Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)
Chapter 1-Ladder Types & Ladder Terms
"By The Numbers"

Single ladders range from 6 to 32 feet.

Roof ladders range from 12 to 24 feet (14 & 16 feet most common).

Folding ladders range from 8 to 16 feet (10 foot most common).

NFPA 1931, Standard on Design of and Design Verification Tests for Fire Department Ground Ladders.

Extension ladders have 2 or 3 sections.

Extension ladders range from 12 to 39 feet.

NFPA 1931 requires that all extension ladders over 40 feet or greater to have staypoles.

Pole ladders have 2 to 4 sections.

Pole ladders range from 40 to 65 feet.

Most modern pole ladders do not exceed 50 feet.

55 to 60 foot pole ladders were more commonly found on older aerial apparatus.

Combination ladders range from 8 to 14 feet (most popular is 10 foot).

Pompier ladders range from 10 to 16 feet.

The preferred pitch for ground ladders is 75.5 degrees.

The length label is affixed to the outside of each ladder beam within 12 inches of the butt.
Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)
Chapter 2-Ground Ladder Construction, Maintenance, & Service Testing
"By The Numbers"
NFPA 1931 Maximum Ladder Loads
Type of Ladder
Maximum Load
Folding
300 lbs.
Pompier
300 lbs.
Single and Roof
750 lbs.
Extension and Pole
750 lbs.
Combination
750 lbs.

NFPA 1932, Standard on Use, Maintenance, and Service Testing for Fire Department Ground Ladders.

Coast Douglas fir is kiln-dried/air-dried to 12% moisture content.

For wood ladders exceeding 24 feet, truss beam construction will produce a lighter ladder than solid beam
construction.

NFPA 1931 requires rungs for solid beam and trussed beam ladders be a minimum of 1 1/4 inches in diameter
at the center.

Swell center rungs (rungs thicker at the center) must be 1 1/4 inches in diameter at the center, however, they
may taper to 1 1/8 inches at the ends.

NFPA 1931 requires rungs on wood ladders be spaced from 12 to 14 inches on center, plus or minus 1/8 inch.

NFPA 1931 requires all structural components maintain 75% of their design strength at a minimum of 300oF.

NFPA 1931 requires rungs on metal ladders be spaced 14 inches on center, plus or minus 1/8 inch.
24 foot Ladder Weights
Type of Construction
Weight (lbs.)
Solid Beam (METAL)
74
Solid Beam (WOOD)
75
Fiberglass
85
Truss Beam (METAL)
97
Truss Beam (WOOD)
110

Metal ladders subjected to 300oF flame temperatures for short periods are subject to failure.

Combination ladder hinges lock in a 180 degree position to form a single ladder.

NFPA 1931 restricts the length of pompier ladders to 16 feet, however, older models are found up to 20 feet in
length.

The minimum overall width of rungs on pompier ladders is 12 inches.

A minimum of 2 standoff brackets on pompier ladders is required (one near top, one near bottom).

Standoff brackets should set the ladder a minimum of 7 inches away from building (pompier ladders).

A manual latching pawl is attached between the beams approximately 4 inches above the bottom rung of the
fly section.

NFPA 1931 requires halyard ropes to be a minimum of 3/8 inch in diameter and have a breaking strength of
825 pounds.

3 and 4 section ladders have a 2nd halyard, usually a cable, that threads through a pulley attached to the
intermediate fly section(s).

NFPA 1931 requires that cable used as halyards must be a minimum of 3/16 inch in diameter and have a
breaking strength of 825 pounds.

Staypoles are used both to raise and lower ground ladders over 40 feet tall.

Heat sensor labels change color at 300oF, plus or minus 5%.

Heat sensor labels must be affixed immediately below the 2nd rung from the tip of each section on the inside
of each beam.

Electrical hazard warning and ladder positioning labels must be affixed between 4 1/2 and 6 feet from the butt
of the ladder.

Ladders should not be painted except for the top and bottom 12 inches for identification or visibility.

Pawl torsion springs should be replaced every 5 years or as needed.

Cylindrical supports used for ladder testing should be 1 inch in diameter and placed under the test ladder 6
inches from each end.

Test load area for the horizontal bending test is 32 inches long over the actual center of the ladder.

Preload test weight for the horizontal bending test is 350 pounds, or 300 pounds if made before 1984 and is
allowed to sit on the ladder for 1 minute.

Test load for the horizontal bending test is 500 pounds, or 400 pounds if made before 1984 and is allowed to
sit on the ladder for 5 minutes.
The following measurements are taken 5 minutes after the test load has been removed.
Horizontal Bending Test Differences

Length of Ladder
Difference in Measurements
25 feet or less
1/2 inch
26 to 34 feet
1 inch
35 feet or more
1 1/2 inch
The test load for a roof ladder hook test, extension ladder hardware test, and pompier ladder strength test is
1,000 pounds applied for at least 1 minute.

