On May 15, two firefighters were seriously injured in Wyoming, Ohio, after falling 30-feet from a roof ladder while participating in a ventilation drill. According to Chief Robert Rielage of Wyoming Fire-EMS, the ladder’s hooks slipped from the metal roof cap while being used on the metal roof of the Colerain Township (Ohio) Fire Training facility. The metal roof system of the training facility was very similar in design to roof systems being used in commercial and residential applications.

Chief Rielage and Chief G. Bruce Smith of the Colerain Township Fire Department caution all fire service agencies to evaluate the use of roof ladders for their ability to remain affixed on metal roofs, especially, but not limited to, those designed for commercial use.