Abstract:
An escape system has a harness, pants, a hook, a rope, a slider, a carabiner and a bag. The bag is packed so that the rope is packed into the rope pocket of the bag and threaded through a channel of the slider, the slider and the carabiner attached thereto are packed in the bag on top of the rope, the hook is inside the bag and attached to a hook connector disposed on a flap of the bag, and the flap is connected to the front side of the bag. The carabiner is attached to a D-ring on the harness that is attached to pants worn by a human. In use, when the flap is pulled away from the front side, the hook is automatically pulled out of the bag, eliminating a step of groping for the hook during an emergency escape.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to an emergency survival device, and more particularly, is directed to device comprising a hook, slider, rope and bag for use in an emergency exit from a window of a building. 
         [0002]    In 2005, two firefighters died when they jumped out of a burning building in Bronx, New York. 
         [0003]    In response, the New York legislature passed New York State Assembly A07785, effective Sep. 30, 2007, amending section 27-a of the New York labor law requiring that firefighters be provided with safety systems (harnesses, belts, ascenders, carabiners etc.) that comply with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1983 Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope and System Components, and requiring that the equipment be maintained and that firefighters be trained in its use. 
         [0004]    The current state of the art escape system used by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) is shown in  FIG. 1 , and comprises hook  10 , rope  20 , slider  30  with carabiner  40 , bag  50 , bunker pants  60  and harness  70 .  FIG. 1  shows bag  50  on the right side of the firefighter, as is the FDNY practice; however, the bag could also be on the left side. According to procedure, an escape system is destroyed after it is used, that is, the escape systems are single-use devices. Of course, a firefighter may carry the escape system many times prior to actually using it. 
         [0005]    The escape system of  FIG. 1  has been used on at least five separate occasions, saving five different firefighters from death. 
         [0006]    Harness  70  may be the Gemtor 541-NYC third generation Class II harness used by FDNY. Harness  70  includes belt  70 W, left leg strap  70 L, right leg strap  70 R and D-ring  70 D attached to belt  70 W by a length of webbing. 
         [0007]    Prior to responding to a fire emergency, a firefighter puts on his or her bunker pants  60  made of fire-resistant material and having connections for harness  70 . The firefighter steps into the left leg loop formed by left leg strap  70 L, then pulls right leg strap  70 R around his or her right leg, and fastens belt  70 W using a removable hook. The firefighter attaches the appropriate carriers on the outside of bunker pants  60  to leg straps  70 L,  70 R and belt  70 W. 
         [0008]    The firefighter packs rope  20  and hook  10  in bag  50 ; hook  10  is connected to rope  20  which is embraced by slider  30 , having connected thereto carabiner  40 . The length of rope  20  between hook  10  and slider  30  is preconfigured with the assumption that hook  10  will be attached to a window frame. If hook  10  is attached remotely from the window, the firefighter must manually extend the length of rope  20  that is between hook  10  and slider  30 . The firefighter attaches packed bag  50  to belt  70 W and leg strap  70 R (see discussion of  FIG. 4 ). Finally, the firefighter puts on his or her firefighting jacket. Now, bag  50  is conveniently accessible but is partially protected from the environment by the firefighting jacket. 
         [0009]    During a fire emergency, if the firefighter decides it is necessary to exit from window  6  of a building, the firefighter reaches for bag  50 , and rolls out window  6 . When the firefighter is on the outside of the building, his or her bodyweight forms a load suspended from slider  30  via carabiner  40  attached to D-ring  70 D, the length of the D-ring strap becomes taut. To descend, the firefighter uses the handle  30 G (see  FIG. 3 ) of slider  30  and lets rope  20  feed through slider  30  at a comfortable rate. Rope  20  feeds out of bag  50  and through slider  30 . The firefighter then descends down outer wall  7  of the building suspended in harness  70 , either to the ground, a nearby roof or a rescue ladder. If the firefighter wishes, he or she can walk their feet down against the outside of the building, to rappel down the outside of the building. It will be appreciated that, in some cases, there is so much smoke that the firefighter cannot see more than a few inches from his or her face. 
