Where firefighters come to talk training

Safety Lines

I've run across different SOP's while teaching in regards to safety lines for confined space rescue. Some teams use a seperate safety for each rescuer, and some use one line with all rescuers attached to it, with some slack between each rescuer to facilitate eash removal. What's the rest of the rescue world out there using and why?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kevin Schroeder on August 27, 2008 at 1:58pm

Tim,

We do not use tag lines for Haz-Mat, but we do for many of our water operations. We use tethers for our divers running search and rescue operations, in swift water we use the releasable ring you were discussing allowing us to vector our rescuer(s), and use the current for movement and pendulum retreivals. We also use your 'live bait' technique for still water and ice rescues.

There are many ways to complete these jobs and SRT has its place (that statement may get us both yelled at..) Our rule of thumb is to evaluate each of our outside instructional agencies, and to keep open minds as to all of the different techniques. Our only caveat is that we try to stay somewhat standardized with other area teams that we may interact with. With that said, I ran into Jim Rigstad on this site from a team 30 miles away and we have never met... although Superior Fire is in a different state, our counties dive rescue team trains with theirs, but no one has pursued the tech rescue stuff.... Sounds like a good excuse anyway... There is always room to improve. Stay safe and keep learning.

Permalink Reply by Tim Rhudy on August 28, 2008 at 6:48am

Kevin Thanks

I have only trained in swift water but I am at lest aware of the others you mentioned. I guess Tag lines are used more than I thought.
As for the rope SRT has been around for years the fire service is not doing something new. If I arrive 2nd in I ask my self: Is it safe, will it work, and is it efficient. If the answer is yes go with it.

Permalink Reply by Jim Rigstad on August 29, 2008 at 8:55pm

Kevin our policies let us use a single line rappel to access a patient for medical evaluation and treatment. We use a tactical rappel that has a self belay. Extra Care is taken to protect the rope over sharp edges. For patient removal a belay line is always in place.

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