5 Firefighter Knots Every Probie Needs to Master

Rope and knot skills might not seem as exciting as pulling hoselines or throwing ladders, but they are one of the most consistently tested skills in the fire service. Whether you are hoisting tools, securing a ladder, rigging a rescue system, or tying off a door, you need to be able to tie the right knot quickly, correctly, and in conditions where you cannot see your hands.

I have watched probies struggle through knot evaluations because they learned the motions in a classroom with clean hands and good lighting but never practiced in gloves, in the dark, or under time pressure. That is not learning a knot. That is memorizing a party trick. On the fireground, knots need to be muscle memory.

Here are the five knots every firefighter needs to own.

1. The Bowline

The bowline is the workhorse knot of the fire service. It creates a fixed loop that does not slip under load and can be untied after being loaded. You will use it to attach a rope to a tool for hoisting, create a rescue loop, secure a rope around a fixed object, and dozens of other applications.

To tie a bowline, make a small loop in the standing part of the rope with the working end coming up through the loop. Pass the working end behind the standing part and back down through the small loop. Dress the knot by pulling it snug. You should have a fixed loop that will not tighten on whatever it is around.

The old memory aid is the rabbit comes out of the hole, goes around the tree, and goes back down the hole. Whatever works for you is fine, as long as the finished knot is correct.

Practice tying the bowline around objects of different sizes. Tie it around your waist. Tie it around a pike pole for hoisting. Tie it in structural gloves. Tie it behind your back. Tie it with your eyes closed. When you can tie a correct bowline in under 10 seconds in full PPE with zero visibility, you own this knot.

The IFSTA Essentials of Fire Fighting textbook, available through ifsta.org, covers all essential fireground knots with detailed illustrations and practical applications. It is the standard reference for firefighter training programs nationwide.

2. The Clove Hitch

The clove hitch is used to secure a rope to a cylindrical object like a railing, a ladder rung, or a pike pole. It is fast to tie, easy to adjust, and holds well under steady load. It can slip under variable loading, which is why it is often backed up with a safety knot or used in conjunction with other knots.

There are two common methods for tying a clove hitch. The open-end method works when you can slip the knot over the end of an object, like dropping it over a pike pole head. Make two identical loops in the rope, place the second loop behind the first, and slip them over the object. The in-line method, or around-the-object method, is used when you cannot access the end, like tying around a railing. Wrap the rope around the object, cross over the standing part, wrap around again, and tuck the working end under the last wrap.

The clove hitch is your go-to for hoisting operations. Combined with a bowline or figure-eight follow-through for the tool attachment point, a clove hitch at the handle or near the head of the tool provides a secure hoisting system.

3. The Figure-Eight and Figure-Eight Follow-Through

The figure eight is the foundation for several important knots. The basic figure eight is a stopper knot used to prevent a rope from passing through a pulley, a grommet, or a piece of hardware. The figure-eight follow-through, also called the figure-eight retrace, creates a fixed loop similar to a bowline but with greater security.

To tie a basic figure eight, make a loop, pass the working end over the standing part and back through the loop. The finished knot looks like the number eight.

The figure-eight follow-through starts with a basic figure eight tied loosely in the rope. Pass the working end around or through whatever you are attaching to, then retrace the figure eight back through itself, following the exact path of the original knot. Dress the knot carefully, making sure all strands lie parallel without crossing.

The figure-eight follow-through is the preferred knot in technical rescue systems because it holds well, is easy to inspect visually, does not slip, and can be untied after loading more easily than many other secure knots. If your department does any rope rescue work, you will tie hundreds of these.

4. The Becket Bend (Sheet Bend)

The becket bend, also called the sheet bend, is used to join two ropes of equal or unequal diameter. This comes up more often than you might think. If you need to extend a tagline, connect two utility ropes, or join pieces of rope for any non-life-safety application, the becket bend is your tool.

Form a bight in the larger rope. Pass the working end of the smaller rope up through the bight, around behind both parts of the larger rope, and tuck it under its own standing part, between itself and the bight. The working ends of both ropes should be on the same side of the finished knot. If they are on opposite sides, you have tied it incorrectly and it can slip.

For additional security, use a double becket bend by making an extra wrap around the bight before tucking the working end.

5. The Safety Knot (Overhand or Half Hitch Backup)

Every primary knot should be backed up with a safety knot. This is a simple overhand knot tied with the working end around the standing part immediately adjacent to the primary knot. It prevents the primary knot from working loose under vibration, variable loading, or less-than-perfect dressing.

Some departments use a half hitch as the safety knot, while others prefer an overhand. Know your department's preference and apply it consistently. The safety knot should be snug against the primary knot with minimal tail beyond it, typically 4 to 6 inches.

A safety knot is not optional. It is part of the knot. If you tie a bowline without a safety, you have not finished tying the bowline. Make it automatic.

Practice Methods That Actually Work

Buy 20 feet of kernmantle or utility rope and keep it in your car, at your desk, or on your nightstand. Tie knots while you watch television, while you wait for appointments, while you sit in traffic. The goal is to make the hand movements so automatic that conscious thought is not required.

Practice in structural firefighting gloves. This is critical. Clean bare hands can tie anything. Bulky, sweaty, soot-covered gloves change everything. Practice until gloved hands are as capable as bare hands.

Practice in darkness. Put a blindfold on and tie each knot. On the fireground, you will often be working in zero visibility or in positions where you cannot see your hands. Your fingers need to know what correct feels like without visual confirmation.

Time yourself. Set a baseline and work to improve it. A probie should be able to tie any of these five knots in under 15 seconds in gloves. Experienced firefighters can tie them in 5 to 8 seconds.

Practice knot identification. Have someone hand you a tied knot, and identify it by feel in gloves. This skill is useful for checking knots in low-visibility environments.

Knots are one of those skills that every firefighter claims to know but many cannot perform reliably under stress. Be the firefighter who can. Own these five knots and you will have a reliable foundation for everything from basic hoisting to technical rescue.

First Due Co. includes daily drill questions that cover knots, rope systems, and dozens of other essential skills. Build the muscle memory between shifts at firstdueco.com.