Falmouth Fire/Rescue

Failure to observe instructions can lead to injury or death

Know your winch. Inspect winch and wire rope. Frayed or kinked wire rope must

be replaced. Loose or damaged parts must be

repaired prior to use of winch.

Wire rope, through use, develops barbs which can slice skin.

Never touch wire rope while it is in tension or under load.

Never let wire rope slip through hands.

Take your time when rigging for a winch pull.

Make sure the anchor you select will withstand the load and the chain will not slip.

Never hook wire rope back onto itself! Use choker chain.

Never winch with less than five wraps of wire around drum.

Always be aware of stability.

Always stand clear of wire rope and load while winching.

Avoid continuous side pulls which can pile up wire rope on one end of the drum.

Never “jog” wire rope under load.

Use care not to damage frame of truck during winching.

Unspool as much wire rope as possible when rigging, double line or choose distant anchor point.

Heavy Blanket In certainsituations you maydecide to throw aheavy blanketor similarObject over thewire rope. A heavyblanket, such as aquilted mover’s blanket, canabsorb energy should the wire ropebreak. Place it on the wire rope midwaybetween the winch and the anchorpoint. Do this before the wire rope isput under tension. Do not approach ormove the blanket once tension isapplied. Do not allow it to get pulledinto the fairlead. If necessary to moveor remove the blanket, slack the tensionon the wire rope first.

4) Pulse wind the wire ropeTells the driver to wind the winchin short, quick bursts. Open andclose the two fingertips until youwant the winch to stop.

1) Direction of steeringHold your arms out withthumbs up and tilt yourhands in the direction youadvise the driver to steer

2) Power in the wire ropeHold your forefinger inthe air above your shoulderheight and draw smallcircles in the air to indicateto wind the winch.

3) Power out the wire ropeHold your forefinger pointingdown and draw circles inthe air at about waist heightto indicate feeding more wirefrom the winch.

5) Stop the winchClinch fist, palm to driver, held high enoughfor driver to see and other arm straight out atshoulder height is the sign to stop the winch.

6) BrakingCross your palms together to tellthe driver to apply the foot brake.

7) Drive assistTells driver to give the tires more driveforce to assist the winching process.

Must be fully engaged during winching

Never engage or disengage while under load, wire rope is under tension or if wire rope drum is moving.

Three positions: Center winch is disengaged.Lever to the REAR winch Takes Up

Lever Forward winch Lets Out

B’s 15 &16 winches do not need truck in gear to operate.

Put transmission in neutral. Secure choker chain to anchor point. Hook

snatch block to chain. Set drum lever at winch to freewheel, pull

off enough cable to run through block and back to truck, secure cable to tow hook on truck. Set drum lever back to engaged.

Get in cab and push in transmission clutch. Make sure parking brake is OFF when trying

to winch yourself, Brake ON and wheels chocked if winching another.

Move winch PTO lever to desired position. (back to winch in / forward to let out)

Slowly let out transmission clutch, winch should operate.

Allows drum to freewheel.

Pull out to engage

Winch operates off drive side of transmission. Forward gears winch in, reverse lets out. The higher the gear the faster the winch reels in. The lower the gear the more power and control. Put Transfer case & Transmission in neutral, engage

PTO, set parking brake. Secure choker chain to anchor point. Hook snatch

block to chain. Use clutch lever to allow drum to freewheel. Set drum lever at winch to freewheel, pull off enough

cable to run through block and back to truck, secure cable to tow hook on truck. Set drum lever back to engaged.

Make sure parking brake is OFF when trying to winch yourself, Brake ON and wheels chocked if winching another.

In cab push in transmission clutch. Put transmission in 1st gear. Slowly let out clutch, winch should operate. To let out, put transmission in reverse.