Firefighter Plunkett, who has sent in a few submissions in the past, sent in this photo of a useful way to store utility rope. This simple, yet effective idea of using a bleach bottle to carry the rope is used heavily by FDNY. It involves 50 to 75ft of 3/8 or similar rope in an empty and thoroughly cleaned bleach bottle. A hole is cut into the bottle with a razor knife in order to insert a weight in the bottom to ensure proper deployment of the rope. A large washer and gorilla glue does the trick. The hole also facilitates the reloading of the rope. A snap link or carabineer finishes of the end of the rope to allow quick attachment of the end of the rope prior to deploying it. Carry the rope up, attach the end, and throw the bottle down. It’s a simple, cheap, and effective way to carry and deploy utility rope.
we don’t have bleach in my response area…but great idea
Nice post Plunkett. I wonder if this can be used in other areas of the fire service or DPW arenas. Will drill this weekend on it.
Cool Idea Fr. Plunkett. My department uses silly rope bags for this. We also have an extensive recycling program. Why spend money on a bag when the bottles are already in the firehouse? Keep up the good ideas, brother!
And the handle’s big enough to pass your waist belt through it for hands-free carrying without extra clips, straps, carabiners and other entanglement potentials.
Now, if you want to talk about what we really do at work… These also make great toilet brush holders. At least that’s how it’s always been done it in MY district.
I like the “FDNY uses it” plug. Now 83,000 firemen are gonna run out and buy one.
We just picked up this trick from a retired FDNY FF a few weeks ago. Great Idea. And affordable to all.
there is now a shortage of bleach at local stores, firefighters have bought them out!!
This is an old water rescue trick. Use polypro rope, leave off the weight so they float. Dip into water for throwing weight. Easy to store, very rapid deployment.
Useful anywhere, in boats, rescue vehicles in areas near water. Cheap and effective. Gives you one good throw.
In swift water throw just upstream of victim.
Hadn’t considered it for other utility ropes, good idea.
Great idea! Chris, that’s funny, about all of our firehouses in Charlotte use these to hold toilet brushes too.
Primarily used by Engine Companies to get handlines up “Well Holes” quickly.
Aside from the well hole stretch we use this in the projects..For any fire above the third floor the nozzleman and boss go to the common hallway on the floor below, take out a window and drop it down to the back up who secures the nozzle and we hoist away…Saves serveral lengths on the strech and the need to have a man at each floor working the line around the corners…
I don’t like it….ok take it easy it’s just an opinion. The whole point of a throw bag is for easy deployment and retreval right? dragging a one Gal bottle 40′-50’underwater (its weighted) isn’t very easy, and yes I’ve done it. You can get a throwbag for about 30-40 dollars with the rope so I say spend the money and get the right tool for the job. We wouldn’t use broom handles with angle iron tapped to it for pike poles would we? Just my thoughts.
Kevin, I respect your opinion. But isn’t the fire service about improvising? If you have exhausted your throw bags than why not try the bottle?. Its worth a try. I mean, I would certainly consider taking the weight out for the float.
I understand your point. But, we will go out now and try throwing an actual water rescue throw bag, followed by the Clorox bottle. If we have better results with a bottle out of a recycling bin (No im not going to replace existing rope bags)…Than my job is to let the guys know why this works better, how to use it, and to absolutely consider it if we have a water rescue.
The Clorox Bottle has NEVER been used for water rescue where I’ve worked. As HH stated above it is for easier positioning and deploying of handlines at upper floor fires where 2 lines are already in the stairwell, vacants, housing projects, etc. It works and works well.
The Clorox Bottle has been in use in the FDNY for well over 20 years and works real good. I have it with me whenever I’m not first due. Another good use is stretching to the roof of a building. I recently critiqued a drill for a department and there was discussion of stretching an handline off the outlet of a tower ladder. I told them to set up the bucket and pull the line up and keep the TL available for rescue not make it a $1,000,000 standpipe. When deploying the rope out the window or off the roof stand on the rope don’t clip it to yourself just in case some paniced resident decides to reach out the window and grab it.
Don’t forget to secure the hose with a hose strap, webbing, utility rope or whatever you have before you flow water the weight of the water is substantial and you want to keep the tension of the couplings.
Not one comment about a Donkey Kick…I am depressed.
Ummmm…..Al, how do you think they get the hole in the bottle?
well played dman
Whats the tape for?… I’ve seen similar markings on other tools, is it just for visibility?
mfd-most tools in the FDNY fleet are marked for company pride and to recognize your tools at a scene. That way some knucklehead from another company says “ooh I like that clorox bottle.” and takes it. My company does that with stencils for larger objects and tape for smaller or round objects.
We use these for parking garages we have without standpipes for vehicle fires, and for multi-family apartments of 6 stories for pulling up hose for portable standpipe operations by dropping bottle down narrow stairwell. It’s a great tool to have on an Engine. You will use it more often than you think. More than the hose jacket and hose clamp taking up space in your compartment. MetroFireTrainingCom had this on there.
The color tape is a company ID- Engines/Ladders have say..Orange for Eng..Green for ladder..and then a 2nd color ID’s what Eng or Ladder co.
The color tape is a company ID- Engines/Ladders have say..Orange for Eng..Green for ladder..and then a 2nd color ID’s what Eng or Ladder co.
Can I get the exact step by step direction on how to make this. Thx.