The search rope is a tool that has been around for quite some time, but early on in my career it was usually ignored. While the routine maintenance and inspections were kept up, the feeling on actually using the tool was that it took too long and would slow us down.

Upon my first promotion to lieutenant, that mentality had to change and the focus became the safety of my men while carrying out a mission.  

My early years on the department were spent in very active units in Brooklyn, but I could count on one hand the amount of times we deployed a search rope. However, after my assignment to Rescue 1 in Manhattan, I was amazed at how often and proficiently it was used by my unit and the units I subsequently worked with.

The search rope is used as a supervisory tool to maintain search team integrity while performing difficult searches for fire or victims. It is also used as a means of finding your way out under heat and smoke conditions in large or maze-like areas

There are many uses. It can help to prevent duplications of areas searched and to locate members who are in need of assistance. Some examples of when you might deploy the search rope are large areas such as arenas, gyms and ballrooms, etc.

In addition, it should be used at complex areas such as office buildings with multiple cubicles, and commercial structures. When searching below grade areas such subways, basements and tunnels, the search rope again comes in useful.
 
The most important thing is that you deploy the rope when entering these areas, even when only a light or moderate smoke and heat condition exists. You may enter the area thinking you are not going to need it, and then lo and behold, 100 ft in, conditions start to deteriorate rapidly and you're trapped.

Thermal imaging
If your department has thermal imaging devices then these should always be used in conjunction when working with a search rope as they allow the officer to get a lay-out of the area, monitor the member's progress and evaluate conditions. But there should never be an over reliance on any electronic devices as they can fail without warning. Never forget the basics you learned concerning search operations.

Search ropes can be of many different diameters and designs. In my department, we use 5/16" white nylon rope or 7.5 mm kermantle rope. It should be at least 200 ft long with a snap hook at each end. The bag the rope is placed in needs to be marked with the company number and an ID tag should be attached to the rope.

This tag should always be at the point where the rope is deployed from during entry, which enables the IC and other units operating at the scene to quickly identify the unit using the rope. It's also important to remember that over periods of time,  nylon ropes can shrink by as much as much as 25 ft due to moisture and temperature.

In order to identify the direction and distance to, and distance from, the tie off point, a series of knots can be tied onto the rope, with 25 ft intervals between each knot. A single knot is at 25 ft, two knots for 50 ft, three knots for 75 ft, and progressing to seven knots at 175 ft. Spacing between individual distance knots should be approximately 6".
 
A single direction knot should be located 18" before the distance knots when traveling in the direction of deployment, with this knot always closer to the tie off or exit. Finally, the 25 ft distance knot does not have a directional knot.

If training with the rope is conducted on a regular basis with interjections of black-out face pieces, maze-like areas and full firefighting gear, members will become proficient in its use. But it's vital to remember that the tool will only enhance operations if the member using it is proficient in the skill.

Additional pertinent points on the search rope include:

1) Deployment allows ladder company members to begin immediate search of the fire area more rapidly and assist the engine company in reaching the fire, allowing for extinguishment.

2) Provides a point of reference to guide members in and out of an area.

3) Allows the RIT unit to rapidly locate and assist members in distress.

4) Notify the IC when deploying the rope for use.

5) Secure the end of the rope to a substantial non-moveable object in a clear safe environment.

6) The officer should always control the search rope, paying it out while keeping it taut.

7) The rope should be kept off the floor and should be tied off at intervals. It should be maintained 1-2 ft off the ground. By tying it off at this level, it keeps the rope out of water and from getting buried under debris. When changing the direction of the search, tie the rope off to an object, which allows members to traverse the same ground when exiting.

8) The officer supervising the search rope should always keep accountability of all members that are operating on the rope and of the distance traveled, using the knots as an indicator. This information should be relayed to the incident commander as soon as possible.

• This will be a two-part article, with the next section outlining operational procedures and individual duties of members operating at the fire.