The Leg Lock: A Reliable Dirty Drag for Victim Rescue

   Imagine you’ve been dispatched to a structure fire with reports of occupants trapped. While performing a primary search, muffled by the smoke you hear, “Victim! Victim! Victim!” from your partner searching the master bedroom. Your company has  just  located an unconscious adult. Now the real challenge begins. You’re faced with one of the most physically demanding tasks on the fireground—removing a victim.

   Whether planning to remove the victim from a door or take them out a window, it’s inevitable that a victim drag will have to be performed. This month’s article we examine a dirty drag known as the Leg Lock. But before diving into the “how,” let’s unpack the “why.”

   The leg lock is referred to as a “dirty drag” because it does not require any special equipment - no rope, no webbing, no carabiners. According to the Firefighter Rescue Survey [FRS], 83% of reported rescues involve some form of dirty drag, while only 3% use webbing. While I advocate for every firefighter to master a go-to webbing drag that can be performed in low-visibility, high-stress situations, I recommend making the dirty drag your Plan A. It’s fast, efficient, and ready when you need it most.

   When evaluating the effectiveness of any drag, I focus on three key factors:

1. Airway Low

   Smoke is an airway killer and brain death occurs after 4 minutes in a smoke filled environment. Since dose is just as significant as time, it’s imperative we keep the victim’s airway as low as possible (ie. on the floor if possible) for best victim outcomes. 

2. Maximizing Leverage while Minimizing Friction:

   The average American male is 5’9” and 200 pounds; the average female is 5’4” and 170 pounds [credit: CDC]. But victims come in all shapes and sizes, and additionally we have no control over their clothing, or the surface they’re lying on. To move them effectively, firefighters need to create levers while reducing friction to make the drag as smooth as possible.

3. Simplicity

   While a complicated webbing drag may be easy to execute with a low heart rate during training in the apparatus bay, it’s a different story on the fireground. As Dave Grossman points out in his book On Combat, once a person’s heart rate exceeds 145 beats per minute, motor skills begin to deteriorate. Coupled with the fact that most victims are found in zero (34%) or low visibility (38%) conditions [credit: FRS], it becomes clear why simplicity is key. A straightforward, reliable technique is essential when heart rates are elevated, and visibility is severely limited.

   If I could only teach one drag, it would be the Leg Lock. It checks all the boxes and can be adapted for various scenarios. Let’s break down the technique:

   First, in a tripod stance, cross the victim’s legs and scoop their heels, positioning them on top of your raised leg [see picture 1]. Note that the firefighter’s foot is in the victim’s armpit [see picture 2]. With your raised leg’s arm, wrap around the victim’s legs [see picture 3]. To start the drag while staying low, rotate toward the exit, post your free arm on the ground, and move forward [see picture 4]. A video tutorial is available in the online article—URL at the end.

   One advantage of the Leg Lock is its versatility. Whether isolating into an adjacent room for a window removal, moving toward an exterior door, or perhaps the fire attack crew has gotten a knock on the fire, conditions have the potential to improve while extricating the victim. As conditions allow, you can transition to a standing position while maintaining the leg lock.  To do this, simply lock your hands together [picture 5] and stand-up [picture 6]. This adjustment speeds up the drag and reduces the physical strain—a win-win for both the firefighter and the victim.

   To close, let’s revisit the three critical criteria for an effective drag as they pertain to the Leg Lock. First, as the images illustrate, the Leg Lock keeps the victim’s airway low, minimizing exposure to deadly smoke. Second, by locking the victim’s legs and leveraging body positioning, this drag optimizes the firefighter’s strength while reducing the victim’s friction against the ground because the victim is positioned on their side. Finally, with practice, this technique becomes instinctive and is quick, effective, and adaptable to a wide range of scenarios and victim sizes.

   Available online (bit.ly/IowaFirefighter) under the “Resources Tab” is a training plan that I developed and taught at my department on victim drags. The lesson plan utilizes the crawl-walk-run method, culminating in an evolution designed to test firefighters’ skills under physical and mental stress. 

Training Objectives

   Upon completion the firefighter should be able to….

   • Quickly and efficiently perform the Leg Lock drag.

   • Transition to standing, while maintaining the Leg Lock drag.

   • Perform during a training evolution with an elevated heart rate. 

   Cole Kleinwolterink is a member of the Waukee Fire Department, Granger Fire Department, and Fire Science instructor at Des Moines Area Community College. Feel free to reach out to him at kleinwolterinkc@gmail.com with any questions, comments or inquiries.