Fire Ground Technologies and the Petzl Exo Personal Safety System

Add Feedback

Share |

Fire Ground Technologies

Fire Ground Technologies is a New Jersey-based company that has become a leader in training firefighters about personal safety and fire ground operations.  They offer a wide range of classes and services for fire departments across the United States, with their most popular module centering around firefighter bailouts.  For this training they have chosen to use the Petzl Exo Personal Safety System and Gemtor Harness.

Petzl Exo Personal Safety System

The Petzl Exo Personal Safety System was developed in 2005 after a tragic accident involving the death and serious injury of several FDNY firefighters.  The men became trapped during a three-alarm fire in the Bronx and were forced to jump from windows to try to escape.  After this the FDNY began an in-depth study into ways to prevent this from happening again.  They looked at several different tools as they searched for a solution, and ultimately approached Petzl, a company that specializes in climbing and rescue devices.  Together Petzl and members of the FDNY committee developed the Petzl Exo tool, which is a self-breaking device that when paired with a rope and harness will allow firefighters to quickly rappel out of a burning multi-story building and descend without falling or loosing control of their rope. 

After undergoing rigorous testing in both Petzl labs and within the FDNY, the product was released to the fire service.  The FDNY itself ordered the Petzl Exo Personal Safety System along with the Gemtor 541 NYC Harness for all 11,000 uniformed members. 

Gemtor Harness

The Gemtor Harness attaches to the outside of a firefighter's bunker pants with velcro straps, and is ready to use at a moment's notice.  This versatile harness can not only be used with the Petzl Exo but also can be used for rescue pickoffs, firefighter rescue evolutions, rope roof rescue or as a simple ladder belt.

Owned by Retired FDNY Lieutenant Larry Cohen, Fire Ground Technologies is an official supplier and product trainer for the Petzl Exo and Gemtor Harness.  Cohen says, "We promote the Petzl Exo and the Gemtor Harness based upon the engineering and the research that had gone in through the FDNY and Petzl.  There are other systems out there that work well.  We have chosen to promote these two right now.  Any other system that's a viable system we always take a look at, try it before we put it online with our guys."

How the Petzl Exo and Gemtor Harness Work

Cohen explains that the system can be quickly deployed by attaching the rope to a substantial, fixed item using a clove hitch knot.  By depressing the Petzl Exo's cam lever a firefighter can move horizontally across a room with little effort, allowing the rope to play out smoothly.  The firefighter will then be able to approach the window sill and exit it in a vertical position.  Once they have "bailed-out" of the building they can regain their composure and activate the cam lever, allowing them to scale the wall down to safety at their own pace.  Conceivably, a well-trained firefighter can execute the process in ten seconds.

Other Training and Services Offered by Fire Ground Technologies

Fire Ground Technologies is completely staffed by trainers hailing from the FDNY Special Operations Command, and so their services are in high demand.  They offer fire departments and firefighters a wide range of educational options over and above the training involving the Petzl Exo.  They provide classroom learning, hands-on training, educational videos, and customized consulting for fire department on everything ranging from preplanning structures to fire ground operations to municipal analysis.  For more information on their complete line of services, visit www.firegroundtech.com.