permanently closed end and the other end secured to a carabineer. A second loop has opposite ends affixed in spaced relation to the exterior of the bag at the permanently closed end. The bag, with the rope and carabineer disposed therein, may be carried on a harness worn by the firefighter by passing the second loop around an exposed portion of the harness and passing the bag through the loop. Alternatively, the bag may be carried in a bunker pants pocket of the firefighter's protective clothing with the second loop extending through the open, upper end of the pocket and draped outside thereof. When it is necessary for the firefighter to descend, the carabineer is hooked to any available anchor at the elevated position and the rope is used to assist in the descent. The apparatus may also be used as a tag/search line.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to safety equipment for firefighters and, more specifically, to a rope with associated bag and attachment means for uses such as descent from an elevated position and for providing a tag/search line.

[0002] Firefighters often encounter the need to descend from an elevated position without availability of a ladder or other such device. In such instances, a rope may be anchored at or near the elevated position and used to assist descent. An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for containing and protecting such a descent rope, and for attaching the rope to the container and carrying the container in or upon the firefighter's clothing in an unobtrusive manner, permitting easy and rapid deployment and use of the rope.

[0003] Another frequent safety precaution used by firefighters is the tag or search line. One end of such a line is placed in a safe area as the firefighter proceeds, together with the other end of the line into an area which is or may become involved in the fire. It is a further object to provide a convenient safety kit including a tag/search line which is fed by gravity from a pouch as a firefighter proceeds into a dangerous area.

[0004] Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] It is envisioned that the rope would provide a means of descent from heights up to, for example, 40 to 50 feet. The rope is secured (tied) at one end to anchoring means such as a carabineer, of the type used in mountain climbing, and is similarly secured at the other end to a loop which is securely fastened to the inside of a pouch or bag which contains the rope prior to deployment. The bag has a closed end, wherein the rope-attachment loop is preferably secured, and an open end which is closed by releasable fastening means, such as a pair of snaps. A larger loop, i.e., a strip of material affixed at both ends to the bag, preferably the outside of the closed end, may be used to secure the bag to conventional harness worn by the firefighter, or may be draped outside a pocket on the outside leg of pants worn by the firefighter, to provide in either case rapid access to the bag and its contents, i.e., the rope and carabineer. When the bag is opened and the carabineer fastened to a suitable structure at the elevated position, the bag may remain attached to the harness or allowed to fall from the elevated position. In either case, the rope is fed from the pouch without becoming tangled and the firefighter may use the rope to effect a rapid and safe descent.

[0006] The same apparatus may be used without structural modification for other safety purposes such as a tag/search line. By releasing only one of the snaps, the rope is fed by gravity from the pouch as the firefighter proceeds into areas involved in the fire, while the free end of the rope, i.e., the end attached to the carabineer, remains in an accessible area.

[0007] The foregoing and other features of the invention will be more readily understood and fully appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a side view of a firefighter with the apparatus of the invention carried in a first location;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, side view showing a portion of the apparatus of the invention extending from a pocket wherein the apparatus is carried in a second position;

[0010] FIG. 2a is a fragmentary side view showing an alternative for attaching the present invention to bunker pants;

[0011] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary, elevational views showing various features of the apparatus; and

[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a firefighter and a fragment of a burning building having an elevated balcony from which the firefighter has descended using the apparatus of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Firefighter 10 is shown in FIG. 1 dressed in typical protective clothing and accessories, including belt 12 forming a portion of a conventional harness, such as that commonly termed SCBA harness, and bunker pants pocket 14. Loop 16 is formed by a strip of material having opposite ends 18 and 20 permanently affixed, e.g., by stitching, to spaced positions on bag 22. In FIG. 1, bag 22 is carried by firefighter 10 by passing loop 16 behind belt 12 and passing bag 22 through the closed end of loop 16, whereas in FIG. 2 the bag is placed inside bunker pants pocket 14 with loop 16 extending through the open, upper end of the pocket and draped on the outside. Finally, bag 22 may be provided with a strap 23 extending from one end thereof, and a D-ring 25 stitched to its Free end with a carabineer 32 anchoring bag 22 to a fireman's bunker pants (see FIG. 2a). In any of these cases, bag 22 is unobtrusively positioned and would not limit in any way the firefighter's freedom of motion.

