Ropes & Knots.pdf - Los Angeles County Firefighters Association

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LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
CONTEXT TRAINING PROGRAM
ROPES AND KNOTS
1. General Information
Ropes used by Los Angeles County Fire Department are of the Static Nylon
Kernmantle design. This means that a braided sheath woven over an inner core
with minimum low stretch. The inner bundles contribute most of the ropes tensile
strength. They are continuous throughout the rope and run parallel, which not
only reduces stretch, but also prevents spin. The load carrying core (kern) is
protected from dirt, abrasion, and cutting by a tightly braided outer sheath
(mantle).
Rope shall be stored in the nylon rescue system packs and shall not be stored in
compartments near fuel or battery storage areas. All rope and equipment shall be
stored inside a compartment.
2. Life Line Rope
With the breaking strength at 9000 pounds, 600 pounds is the maximum
allowable load (working strength) that can be placed on a single line of 1/2-inch
rope (15:1 safety margin).
a. Construction: Static Kern mantle
Material: 100% nylon (type 6.6)
b. Elongation: Less than 2% at 200 lbs.
c. Heat: Melts at 480 F. Becomes sticky at 445 F. Yellows at 300 F.
d. Braid: One over, one under (braid on braid) for high abrasion resistance
e. Core: Continuous block creel construction, parallel nylon fiber bundles, for
low stretch and no spin.
f. Identification: Continuous marker in core bundles gives place, year, and
quarter of manufacture.
g. Service Life: Cannot be determined in advance. It depends on a number
of factors such as; Proper care, frequency of use, type of decenders used,
speed of decent, rock or building abrasiveness, climate, and type of
loading the rope is subject to.
h. Lifeline rope use: After each use, whether training or rescue, an entry
shall be made on the Form 247 assigned to the lifeline.