This workshop is designed for existing Wild Land Rope Rescue Practitioners from various SAR teams. We will review foundation theory and skills with the goal to standardize a potential combined Rope Rescue response.
This workshop trains to meet and exceed industry best practices as well as all WorkSafeBC Standards for Wilderness Rescue.
Course Contents
Advanced rescue techniques will be introduced and rehearsed. As this is a workshop format, the actual weekend agenda will be a collaborative effort.
- Governing Principles
- Identification of resources
- Rescue site size up, overview and safety
- Command & Communication
- Managing hazards and resources
- Ropes (knots, bends and hitches)
- Equipment familiarization
- Anchoring and rigging principles
- Force limiting, fall factors, force multipliers
- Patient packaging
- Simple, compound and complex mechanical advantage systems
- Dual capability two tensioned rope systems
- Edge management
- Low to steep embankment rescue scenarios
- High angle rescue scenarios with high point redirect & low edge transitions
Students will be given a written, individual proficiency, and team practical evaluation.
What To Bring:
It is recommended that students bring weather-appropriate clothing and boots/shoes as field exercises will take place outside. Please bring a lawn chair for outside training venues.
We will provide student kits to include harness, gloves, helmet, etc. Students are welcome to bring their own PPE if they prefer.
Course Schedule
Day 1- Morning:
- Theory Lecture
- Knots, Bends, and Hitches
- Equipment Introduction
- Classroom Hands-On
- Afternoon:
- Equipment Review
- Knots Review
- Mechanical Advantage Systems
- Anchoring
Day 2- Morning:
- Theory Lecture
- Classroom Hands-On
- Knots Bends and Hitches
- Lowering Systems
- Afternoon:
- Knots Review
- Patient Packaging
- M/A Systems
- Complete Systems on Low-Slope
Day 3- Morning:
- Steep Slope Scenario Evolutions
- Afternoon:
Main Teaching Points
(As per NFPA 1006 and 1670 JPR's)
Awareness Level
- Recognize the need for support resources
- Recognize incident hazards and initiate isolation procedures
- Recognize needed resources for a rescue incident
- Initiate a discipline-specific search
- Perform ground support operations for helicopter activities
- Initiate triage of victims
- Assist a team in operation of the haul line of a rope mechanical advantage system raising operation
Operations Level
- Perform size up a rescue incident
- Inspect and maintain hazard-specific PPE
- Inspect and maintain rescue equipment
- Demonstrate knots, bends, and hitches, given ropes
- Construct a single point anchor system
- Construct a multiple-point anchor system
- Conduct a system safety check
- Place edge protection
- Construct a belay system
- Operate a belay system during a lowering or raising operation
- Construct a fixed rope system
- Construct a lowering system
- Construct a simple rope mechanical advantage system
- Direct a team in the operation of a of a simple rope mechanical advantage system
- Negotiate an edge while attached to a rope rescue system
- Access, assess, stabilize, package, and transfer victims
- Direct a litter-lowering and litter-raising operation in a low-angle environment
- Operate as a litter tender in a low-angle lowering or raising operation
- Terminate a technical rescue operation