The test load area for folding ladders is 16 inches long over the actual center of the ladder.

The preload weight for folding ladders is 160 pounds and is allowed to sit on the ladder for 1 minute.

The test weight for folding ladders is 225 pounds and is allowed to sit on the ladder for 5 minutes.

5 minutes after test load has been removed from a folding ladder, there should be less than 1/2 inch difference
than that of the pretest measurement.

The liquid penetration test is an additional non-destructive test for metal ground ladders constructed of 6061T6 aluminum alloy.
Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)
Chapter 3-Handling Ladders
"By The Numbers"

NFPA 1901, Standard for Pumper Fire Apparatus.
Ladders Carried on Pumpers (NFPA 1901)
Length
Type of Ladder
10 foot
Folding
14 foot
Roof
24 foot
Extension

Many fire departments prefer to carry a 3 section, 35 foot ladder instead of a 24 foot ladder.

An overhead rack can be used to carry ladders longer than 35 feet.

NFPA 1904, Standard for Aerial Ladder and Elevating Platform Fire Apparatus (1991 edition).
Ladders Carried on Aerial Apparatus (NFPA 1904)
Length
Type of Ladder

10 foot
Folding
2) 16 foot
Roof
14 foot
Combination Ladder
24 foot
Extension
35 foot
Extension
Prior to the 1991 edition of NFPA 1904, one 40 foot or larger pole ladder had to be carried on aerial
apparatus.

NFPA 1902, Standard for Initial Attack Apparatus.
Ladders Carried on Initial Attack Apparatus
(NFPA 1902)
Type
Vehicle Weight
Length
of
Ladder
less than 15,000 lbs.
12 foot
15,000-20,000 lbs.
14 foot
over 20,000 lbs.
16 foot
Any
Type
Any
Type
Any
Type

NFPA 1903, Standard for Mobile Water Supply Apparatus.

A residential story will average 8 to 10 feet and the distance from floor to window sill about 3 feet.
Ladder Selection Guide
Situation
Ladder Length
1st story
16 to 20 feet
2nd story
20 to 28 feet
2nd story
28 to 35 feet
3rd story
40 to 50 feet
4th story
over 50 feet

A commercial story will average 12 feet and the distance from floor to window sill about 4 feet.

Ladders should extend at least 5 rungs above roof edge.

Ladders used for ventilating from windows should be placed 3 to 4 rungs above window sill to the side of the
window.

Maximum extended length of extension ladders may be as much as 6 inches LESS than the designated length.

For lengths of 35 feet or LESS, the reach is approximately 1 foot LESS than the designated length.

For lengths of 35 feet or MORE, the reach is approximately 2 feet LESS than the designated length.

The 35 foot extension ladder is the most versatile of all extension ladders.

The proper distance from the heel of the ladder to the building can be determined by dividing the used length
by 4.
Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)
Chapter 4-Raising Ground Ladders
"By The Numbers"

IFSTA recommends that all ground and aerial ladders maintain a safe distance of at least 10 feet from all
energized electrical lines or equipment.

Single and roof ladders of 14 feet or LESS are easily rasied by 1 firefighter.

Single ladders longer than 14 feet should be placed butt first against the building to heel the ladder.

Typically, ladders of 35 feet or more should be raised by at least 3 firefighters.

Firefighters handling staypoles should stand approximately 5 feet apart.

When pole ladders are raised beyond 45 degrees, the staypole operators assume most of the weight of the
ladder.

One firefighter can safely shift a ladder that is 20 feet long or LESS.

NFPA 1932 states that ladders shall not be rolled beam over beam to reach new positions.

For a Dome (auditorium) raise, two 125 foot lifelines and minimum of 6 firefighters are required.

NFPA 1983, Standard on Fire Service Safety Rope, Harness, and Hardware.
Fire Service Ground Ladders (9th Edition)
Chapter 5-Climbing & Using Ground Ladders
"By The Numbers"

When carrying up another ladder, roof ladders should be shouldered 2 rungs above midpoint.

The 1st priority in rescuing victims are those most severely threatened by current fire conditions.

The 2nd priority in rescuing victims are the largest number or groups of people.

The 3rd priority in rescuing victims is the remainder of the people in the fire area.

The 4th priority in rescuing victims are the people in the exposed area.

When securing a ladder for raising with rope, attach the ladder approximately 1/3 distance from the top.

When drafting, a ladder can be used to maintain the 24 inch requirement for the strainer to be off the bottom of
the drafting source.