Truck Operations›Evolution 1.1

Official evolution · Aerial Task Book · September 2024

1.1 — Steep Pitch Roof Operation

Vertical vent on a steep pitch — anything over a 6/12 will most likely require working off a ladder.

Two-member operation — Engineer (Lead Saw) and firefighter. A separate evolution from 1.0 Walkable and 1.2 Commercial — never merged.

Crew size — why two is correct

Truck Manual p.46 reads: “For steep pitch residential and commercial roofs 3 members should be the minimum.” The standing ruling corrects the earlier reading of that line: steep pitch residential is a two-person operation. Any commercial roof — steep or not — is a commercial operation and carries the larger crew. This sheet's two-person drill is correct as written.

Standing ruling SR-4 · 2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.46 — “Developing a Ventilation Profile,” last line

ON-ARRIVAL — POSITION & LADDERS

1

Correct positioning of Truck for operation. (Using the aerial device as our primary ladder should be strongly considered).

AERIAL FIRST ON STEEP PITCH — AIM IT TO THE BOTTOM OF A VALLEY

Step 1 above is the task book's own wording: using the aerial device as our primary ladder should be strongly considered. The Truck Manual says the same thing from the other side — the Aerial “should be strongly considered on multi-story single family dwellings, especially those with pitched roofs,” and it is “the strongest, and safest one-man ladder throw that the fire department has” (p.47).

Where to put it: when going to the roof of a steep residential — or possibly a commercial — aim placing the aerial ladder to the bottom of a valley in the area where roof operations are going to be performed. That allows a stable platform to work from and two different sections of roof to open up. Roof ladders can also be deployed from this position. Placing the ladder low in the valley also places us in a stronger area of the roof and allows more roof to work.

The primary ladder is a ground ladder on single-story residential operations, and on any operation lacking access to the roof with the aerial (p.93) — that is evolution 1.0 Walkable, not this sheet.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1 — Section 6: Apparatus Positioning, “Steep Pitched Roofs,” p.144 · Section 5-1 Ventilation, “Rig to Roof,” p.47 · “Positioning your Ladder for your Operation — Roof Access/Egress,” p.93 · Aerial Task Book, September 2024, Evolution 1.1, On-Arrival step 1
2

Primary ladder thrown to correct location (as close to where the vent hole will be cut as you can get).

Why & source

Normally the primary goes to the off-side corner — trading space for time so diagnostic work can happen before committing over the fire. The manual names one exception: steep pitches. Due to the steepness, the primary ladder needs to be thrown as close to directly over the fire as possible.

Roof access/egress tip placement for both primary and secondary: 3–5 rungs above the roofline, at roughly a 75° climbing angle.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1 — Section 5-1 Ventilation, “Rig to Roof,” p.47 · “Positioning your Ladder for your Operation — Roof Access/Egress,” p.93

3

Secondary ladder in correct location

Why & source

The manual's fuller placement, ruled in for the site: halfway between the primary ladder and the fire, on the fire-side wall. Ideally every member of the roof team passes the secondary on their way to the fire. In a two-man residential roof operation the other member of the roof team — not the Engineer — throws it. The secondary is for egress only, if conditions deteriorate topside.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1 — “Rig to Roof,” p.47 (placement, and who throws it) · “Roof Access/Egress,” p.93 (egress only) · ruling R-41

4

Saw started on the ground

5

Mask up before climbing ladder

ROOF OPERATION — ENGINEER FIRST

6

Engineer climbs ladder first and deploys roof ladder where vent hole will be cut

Why & source

Two-person roof team split, decided in the morning at the beginning of shift: the Engineer is the Lead Saw — in charge of the roof operation, where the heat hole is placed and expanding the hole, and handles radio while the hook is pulling and punching. The Lead Hook places the secondary ladder, brings the hook to the roof, and handles radio while the saw operator is working.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.48 — Roof Team Assignments, two-person team · standing ruling SR-5 (roles, not riding positions)

7

Engineer sounds roof and determines if tool is needed for footing

Why & source
“At no time should we be walking where we haven't sounded.”

On steep pitch residential it is beneficial to work from hips and valleys (p.48). Weather matters here more than anywhere: pitched surfaces — especially metal, ceramic tile, and wood shake shingles — become extremely slippery with rain and snow, and snow sticks around longer on the north and east slopes than on southern and western slopes (p.46).

On this sheet the Engineer does the sounding himself — unlike 1.0 and 1.2, where the Lead Hook sounds. On a steep pitch the Engineer climbs first and deploys the roof ladder before anyone else commits.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1 — quote p.49 (exiting the roof) · hips and valleys p.48 · weather in the ventilation profile p.46 · Aerial Task Book, September 2024, sheets 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 · ruling R-9

TOOL EXCHANGE

Engineer will pass tools back to Firefighter on non-working side and pass tools up on working side.

