By Sophia Gonzalez 
Staff Writer | Aug. 5 2008

Englewood — A new escape system ensures Englewood firefighters that they don’t have to choose between life and death.

Amidst the blazing summer heat, the firefighters tested the personal escape equipment July 31 at an abandoned building on Lafayette Avenue. The equipment allows firefighters to escape from a building window by using a hook, rope, descender and pouch.

The city’s purchase of the $25,000 equipment and training in 2007 followed a three-year push from the Fire Department, according to Fire Chief Robert Moran.

Moran referred to a Bronx fire that left two firefighters dead and four others badly hurt in January 2005. Trapped on the fourth floor of the burning building, the firefighters were forced to jump out the window.

"It got so bad that they either burn to death or jump out of the window," said Moran.

The situation could arise when firefighters are unable to raise a ladder to the side of the building because of dangling wires, or the truck can’t enter through the backyard, said one firefighter at the training session.

"Things can get bad in a hurry," said the same firefighter.

According to Moran, the personal escape equipment is a last resort.

Trainers from Rescue Products Int., Inc. guided the 10 firefighters on a simulated escape from a second floor window at 231 Lafayette Ave. Founded by career firefighter Christopher Botti, active and retired firefighters comprise the RPI training staff.

Members from the Teaneck and Passaic Fire Department also came to watch. Besides the city of Hackensack, Moran said that Englewood is one of the few New Jersey and New York City fire departments to have such a system.

Following the training staff’s instructions, a firefighter fell to his knees and radioed Mayday for help. Wearing a masked helmet so that he could not see, he crawled to the window.

"If you were in this environment, you wouldn’t see anything," said Moran, pointing to the firefighter on the ground. "You’d be in a stressed condition because you’ve run out of air, or you need to get out of the room that’s now on fire."

The firefighter then attached the hook to the windowsill and hoisted himself onto the ledge. Still clinging to the window with his upper body, he readied his rope and descender. Already strapped in his harness, the firefighter let go of the sill and lowered himself slowly onto the deck outside.

To recreate a real life scenario, the fire chief said the entire process should take less than 30 seconds.

Moran said that the 10 firefighters would then instruct the rest of in the 55-member department to use the NARS escape device. Training within the department would be conducted four times a year, he said.

"We don’t ever want to use this system," Moran said. "But to have this equipment is giving them the capability to save their life if necessary."

E-mail: gonzalezso@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6711