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows hook  10  having chisel tip  10 T and hole  10 H. Hook  10  may be a Crosby Firefighter Anchor Hook, sold at rocknrescue.com, with a tip breaking strength of 4946 pounds at a load rate of 1.2″ per minute; the impact load of a firefighter exiting a window can reach thousands of pounds of force. The long flat portion of hook  10  between hole  10 H and where the curvature of the hook begins is neck  10 N. Rope  20  is threaded through hole  10 H, and one end of rope  20  is permanently bonded to the body of rope  20 , so that hook  10  and rope  20  are permanently connected. 
         [0011]    Rope  20  is typically 50 feet in length, 7.5 mm in diameter and comprise of 100% Technora fibers. It has extreme heat and cut resistant properties. It has a 5000 pound breaking strength and can withstand 1.5 to 2 minutes of heat exposure at 932 degrees Fahrenheit. 
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows rope  20  being threaded through slider  30 , and the hook-less end of rope  20  being tied into knot  20 K. Hook  10 , rope  20 , slider  30  and carabiner  40  may be the Petzl EXO Personal Safety System (PSS), available from Fire Ground Technologies. Just prior to its loose end, rope  20  is encircled by label  20 L, printed with manufacturing identification information, and in some cases, an expiration date. Due to dirt and freezing, rope  20  must be replaced from time to time. Knot  20 K prevents rope  20  from sliding completely through slider  30 . 
         [0013]    Slider  30  has main part  30 M, secondary part  30 P and tertiary part  30 G. 
         [0014]    Main part  30 M has eave  30 E for allowing rope  20  to flow smoothly through a channel for receiving rope  20  (not shown), the channel being between main part  30 M and secondary part  30 P, loop  30 L for arching around rope  20  to restrain its movement direction, hole  30 V that is a connector for receiving carabiner  40 , hinge  30 J and slot  30 S. 
         [0015]    Secondary part  30 P is coupled to main part  30 M via hinge  30 J and includes cylindrical element  30 K that travels in slot  30 S, ridge  30 R, cylindrical element  30 L and hinge  30 H. Cylindrical element  30 L cooperates with ridge  30 R to restrain the movement direction of rope  20 . Each of cylindrical elements  30 K,  30 L has a T-shaped cross section that is orthogonal to the plane of secondary part  30 P. 
         [0016]    Tertiary part  30 G is coupled to secondary part  30 P via hinge  30 H, and has a generally L-shape, like a boomerang. Tertiary part  30 G functions as a throttle lever. When someone&#39;s hand extends tertiary part  30 G as shown in  FIG. 3 , rope  20  travels freely through slider  30 . Conversely, when tertiary part  30 G is not extended, it automatically returns to a resting position (not shown) in which main part  30 M, secondary part  30 P and tertiary part  30 G are generally aligned, and in which rope  20  is unable to travel. 
         [0017]    When descending, a firefighter must hold tertiary part  30 G is its extended position. If the firefighter lets go, slider  30  returns to its resting position, and rope  20  does not feed. The firefighter can vary the rate at which rope  20  feeds through slider  30  by holding tertiary part at different extensions between its fully extended position and its resting position, that is, use tertiary part  30 G as a “gas pedal”. 
         [0018]    Slider  30  enables the firefighter to control his or her rate of descent, so that the escape is mostly sliding down the rope, which is far easier than trying to climb down an unfamiliar wall in emergency conditions. 
         [0019]    A carabiner is a hinged loop, with a safety clasp, that is normally in its closed position as a loop. However, the hinge enables the loop to be opened, clipped around something else, then closed. 
