Members of the Hope & Jackson Fire Company trained this past weekend on Technical Rope Rescue disciplines. Technical rescue involved use of specialized equipment, knowledge and tactics to access difficult areas due to terrain or obstructions.
These scenarios involve using rope systems to raise and lower essential personell and equipment safely and efficiently, ensuring an effective rescue.
In this exercise, firefighters used a gin pole high point, with a primary 3:1 haul line and belay line. These two ropes keep redundancy in the system, and allow the team to quickly transition the operation from lowering to raising the patient.
Often, technical rescue is a perishable skill. Drills like these allow members to keep their familiarity with equipment and strategies when responding to scenes with difficult patient access.
