Rope
Rope Operations for Road Rescue
This course covers the fundamental skills and knowledge required to conduct low angle rope rescue operations when a vehicle and its occupants must be rescued from down an embankment. We use a hands-on approach that makes it easy to learn and remember the knots and techniques required. The curriculum is very similar to our Technical Rope Rescue - Operations level course, but specifically focuses on applying these skills to bank-over rescue situations.
Students will cover pre-planning and size-up of rope rescue operations; knots, hitches and anchor systems; belay operations; ascending and descending lines; mechanical advantage systems; raising and lowering systems; and patient packaging and litter attending. These skills will come together so that students are able to safely navigate over-the-bank rescue situations. The course will also emphasize communication skills and incident management for technical rescue operations. This is based on the rope rescue competencies as outlined for the Operations Level of the NFPA 1670 Standard on Operations & Training for Technical Rescue Incidents.
Details
Duration: 2 1/2 days (20 hours)
Format: 1 afternoon or evening (4 hours) in classroom, 2 days at outdoor field sites
Cost: $435
Pre-requisites
- 18+ years of age (16-17 with parental permission)
- In good physical condition
Required Equipment
- Class III full-body harness (or separate chest and sit harnesses)*
- Climbing helmet*
- Sturdy boots (hiking boots are fine)
- Pants made of durable material
- Gloves with leather palms (work gloves are fine)
(* Rentals available - Click here for a list of rental prices and course equipment requirements.)
Upgrading to a Technician Certification
In order to spread out training days and make budgets go further, it is possible to upgrade from this certification to a Technician level certification within a year of taking the initial course. You only need to complete the final four days of any TRR-Technician course and pay a reduced fee of $975. However, students must have a solid grasp of low and steep angle skills prior to commencing technician level training, because the there will be no review of these fundamental skills in the latter part of the course. For more information, see our Technical Rope Rescue - Technician course outline.
FAQ
More details about technical rope courses including what to expect and how to prepare. Click here for our Technical Rope Rescue FAQ.
General Objectives
- To develop a sense of confidence and necessary skills for rescue personnel in roadside rope rescue operations.
- To train the student in utilization and adaptation of standard rescue gear in low angle (bank-over) rope rescue operations.
- To train the student in use of innovative rescue equipment in low angle (bank-over) rope rescue operations.
Behavioral Objectives
- Understand the risks and hazards associated with low angle roadside rescue and be able to conduct a site assessment.
- Understand and implement safety requirements for low angle, roadside vehicle rescue.
- Understand the basic characteristics of ropes, knots, technical gear, and litters used in low angle rescue work.
- Be able to manage such systems with fair competency in actual low and steep angle terrain.
- Understand the management skills needed to direct a low or steep angle technical rope rescue mission.
- Be able to tie basic rescue knots.
- Understand and utilize basic camming devices and hitches.
- Understand and utilize tensioning systems and mechanical advantage systems.
- Be able to construct effective anchors, utilize natural and artificial anchors.
- Understand and utilize rope protection.
- Be able to manage a self-belay (low angle), and understand the differences between static and dynamic belays.
- Be able to package a patient into a litter.
- Be able to rig a litter attachment system for raising or lowering in a low or steep angle rescue situation.
- Be able to set up and manage a friction lowering system.
- Be able to set up and manage a raising system.
- Understand the role of the Incident Command Systems and the unique position of Safety Officer in low angle rope rescues.
Course Outline
This is a generalized course outline. Individual instructors may change the order in which the outline subjects are covered.
Day One (afternoon or evening) - Classroom Session
- Registration; rope rescue safety and training; the philosophy of rescue
- Safety associated with low angle, road side rescue operations
- Rope rescue problems and systems applications
- Equipment-current, specialized, new, and experimental
- Ropes, knots, technical gear
- Introduction to rope systems and anchors
Day Two - Field Session
- Low angle rescues - scene assessment, incident command, traffic management
- Apparatus/resource deployment
- Mechanical advantage systems
- Assisting ambulatory patients
- Ascending and descending rope in low angle environment
- Patient packaging and litter attending
- Litter evacuation systems with attendants
Day Three - Field Session
- Practice: steep angle rescues - scene assessment, incident command, traffic management
- Tripods and “A” frames
- Rappelling in a mixed environment (low and steep angle)
- Mixed terrain scenario (low and steep angle), raising and lowering of litter and attendants
- General review and testing of skills
- Certificates
Take Aways
- Rescue 3’s Technical Rope Rescue Manual
- Personalized skill sheet (training record) signed by the instructor (valuable document for risk management)
- Registration of training record in Rescue 3’s international database
- Wallet card with personal Rescue 3 registration number and date of certification
- Certificate of Completion