         [0020]    Carabiner  40  has a generally oval shape. Carabiner  40  may be formed of aluminum. At one end, diagonal beam  40 B limits the range of motion of carabiner  40  through hole  30 V on main party  30 M of slider  30 . Along one long arm of carabiner  40 , there is provided case  40 C. Case  40 C has a resting position that keeps carabiner  40  in an oval. It is possible to turn case  40 C to a release position, which allows part of the arm to rotate about a hinge to create an opening so that carabiner  40  can be clipped around something, and then rotate part of the arm back to its original position and turn case  40 C to its resting position. Carabiner  40  must be clipped to D-ring  70 D of harness  70  for the escape system to function properly. 
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a three-dimensional view of bag  50  showing back  50 B, left side  50 L and top  50 T that extends into protective flap  50 F. Left side  50 L has a vertical slit in its top portion, for allowing rope  20  to feed from bag  50 . Bag  50  may be the Morning Pride FDNY Rope Pocket, available from Honeywell First Responder Products, made of a Kevlar/Nomex blended material, having a width of 7.5 inches, a height of 8 inches and a depth of 2 inches. Alternatively, bag  50  may be the Firefighter Escape System 557 Lumbar PSS Rope Carry Bag, available from All Hands Fire Equipment. Model 557C is made of Cordura and weighs 2 pounds. Model 557FR is made of PBI, Arashield and Kevlar, and weighs 2.5 pounds. 
         [0022]    Straps  54 T and  54 B are sewn into the upper portion of the seam between back  50 B and left side  50 L, and have removable fastening on their bases (not shown), such as the hook portion of VELCRO hook and loop fastener. At the top left outside edge of protective flap  50 , there is provided complementary fastening, such as the loop portion of VELCRO hook and loop fastener. Straps  54 T,  54 B prevent rope  20  from falling out of bag  50  when the firefighter is operating normally, that is, not escaping. 
         [0023]    Strap  51  extends horizontally along the base of bag  50 , and is threaded around leg strap  70 R of harness  70  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). The left (distal) end of strap  51  has female snap portion  51 F. To the right of the proximal end of strap  50 , there is provided male snap portion  51 M on back  50 B. After strap  51  is looped around leg strap  70 R, snap portions  51 F,  51 M are coupled together. 
         [0024]    Vertical strap  52 L and diagonal strap  52 R are at opposite upper edges of back  50 B, for coupling around belt  70 W of harness  70  (shown in  FIG. 1 ). Inner strap  53 L has one end affixed to an intermediate portion of strap  52 L. Inner strap  53 R has one end affixed to an intermediate portion of strap  52 R. The inner side of straps  52 L,  52 R from the top edge of bag  50  to the loose end is covered with the hook portion of VELCRO fastener, the inner side of straps  52 L,  52 R from the top edge of bag  50  to the fastened end is covered with the loop portion of VELCRO fastener. The outer (top) edge of straps  53 L,  53 R is covered with the loop portion of VELCRO fastener. 
         [0025]    To couple bag  50  to belt  70 W, straps  52 L,  52 R are laid open, and belt  70 W is positioned along the top edge of back  50 B, above the affixion point of straps  53 L,  53 R. Then, straps  53 L,  53 R are folded upwards, encircling belt  70 W. Next, straps  52 L,  52 R are folded downwards, and the hook fasteners on  52 L,  52 R make contact with the loop fasteners on  53 L,  53 R and then with the loop fasteners on the bottom ends of  52 L,  52 R. Finally, female snap portions  52 FL,  52 FR, located at the loose ends of straps  52 L,  52 R are coupled to male snap portions  52 ML,  52 MR located at the fastened ends of straps  52 L,  52 R. The result is extremely sturdy loops at the top of back  50 B encircling belt  70 W. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a three dimensional frontal view of bag  50 , showing the inside of flap  50 F, a portion of flap  50 F folded to form top  50 T, right side  50 R, the upper portion of left side  50 L, the upper inside of back  50 B and face  50 . Bag  50  also has a rectangular bottom side (not shown), the edges of the bottom side being respectively connected to right side  50 R, left side  50 , back  50 B and face  50 Q. 
