The fire service has expanded its mission over the last 50 years in response to the public’s question of who to call when they are unsure, and the answer is the fire department. That expanded mission requires significant amounts of initial training and substantial amounts of competency training to maintain a professional edge.
“We were training on some rope rescue operations. I was going to be the rescuer on the end of a rope that was going to be put down in a well approximately 50 feet to retrieve a dummy that simulated a person who fell in a well. We were going to use the tripod and rig a harness around me, lower me into the well, then I was going to tie a makeshift harness around the dummy and bring it up with me. We started the exercises and I was placed in the harness, inverted, and sent down into the well head-first to retrieve the victim. After placing the makeshift harness on the victim and starting back up from the bottom the tripod broke…”
The goal of the training ground is to develop and reinforce skills. Timing evolutions are infused into the training to foster skill proficiency however; many times this creates a dilemma. Once time constraints are introduced to the training formula, there is a natural tendency to shave steps in an effort to meet the time requirements. One area that is frequently cut short is safety. Many think that because it is a training exercise, the situation is not dangerous. This week’s featured report (CLICK HERE) illustrates why safety practices should be integral from the moment the equipment is purchased, until the equipment is retired. Consider the following:
1. How often does your department conduct training on rope rescue and rope use?
2. What technical rope equipment is available to you for training?
3. Does your technical rope training follow the provisions of NFPA 1670 (Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents)?
4. When was the last time your technical rope equipment was inspected, and by whom?
5. Is the safety officer assigned to the drill trained to the safety officer level, or just assigned to the function?
Have a near miss during a technical rope rescue drill or actual incident? Save someone from a similar near miss by explaining how your use of best practices avoided tragedy and submit a report to www.firefighternearmiss.com today.
Note: The questions posed by the reviewers are designed to generate discussion and thought in the name of promoting firefighter safety. They are not intended to pass judgment on the actions and performance of individuals in the reports.
