Mantle is the sheath-like braided covering that protects kern from dirt and abrasion.Kern is the center core and provides 70% of rope’s strength.Exposes all of the strands to abrasion.Twisted ropes stretch and are prone to unraveling.Both natural and synthetic fibers can be twisted.

Made of individual fibers twisted into strands.

The best choice depends on specific application.

There are several types of rope construction.

Block creel construction: no knots or splices.

Highly susceptible to abrasions and cutting.

Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light, strong acids, or alkalis can damage the rope.

Use fibers that run the entire length of the rope for greater safety and strength.

Synthetic fibers have been used for ropes ever since.

Current use for utility, not life safety tasks.

Natural fiber ropes were often made of manila.

Different materials are used for different situations.

Now ropes are made of synthetic material.

Earliest ropes were made from natural vines woven together.

Ropes can be made of many types of materials.

Used for hoisting, lowering, and securing equipment.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1983 specifies design, construction, and performance criteria.

Must be used when supporting the weight of one or more persons.

Used in most cases when it is not necessary to support a person.

A fire fighter must be able to tie simple knots accurately and without hesitation.

Ropes and knots are an important part of training.

Ropes are widely used in the fire service.

Describe hoisting methods for tools and equipment.

Describe the types of knots to use for given tools, ropes, or situations.

Describe how to tie safety, half hitch, clove hitch, figure eight, figure eight on a bight, figure eight with a follow-through, bowline, and sheet bend or Becket bend knots.

Describe the knot types and their usage in the fire service.

List the reasons for placing a life safety rope out of service.

Describe how to record rope maintenance.

Describe how to clean and check ropes.

Describe how to use rope to support response activities.

Describe the construction of a kernmantle rope.

List the three most common synthetic fiber ropes used for fire department operations.

Describe the differences between life safety rope and utility rope.

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