         [0027]    Face  50 Q, back  50 B, left side  50 L and right side  50 R form a pocket for holding coiled rope  20 . Affixed to the inside of back  50 B, near the top, is panel  55 . The bottom of the loose long end of panel  55  has a strip of hook fasteners, which mate with a strip of loop fasteners (not shown) along the inside of face  50 Q, thereby enabling panel  55  to serve as a lid for the rope pocket and a floor for a pocket for holding slider  30 . When flap  50 F is lowered to be parallel to face  50 Q, top  50 T forms a lid for the slider pocket. 
         [0028]    Face  50 Q has notch  50 N along its top edge, for facilitating the placement of rope  20  (see  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0029]    Panel  56  is positioned parallel to face  50 Q so that the sides and bottom of panel  56  are sewn into the seams of the sides and bottom of bag  50 . The top edge of panel  56  is free and forms a pocket for holding hook  10 . The top edge of panel  56  is reinforced, such as having a piece of cord sewn therein, forming reinforced edge  56 G that is sturdy. Patch pocket  57  is positioned diagonally on panel  56 , for holding tip  10 T of hook  10 . Patch pocket  57  is sewn to panel  56  along its sides and bottom, with its top edge being free. 
         [0030]    Flap  50 F has to be easy for a firefighter to quickly recognize, despite the firefighter being in a hurry, wearing thick gloves, and unable to see bag  50  because it is worn at the back of the waist, and while crouched, to avoid the worst smoke. Accordingly, at the left side of the top of flap  50 F, a large rectangular patch, indicator tab  50 X, is attached, to make it easy for the firefighter to kinesthetically distinguish the left side from the right side of flap  50 F. A central portion of the top of flap  50 F is folded down to create a U-shape. The top folded edge of flap  50 F is reinforced, such as having a piece of cord sewn therein, forming reinforced edge  50 G that is sturdy and easy to grab. The top right side of flap  50 F has small tab  50 Y. 
         [0031]    The inside of flap  50 F has hook fasteners  58 A,  58 C,  58 E that mate with corresponding loop fasteners  58 B,  58 D,  58 F on face  50 Q when flap  50 F is folded to be parallel to face  50 Q. Specifically, hook fasteners  58 A mate with loop fasteners  58 B, hook fasteners  58 C mate with loop fasteners  58 D, and hook fasteners  58 E mate with loop fasteners  58 F. 
         [0032]    The bottom of bag  50  (not shown) is a panel with 2 grommets, to permit airflow. 
         [0033]      FIG. 6  is a three dimensional frontal view of bag  50  packed with hook  10 , rope  20 , slider  30  and carabiner  40 . Hook  10  is placed in the pocket formed by panel  56  and face  50 Q. Chisel tip  10 T of hook  10  is placed in pocket  57 . Rope  20  runs through notch  50 N and into slider  30 ; slider  30  is placed in the pocket formed by top  50 T, left side  50 L, right side  50 R and panel  55  (panel  55  serves as the floor of the slider pocket). Rope  20  emerges from slider  30  and the remainder of rope  20  is coiled into the pocket formed by panel  55  (serving as a lid), the bottom of bag  50 , left side  50 L and right side  50 R (see  FIG. 5 ). Carabiner  40  attached to slider  30  pokes out through the slit at the top of left side  50 L. 
         [0034]    It will be appreciated that the escape system is used in emergency conditions, generally life-threatening, such as when a fire cannot be controlled by the firefighter, when the firefighter believes that the floor or ceiling is about to collapse, or when the firefighter believes something is about to explode. Accordingly, improvements that make the escape system easier and/or faster to use are most welcome. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0035]    In accordance with an aspect of this invention, there is provided an escape system comprising a harness, pants, a hook, a rope, a slider, a carabiner and a bag. 
         [0036]    The harness has a D-ring, a belt, and left and right leg straps. 
         [0037]    The pants have harness connectors for respectively attaching the belt, the left leg strap and the right leg strap. 