Aerial Task Book, September 2024, Evolution 1.1 — Roof Operation column

THE CUT — SINGLE CENTER RAFTER

This cut is reserved for steep pitch roofs where reach is limited, or where rafter spacing is greater than 24″ o.c. It lets the hooks pull manageable sections of roof. 2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.49

8

Work off of roof ladder or in a valley to cut heat hole (single center rafter)

far perimeter rafter center rafter (rolled) ladder-side rafter roof ladder 1 2 3 4
  • 1Head cut. Locate the perimeter rafter away from the ladder, roll one center rafter and stop at the next perimeter rafter closest to the ladder.
  • 2Dice alongside the far perimeter rafter.
  • 3Skim-cut the bottom.
  • 4Finish by dicing down along the ladder-side perimeter rafter.
  • ⇣Expand WITH construction, down along the length of the roof ladder as needed.
2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.50 — “Single Center Rafter Cut.” The manual states this order; the bottom skim cut's direction is not stated, so it is drawn without one.
9

The engineer will use the hook to pull decking and punch sheetrock

Why & source

All decking is pulled back onto the roof. Louvering is discouraged — it blocks the ventilation opening, and material can fall in, making punching the lid difficult or falling onto interior crews.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.50 — “Opening the Roof”

10

Determine if hole needs to be extended. Extend WITH construction

The only roof evolution restricted to one direction — 1.0 and 1.2 both allow extending with and against construction. Aerial Task Book, September 2024, sheets 1.0, 1.1, 1.2

Why & source

The single center rafter cut is easily expanded with construction, down along the length of the roof ladder as needed. If the initial hole is exhausting smoke and/or fire under pressure, it needs to be expanded — the Lead Saw makes the determination.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1 — expansion decision, “Offensive ‘Heat Holes’,” p.49 · single center rafter expansion, p.50

STOP

Never place a ventilation hole between you and your egress.

Expand always working back towards your egress. When exiting the roof, sound your way off, following the same path of travel you came up.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1 — never between you and your egress, and expand working back towards your egress, p.50 · sound your way off the same path you came up, p.49

EMERGENCY — ROOF MAYDAYS

Every Truck company should have a basic plan in case a member has a Mayday situation on the roof. Three categories: Member into the roof · Member through the roof · Medical emergency on the roof. All three start the same way — call the Mayday immediately: Who, What, Where. 2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1 — Section 5-1 Ventilation, “Roof Member Rescue,” pp.59–61 (the three categories are named on p.59)

First moves — every roof Mayday

Call the Mayday the moment it is noticed. Example from the manual: “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. L33 has a member partially into the roof, halfway down the Charlie wall, 20 ft. in.” Once acknowledged, the IC can be asked for more — line to the drop bag, second company to the roof with hooks and roofers.

Drop bag. Every SCBA going to the roof carries a drop bag with 75′ of utility rope; the Engineer or Captain drops it upon making the roof. Engineers on the ground watch for drop bags and bring a 1¾″ line with a fog nozzle to them when possible — flowing onto the member from a safe area if fire conditions are present.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.60 — “Member into the roof,” items 1–2
Member INTO the roof
  1. Call the Mayday — Who, What, Where.
  2. Drop bag / line to the roof — flow water onto the member if fire conditions are present, from an area determined to be safe.
  3. Sound — never just go for the grab. The area is compromised; sound out around the downed member with a roof hook. Present the hook under his armpits, hooks up, or through the SCBA straps.
  4. Roofers — brought up from the aerial or the ground, spanned across multiple rafters at angles in front of the downed member, giving a secure area for multiple members to pull from.
  5. Cut for life — cut in an area away from the downed member to pull the fire in that direction.
  6. Blow out rafters — cut two rafters away in a secured area, insert a roofer and use it for leverage to get under the member's feet.
  7. Access the attic space — reserved for pitched residential roofs: cut away from the downed member, use hoselines, ladders and whatever tools necessary. Members in the attic space might be unconscious, needing air and significant help getting out.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.60 — “Member into the roof”

Member THROUGH the roof
  1. Call the Mayday — this could be the single biggest thing the roof team can do for the downed member: most of the rescue work will be done by interior companies and the RIT.
  2. Drop bag / line to the roof — flow water into the area the member went through, from a safe area, if fire conditions are present.
  3. Cut for life — away from the downed member to pull fire that direction.
  4. Cut for fire — the interior still needs lift, both to find the downed member and to locate and extinguish fire.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.61 — “Member through the Roof”

Medical emergency on the roof
  1. Call the Mayday — if the member is conscious and mobile, it may be enough to inform the IC and assist the member off the roof to Medical.
  2. CPR — if the member is unresponsive and not breathing, begin CPR immediately without delay.
  3. Getting the downed member off — drop-bag rope on a ground ladder: connect to the member's converted SCBA and internal harness, wrap 2 rungs above the roofline for friction, drop the bag; ground member controls the descent while a roof member pushes the tip away from the roofline. If building height requires the aerial, lower them in the stokes.

2026 OFD Truck Manual v3.1, p.61 — “Medical Emergency”

Source. Aerial Task Book, September 2024, Evolution 1.1 — the ten steps and the tool-exchange note are the task book's own wording, in its printed order (its doubled “to” in step 8 is rendered once; drill-admin setup lines are omitted). Depth from the 2026 OFD Truck Manual Version 3.1: Section 5-1 Ventilation — ventilation profile p.46, “Rig to Roof” p.47, Roof Team Assignments and Diagnostics p.48, heat holes and the reason for the single center rafter cut p.49, the cut sequence and “Opening the Roof” p.50, “Roof Member Rescue” pp.59–61 — plus “Roof Access/Egress” p.93 and Section 6: Apparatus Positioning, “Steep Pitched Roofs,” p.144. Every page number is read off the manual's own printed footers. Aerial first on steep pitch is published per the 2026-08-30 review. Steep pitch, walkable and commercial are three separate evolutions with separate crew models and are never merged (standing ruling SR-4). RIT is used throughout per ruling R-16; the manuals use both RIT and RIC.

Version: site2 · Last reviewed 2026-08-30 · Compiled by Engineer Jason Anderson

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