Fireman's carry

A fireman's carry or fireman's lift is a technique allowing one person to carry another person without assistance, by placing the carried person across the shoulders of the carrier. The fireman's carry, uses back and shoulder strength, and is an emergency measure to optimize power, endurance, and mobility.

It allows the rescuer to move the victim across significant distances, quickly, the technique is used to carry injured people away from danger.

BUT it is not appropriate when:

• a stretcher and other assistance is available,
• a spinal injury is suspected..

Getting the carry right

This is easier with a conscious person- this gets easier with practice. So practice it before you need it!

• Raise their arm closer to you over your head round your neck and to the front of your chest.
• Drape the person over your back,
• Put your second arm, between their legs (behind the knee),
• Grab their draped arm with your second arm.
• Hold the body in a loop over your shoulders.

Advantages

• The subject's weight is evenly distributed over both shoulders, it is easier to carry them for a longer distance – 50m or more.
• The fireman's carry is preferred as it is a more comfortable position for the carried person if he or she is still conscious.
• The fireman's carry allows you to carry an injured person securely using only one hand, leaving their other hand free for support and to open doors.

Disadvantages

• In a smoke-filled room, smoke and heat are greater higher up, in the case use the fireman's drag
• The person carried is largely outside the rescuer's field of vision,
• it may not be applicable when the patient is larger than the rescuer,
• It is difficult to get an unconscious patient onto a rescuers shoulders.
• The fireman's carry presents severe hazards if the patient has a spinal injury.

See also

• Improvised stretcher
• Emergency carries
• Fireman's drag
• Art of Manliness - Fireman's carry

More reading at

• https://aneskey.com/litters-and-carries/