         [0038]    The hook has a rope connector. 
         [0039]    The rope is attached to the rope connector of the hook. 
         [0040]    The slider has a channel for receiving the rope, a handle for controlling the rate of flow of the rope through the channel, and a carabiner connector. 
         [0041]    The carabiner is attached to the carabiner connector of the slider and has an end for removably attaching to the D-ring of the harness. 
         [0042]    The bag has a front side, a back side, a bottom side, a left side and a right side forming a rope pocket for holding the rope. The back side has harness connectors for respectively attaching to the belt and one of the leg straps of the harness, and extends into a flap. The flap has a closure connector for connecting to the front side and having a hook connector for attaching to the hook. 
         [0043]    The bag is packed so that the rope is packed into the rope pocket and threaded through the channel of the slider, the slider and the carabiner are packed in the bag on top of the rope, the hook connector of the flap is attached to the hook, the hook is inside the bag, and the closure connector of the flap is connected to the front side. 
         [0044]    In use, when the flap is pulled away from the front side, the hook is automatically pulled out of the bag. 
         [0045]    In some instances, the hook is packed into a hook pocket on the front side of the bag. 
         [0046]    In other instances, the hook is connected along the edge of the flap. It is not intended that the invention be summarized here in its entirety. Rather, further features, aspects and advantages of the invention are set forth in or are apparent from the following description and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0047]      FIG. 1  shows a firefighter using a prior art escape system; 
           [0048]      FIG. 2  shows hook  10  attached to rope  20 ; 
           [0049]      FIG. 3  shows slider  30  attached to carabiner  40  and threaded with rope  20 ; 
           [0050]      FIG. 4  is a three-dimensional view of the back and left side of bag  50 ; 
           [0051]      FIG. 5  is a three dimensional frontal view of bag  50 ; 
           [0052]      FIG. 6  is a three dimensional frontal view of bag  50  packed with hook  10 , rope  20 , slider  30  and carabiner  40 ; 
           [0053]      FIG. 7  shows the inside of the flap of bag  100  according to the present invention; 
           [0054]      FIG. 8  shows bag  100  packed with hook  10  and rope  20 ; 
           [0055]      FIG. 9  shows the inside of the flap of bag  100  after it has been removed in an emergency escape; 
           [0056]      FIG. 10  shows the outside of the flap of bag  100  after it has been removed in an emergency escape; 
           [0057]      FIG. 11  shows the inside of the flap of bag  200 ; 
           [0058]      FIG. 12  shows the front face of bag  200 ; 
           [0059]      FIGS. 13A and 13B  show the front and back of pocket  207 ; 
           [0060]      FIGS. 14A and 14B  show the front and back of sleeve  209 ; and 
           [0061]      FIG. 15  shows the inside of the flap of bag  200  packed with hook  10  and rope  20 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0062]    It is helpful to analyze, in detail, how the conventional escape system of  FIG. 1  is used in an emergency, recalling that the ambient conditions are likely to be horrible. 
         [0063]    First, the firefighter reaches behind his or her body to find indicator tab  50 X. 
         [0064]    Second, the firefighter places his or her fingers under reinforced edge  50 G. 
         [0065]    Third, the firefighter pulls up on edge  50 G to expose the contents of bag  50  to his or her hand. 
         [0066]    Fourth, the firefighter grabs hook  10  and attaches it to something, typically the frame of the window, such as window sill  5  in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0067]    Fifth, the firefighter perches or lays on the window edge, causing rope  20  to begin feeding out of bag  50 . 
         [0068]    Sixth, the firefighter rolls out the window, causing D-ring  70 D of harness  70  to shift so that slider  30  ends up in front of the firefighter&#39;s face, although perhaps not visible due to smoke. The firefighter is now suspended in harness  70 , having D-ring  70 D connected to carabiner  40  that is coupled to slider  30  that is locked around rope  20  whose distal end is attached to hook  10  that is planted in the building. 
