By Bill Adams
I don’t know who Gordon Nord, Jr. is. I don’t recall ever meeting him. If I ever do meet him, I’d like to buy him a cup of coffee or an adult beverage. I owe him. This story began maybe 10 or 15 years ago. It was rehashed over the years and was rejuvenated after the recent Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) in Indianapolis. It was finalized last week.
Step Ladders
Over morning coffee years ago, the Raisin Squad debated carrying step ladders on pumpers. A couple of us recalled a photo of a step ladder lashed, tied, or bungee-corded to the hard sleeves hanging on the side of a pumper. It wasn’t one of those National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compliant, fancy combination ladders. You know the type—the ones that can do everything like a Swiss Army knife, including regularly pinching your fingers.
The one I’m talking about was a five- or six-foot wooden step ladder just like the kind you have in your home to access a ceiling light, or hang a picture, or use outside to replace storm windows with screens. Half of us thought carrying a step ladder was a great idea; the other half obviously didn’t do chores. Anyhow, we beat the topic to death and eventually dropped it.
Years later, the geezers who were still around and could still remember stuff, laughed themselves silly when a local fire department purchased a new rescue truck. They had to carry a small step ladder just to reach the stuff stored up high in the compartments. One geezer defended it saying: “I saw them use that ladder at a couple calls. I think one time was to replace a smoke detector battery.”
All photos provided by Tom Shand.The Wall Ladder
After the recent FDIC, I came back with an Alcolite ladder catalog that showed a six-foot “pumper wall ladder” on page 3. The catalog stated, “it fits in the same space as a backboard” and it is the “prefect size for accessing first-floor windows.” Some raisins agre