Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Does All Hands Fire Equipment provide discount options when purchasing the EXO, harness and training?
Yes, discounts are available when customers purchase the entire EXO package which includes the Petzl EXO Personal Safety System, the Gemtor 541NYC-L Class II Harness and the Petzl required End User training.

2. What NFPA and/or ISO standard does the Petzl EXO meet?
The Petzl EXO meets NFPA 1983-2006 and ISO 9001.

3. Can individual Firefighters purchase Petzl EXO PSS without their Fire Department's approval?
Yes, but you must first attend an Petzl EXO end-user course before purchasing the kit. Also, fire department approvals for use of the Petzl EXO system or similar equipment is not the responsibility of All Hands Fire Equipment, Petzl or our affiliate and cooperative trainers.

4. Is training required in order to purchase the Petzl EXO system?
Yes. Whether you are an individual or if your fire department wishes to purchase the EXO PSS, all users are required to attend the EXO end-user course. This is a mandatory requirement that Petzl has instituted for the purpose of safety. Click here for details

5. What kind of training is offered for the Petzl EXO System?
All Hands Fire Equipment and our cooperative training company, First Due Training, offer the Petzl EXO End User Training Class, a Petzl EXO Refresher Training Course, an Advanced Petzl EXO Training Course and a Petzl EXO Train-the-Trainer course. For details on these classes, go to our Petzl EXO Training website.

6. Where is the Petzl EXO End-User Class training offered?
All Hands Fire Equipment, in cooperation with First Due Training, are both authorized EXO trainers and offers the Petzl EXO End-User course. Our training is professional, informative and affordable. We will travel ANYWHERE in the United States to provide this training to your fire department or emergency service agency. Call for more information, product purchase and to schedule a class.

7. Can I purchase my Petzl EXO System and use it at the Petzl End User training class?
According to NFPA A.5.1.2.1, escape rope is intended only for emergency self-rescue situations and cannot be used for other rope rescue situations. Escape rope is designed for one use only and destroyed after any use. Some customers or fire departments, due to budgetary constraints and financial restrictions, choose to use their escape systems for the training course and once complete, place their escape system in service. All Hands Fire Equipment and our cooperative trainers assume no responsibility in these instances.

7a. Can the members of my department use the Petzl EXO field units for the training class?
It is Petzl's recommendation that Fire Departments purchase extra EXO units to be used for training purposes only. If a Fire Department chooses not to follow this recommendation, they will need to create an appropriate program(s) to control the use of field units for training. Please note that all Fire Departments who purchase EXO systems are ultimately responsible for proper inspection, care and maintenance of these units and they need to take this responsibility very seriously.

7b. How many jumps will a Petzl EXO handle before it needs to be retired?
Reference a department who operates with a large number of Petzl EXO training units, the rope on their training units becomes glassed and stiff and it needs to be changes every 200 to 300 descents under normal training use. The EXO descending device itself needs to be retired after 400 to 600 descents under normal training use. Technora fiber rope is very abrasive and it will wear grooves on the aluminum and stainless steel parts of the EXO. This will eventually allow the device to creep on the rope when weighted and its’ dynamic characteristic will be changed. All students should be on belay during training and other safety measures should be taken. All Fire Departments need to understand that EXO systems may needs to be retire on the first descent if the rope or EXO unit gets damaged on the windowsill,  so proper inspection, maintenance and care is the key to a safe and successful bailout program and Fire Departments are responsible for this.

8. Can the EXO and Triact carabiner components be purchased separately from the kits?
No. The EXO kit is engineered as a complete system and is manufactured, tested and inspected under Petzl's ISO 9001 quality control standard and certified under NFPA standards as a complete personal escape system. All components are compatible with one another and perform correctly under specific test criteria.

9. Does the Petzl EXO system require the user to have a class-2 harness?
Yes, the Petzl EXO system is designed and engineered to be used with a class-2 harness such as the Gemtor 541NYC left side closing harness and the RIT Class-2 harness. It will meet the NFPA standard when used with either harness.

10. Will the Petzl EXO system work with the Gemtor 541NYC RIGHT and LEFT side closing harness?
YES. The Petzl EXO system was designed and intended to work with the left side closing harness only. However, there are two option.
1) If you have a Gemtor "right side closing" harness, we do offer a Petzl EXO bag that will mount to the left side. Petzl EXO Reversible Bag for left or right side mounting.
2) If your turnout gear will not accomodate a left side closing Gemtor harness, an alternative is to purchase the RIT Class-2 harness which has a center closure, and is available from All Hands® Fire Equipment.

11. Why are the ends of the rope sewn and not knotted?
Knots lower the strength of rope possibly as much as 35% or more. The sewing stitch is made of Kevlar thread and allow the terminations to be compact and very strong.

12. What is Technora?
Technora is a para-aramid fiberthat has a melting point of over 900-degrees F. The minimum breaking strength if 5,000 lbs. (22.3kN). It has high tensile strength, high modulus and excellent resistance to heat and chemicals, especially acids and alkalis.

13. What is the weight of the bag and components?
The Petzl EXO Personal Safety System, including Petzl EXO, 50-feet of Technora rope, Crosby Anchor Hook, OK Triact carabiner and Carry Bag weighs 3 lbs.

14. What is the dimensions of the bag and components?
7" across X 8" high X 2.5"

15. What is the carry bag made of?
A manufactured blend of Kevlar and Nomex fabric

16. Where does the OK Triact carabiner attach?
To the "D" ring of the Gemtor 541NYC

17. Can I use the Petzl GriGri in place of the Petzl EXO?
No. The GriGri is designed for 10-12mm rope. The EXO is a hybrid of the GriGri, but was specifically designed for firefighter escape applications.