         [0069]    Seventh, the firefighter uses tertiary part  30 G of slider  30  as a “gas pedal” to begin calmly descending down the outside wall. 
         [0070]    The fourth step, grabbing the hook, has frequently presented problems during training for use of the escape system, because it is hard to grab the hook from its position while wearing thick firefighting gloves. Groping to remove the hook delays a firefighter from the next step for precious seconds, which could make a difference between life and death. 
         [0071]    According to the present invention, an improved escape device automatically pulls the hook out of its stored position when the flap of the bag is raised at the third step, substantially eliminating the difficulty encountered with the conventional escape system at the fourth step. 
         [0072]    The present invention is similar to the conventional escape system described above, and only differences will be discussed for brevity. When the present invention is used as an escape system for firefighters, all materials must meet NFPA standards. 
         [0073]      FIG. 7  shows an upper portion of bag  100 , including flap  100 F and the attachment of flap  100 F to the body of bag  100 . The remainder of bag  100  is similar to bag  50 , and will not be discussed for brevity. 
         [0074]    Flap  100 F is somewhat similar to flap  50 F, and only differences will be discussed, for brevity. There are two major differences between flap  100 F and flap  50 F: detachability and hook harness  101 . 
         [0075]    One difference between flap  100 F and flap  50 F is that flap  100 F is completely detachable from bag  100 . 
         [0076]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , back  100 B extends above the top edge of sides  100 R and  100 L to form top panel  100 T. Snap portions  100 M 1  and  100 M 2  are located at the left and right side of top panel  100 T. A strip of loop fasteners (not shown) is sewn between snap portions  100 M 1  and  100 M 2 , on the outside of top panel  100 T. 
         [0077]    Flap  100 F has a strip of hook fasteners  100 G sewn horizontally across its bottom edge, between snap portions  100 F 1  and  100 F 2  that respectively mate with snap portions  100 M 1  and  100  M 2  (see  FIG. 9 ). 
         [0078]    When edge  100 G is pulled with sufficient force, flap  100 F separates from bag  100 . 
         [0079]    Another difference between flap  100 F and flap  50 F is that flap  100 F includes hook harness  101  that is placed around hook neck  10 N while packing bag  100  prior to responding to an emergency. 
         [0080]    Hook harness  101  has top strap  101 T and bottom strap  101 B. A simple way to make hook harness  101  is to cut a length of strap material, such as rope or webbing, fold it in half, secure the loose ends using snap portion  101 F, and sew seam  101 S a short amount from the fold. Polyester webbing is preferred as it is resistant to water absorption. Instead of sewing seam  101 S, it may be formed of metal or plastic fasteners. Snap portion  101 F mates with snap portion  101 M that is affixed to flap  100 F (see  FIG. 10 ). 
         [0081]      FIG. 8  shows bag  100  packed with hook  10  and rope  20 . Flap  100 F is shown folded back to expose how hook  10  is placed relative to hook harness  101 . Otherwise, bag  100  is packed similarly to bag  50  shown in  FIG. 6 . Face  101 Q of bag  100  is similar to face  50 Q of bag  50 . 
         [0082]      FIG. 9  shows the inside of flap  100 F of bag  100  after it has been removed in an emergency escape. Importantly, hook harness  101  automatically pulls hook  10  out of the hook pocket formed by panel  106  and face  101 Q (see  FIG. 8 ). 
         [0083]      FIG. 10  shows the outside of flap  100 F of bag  100  after it has been removed in an emergency escape. Snap portion  101 M mates with snap portion  101 F of hook harness  101 ; snap portions  100 F 1  and  100 F 2  respectively mate with snap portions  100 M 1  and  100 M 2  (see  FIG. 7 ). Loop fasteners  102 J mate with hook fasteners on the underside of straps  101 T and  101 B (not shown) of bag  100 , corresponding to straps  54 T and  54 B shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0084]    Bag  100  is used similarly to bag  50 , except that at the third step, the firefighter pulls edge  50 G until flap  100 F separates from bag  100 . This is an easy thing to do even under the terrible conditions of an emergency. Accordingly, at the fourth step, the firefighter does not need to remove hook  10  from a pocket, but merely grab hook  10  that is held in hook harness  101  suspended from flap  100 F that is already in the firefighter&#39;s hand. This is also an easy thing to do, even while wearing thick firefighter gloves. 