[0014] Bag 22 is seen in greater detail in FIGS. 3-5. When suspended from belt 12 by means of loop 16, the upper end 24 of bag 22 is closed and the lower end 26 is open, but releasably held in a closed position by snaps 28. A length of rope 30 is disposed within bag 22 and is securely fastened at one end to conventional carabineer 32 and at the other end to small loop 34 within bag 22 at closed end 24. When firefighter 10 finds it necessary to descend from an elevated position, snaps 28 are separated, allowing carabineer 32 to fall from or otherwise be accessible through open end 26 of bag 22. If bag 22 is attached via loop 16 to harness belt 12, snaps 28 are separated, and carabineer 32 falls from bag 22, together with rope 30, and is grasped by the firefighter. If bag 22 is carried in pants pocket 14, loop 16 is grasped, bag 22 removed from the pocket, snaps 28 are separated and carabineer 32 is grasped as before. Carabineer 32 is snapped over any available anchoring means at or near the elevated position, such as railing 36 in the example shown in FIG. 6. If bag 22 is attached to belt 12, firefighter 10 may use rope 30 as an aid in descending from the elevated position, removing bag 22 from its temporary attachment to belt 12 after reaching the lower position. If bag 22 is initially carried in pocket 14, after carabineer 32 is secured, bag 22 may be thrown or dropped from the elevated position and rope 30 will pay out of the falling bag and be available for use by the firefighter in descending to the lower position, without necessity of removing the bag from the harness or other equipment, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6.

[0015] Although the length of rope 30 is not a limiting factor, it is envisioned that the apparatus of the invention may be provided in several sizes with different lengths of rope. It is also to be noted that the apparatus of the invention may provide uses other than assisting in descent from an elevated position. Rope 30 may provide a tag/search line, preferably while attached to the harness with open end 26 of bag 22 facing downwardly, and placing carabineer 32 in an accessible area as the firefighter proceeds into areas filled with smoke or otherwise involved in the fire. By releasing only one of snaps 28, rope 30 will slowly feed from bag 22 by gravity as the firefighter moves away from the free end. Also, the firefighter may hold carabineer 32 and throw bag 22 toward a desired location with rope 30 feeding out of the bag without tangling, thereby establishing a tag/search line.

Claims

1. Apparatus for assisting a firefighter in descending from an elevated position to a lower position, said firefighter wearing protective clothing and equipment including at least one of a harness having at least a portion exposed exteriorly of all other clothing, and an exterior pocket, said apparatus comprising:

a) a bag having a permanently closed end and an open end with selectively releasable closure means;

b) a length of rope having first and second ends;

c) a first loop secured within said bag, said first end of said rope being secured to said first loop;

d) hook means to which said second end of said rope is secured; and

e) a second loop having opposite ends secured to said bag.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said second loop opposite ends are secured to the exterior of said bag substantially at said permanently closed end.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said second loop has a length sufficient to extend outside said exterior pocket when said bag is disposed within said exterior pocket.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said second loop has a length sufficient to pass around said exposed portion of said harness and permit passage of said bag through said second loop for temporary attachment of said bag to said clothing and equipment.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said hook means comprises a carabineer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first loop is secured within said bag substantially at said permanently closed end.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said selectively releasable closure means comprise at least one snap.

8. A firefighter's safety kit comprising:

a) a length of rope having first and second ends;

b) a carabineer to which said first end of said rope is secured;

c) a bag having a closed end and an open end;

d) a pair of snaps secured to said bag for releasably closing said open end;

e) a first loop within and permanently attached to said bag, said second end of said rope being secured to said first loop; and

f) a second loop comprising a strip of flexible material attached at opposite ends to said bag.

9. The safety kit of claim 8 wherein said first loop is attached to the interior of said bag adjacent said closed end.

10. The safety kit of claim 9 wherein said second loop is attached to the exterior of said bag adjacent said closed end.