Rope
Technical Rope Rescue - Technician
We have recently redesigned our NFPA rope courses in order to provide more time for hands-on practice of skills. Our TRR-Technician course is now seven days long and begins with low angle rope rescue skills and progresses to high angle skills, including high-line systems. Prior rope experience is an asset but is not required. Those with a current TRR-Operations certification only have to attend the last four days of the course.
This course is the “Gold Standard” for rope rescue training. It is an intense and demanding course, but we utilize simple, logical steps with lots of hands-on experience to facilitate learning. Students advance beyond basic, over-the-bank rescues to progressively more vertical scenarios. The course includes pre-planning and size-up of rope rescue operations; knots, hitches and anchor systems; belay operations; ascending and descending; raising and lowering systems; and patient packaging and litter attending, among other skills and techniques.
There are countless applications for the skills and knowledge covered in this course, including bridge, railway, pipeline and dam construction and inspections; moving heavy objects; and confined space rescue. The requirements for the Rope Rescue Technician portion of NFPA 1670 and 1006 Standards for technical rope rescue are met in this course. And don’t forget, we host ProBoard Evaluations for Technical Rope Rescue through a partnership with North Vancouver Fire Rescue.
Details
Duration: 7 days (56 hours)
Format: 1 day classroom, 6 days in the field (indoor/outdoor)
Cost: $1495
Upgrade from TRR-Operations: 4 days (32 hours) @ $995 (see below)
Pre-requisites
Upgrading from TRR-Operations Certification
In order to spread out training days and make budgets go further, it is possible to upgrade to a Technician level certification within a year of taking an initial Operations level course at a reduced fee, by taking only the final four days of the TRR-Technician course. However, students must have a solid grasp of low and steep angle skills prior to commencing technician level training, because the Instructor will be unable to review these skills in the latter part of the course. Proof of TRR-Operations level certification required.
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.)
FAQ
More details about technical rope courses including what to expect and how to prepare. Click here for our Technical Rope Rescue FAQ.
Course Outline
This is a generalized course outline. Individual instructors may change the order in which the outline subjects are covered. All topics will be covered at some time during the class.
Day One
- Registration, rescue instruction philosophy and absolutes
- NFPA Standards
- Rescuer safety
- Rope scenarios and systems applications
- Equipment: current, specialized, new and experimental
- Structure problems
- Helicopters in the rope environment
- Pre-incident planning
- Size-up
- General hazards
- Incident command system
- On-scene safety briefing & site control
- Intro to ropes, knots and technical gear
- Ropes, knots, bends, hitches and load release hitches
- Intro to rope systems and anchors
Day Two
- Low angle scenarios: scene assessment, anchoring
- Mechanical advantage systems
- Tied harnesses
- Anchorage
- Verbal commands
- Placing rope protection
- System safety checks
- Belay systems & operations
- Tensioning systems & mechanical advantage
Day Three
- Low angle scenarios: raising and lowering systems
- Attending a litter (low angle)
- Tripods and “A” frames
- Steep angle scenarios
Day Four
- Vertical raising and lowering systems
- Ascending & descending (high angle)
- Mirrored and Twin Tension Systems
- Passing a knot through a lowering and raising system
Day Five
- Pick-offs while suspended in high angle environment
- Vertical raising and lowering systems with litter and attendant in high angle system
- Patient packaging and litter management
- Use of Guiding Lines
Day Six
- Introduction to highline systems
- Set up high angle scenario using newly acquired skills
- Rope rescue - special problems
Day 7:
- High angle rope rescue scenario
- General review, written test, question & answer session
- Certificates issued
Take Aways
- Rescue 3’s NEW Technical Rope Rescue - Technician Level Manual
- Conterra’s Technical Rescue Rigger’s Field Guide
- 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