         [0085]    Hook harness  101  is connected to flap  100 F using a snap. Instead of a snap, VELCRO hook and loop fasteners can be used to connect hook harness  101  to flap  100 F, or hook harness  101  can be permanently sewn or otherwise affixed to flap  100 F. At the fourth step, the firefighter can easily pull flap  100 F away from hook  10 , leaving hook harness  101  encircling hook  10 , in which condition hook  10  can be immediately planted, such as in window sill  5 . 
         [0086]    Accordingly, bag  100  eliminates the fumbling for hook  10  that occurs during emergency use of bag  50 , which results in faster use of the escape system. Bag  100  also improves ease of use of the escape system. 
         [0087]    Another embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In this embodiment, the hook is stored at the edge of the flap, so that after the firefighter grabs the flap, he or she immediately has the hook in hand. Bag  200  is similar to bag  100 , except as described below. 
         [0088]      FIG. 11  shows the inside of flap  200 F of bag  200 . Flap  200 F differs from flap  100 F of bag  100  in two ways. 
         [0089]    First, whereas flap  100 F has reinforced edge  100 G, flap  200 F instead has hook fasteners  208 H located in a strip along the free edge of flap  200 F, for mating with the back of sleeve  209  (see  FIG. 14B ). 
         [0090]    Second, whereas flap  100 F has snap part  101 M for attaching hook harness  101 , flap  200 F instead has hook fasteners  208 K at an intermediate point, for mating with the back of pocket  207  (see  FIG. 13B ). 
         [0091]      FIG. 12  shows front face  200 Q of bag  200 . Face  200 Q differs from face  101 Q of bag  100  in that whereas face  101 Q has front panel  106  to which is affixed hook tip pocket  107 , face  200 Q instead has loop fasteners  208 J, for mating with the front of pocket  207  (see  FIG. 13A ). 
         [0092]      FIGS. 13A and 13B  show the front and back of pocket  207 . The front of pocket  207  is covered with hook fasteners and the back of pocket  207  is covered with loop fasteners. Pocket  207  is closed along its sides and bottom, and open along its top. 
         [0093]      FIGS. 14A and 14B  show the front and back of sleeve  209 . The front of sleeve  209  is made of the same material as bag  200 . The back of sleeve  209  is covered with loop fasteners. 
         [0094]      FIG. 15  shows the inside of the flap of bag  200  packed with hook  10  and rope  20 . Sleeve  209  is placed around neck  10 N of hook  10 , and the back of sleeve  209  is mated with hook fasteners  208 H along the loose end of flap  200 F. Tip  10 T of hook  10  is placed in pocket  207 , and the back of pocket  207  is mated with hook fasteners  208 K on the face of flap  200 F. 
         [0095]    In use, at the third step, the firefighter grabs edge  200 G and hook neck  10 N simultaneously, pulls flap  200 F until it separates from bag  100 , and then is already holding hook  10 . The firefighter then pulls flap  200 F downward, which detaches flap  200 F from hook sleeve  209 . The pulling downward of flap  200 F either removes pocket  207  from hook tip  10 T, or leaves pocket  207  on hook tip  10 T, and then pocket  207  falls from hook  10  due to gravity. 
         [0096]    Now, at the fourth step, grabbing of hook  10  is eliminated because hook  10  is already in the firefighter&#39;s hand. The firefighter can go directly to planting hook  10 . 
         [0097]    Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention, and various modifications thereof, have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiment and the described modifications, and that various changes and further modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.