# What is this thing used by clown firefighters? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774 "2012-06-30T04:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/1 "2012-06-30T04:00:30Z")
I’m talking about the piece of rescue equipment constructed from a tarp stretched into a circle by a circle of metal such that it’s under enough tension that when you hit it, you bounce, breaking your fall. It’s a ready-made version of using a blanket to do the same thing. If you’ve seen _Dumbo_, you should know pretty well what I’m talking about here. What’s its name? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/2 "2012-06-30T04:06:59Z")
Trampoline? That’s what I always called it. ETA [Life Net](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_net) That was from the wiki page on trampolines and it (the life net page) even mentions the red dot in the center. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/3 "2012-06-30T04:08:47Z")
I believe it’s technically a [life net](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_net), but yeah, it’s basically a trampoline. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/4 "2012-06-30T04:13:46Z")
Fascinating. I _knew_ it had a specific name. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/5 "2012-06-30T04:16:59Z")
Browder Life Safety Net > **[Did firemen once use nets to rescue people from burning buildings?](https://www.straightdope.com/21344100/did-firemen-once-use-nets-to-rescue-people-from-burning-buildings)** ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/6 "2012-06-30T04:24:49Z")
It’s amazing how difficult it can be to find information on something when your mind blanks on a single key word. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/7 "2012-06-30T04:29:54Z")
Did anybody notice the Wiki article on Life Nets referenced Cecil? ETA Or did someone just add that? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/8 "2012-06-30T04:37:55Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Did anybody notice the Wiki article on Life Nets referenced Cecil? > > ETA Or did someone just add that? Yes, noticed. Mentioned twice, both times along with the word “researcher”. (And Footnote #2 shows four references.) This is not the usual writing style of Wikipedia articles. Cecilpedia article. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/9 "2012-06-30T05:59:56Z")
Wait, are they clowns that put out fires, or fire fighters that put out flaming clowns? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/10 "2012-06-30T13:34:46Z")
seltzer bottle is a small fire extinguisher. cream pie is a fire suppressing foam delivery system. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/11 "2012-06-30T13:36:59Z")
They could easily stamp out the fire with their enormous shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/12 "2012-06-30T13:40:25Z")
Costs are kept down because they only need truck transports regardless of the number of firefighters. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/13 "2012-06-30T13:55:49Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Fascinating. I _knew_ it had a specific name. _Everything_ has a specific name. My in-the-canal hearing aid has a tiny stick used to remove the device from the ear canal. Mine broke off recently. I learned that it is called a _retrieval wand_!😃 ---
**Author:** ![fumster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/14 "2012-06-30T15:41:06Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > _Everything_ has a specific name. My in-the-canal hearing aid has a tiny stick used to remove the device from the ear canal. Mine broke off recently. I learned that it is called a _retrieval wand_!😃 Couldn’t you have just used an aglet? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/15 "2012-06-30T15:46:07Z")
> [@fumster](#): > > Couldn’t you have just used an aglet? Too big.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-used-by-clown-firefighters/626774/16 "2012-06-30T15:52:20Z")
A pooter?