Medical calls make up the majority of contacts with the public for emergency responders. Technical rescue calls make up a much smaller segment of emergency response. While the response numbers are at opposite ends of the response spectrum, they are invariably tied together.

Oftentimes, technical rescue responses originate after medical responders determine that their patient is in an untenable position. Other times, we just need more muscle than the people we responded with can muster. That is where one Western New York Ambulance Service melded EMS response with rope rescue ingenuity to provide a positive outcome for a 600-lb. bariatric patient.

Wellsville Volunteer Ambulance Corps takes the concept of self-sufficiency seriously. Located in rural western New York, 15 miles north of the Pennsylvania border, they are remote, but they know how to get things done.

In early August 2024, Wellsville was hosting Roco Rescue and Roco Chief Instructor Bob Kauer for four days of Rope Rescue and Confined Space training. At 4PM on the second day of class, EMS was dispatched for a man down in a residence. That call triggered a multi-faceted response as responders quickly learned that a 600-lb. man had been down on the floor since 9:30 the previous night. The race was on to get the patient in respiratory distress to definitive care.

While EMS responders started patient care, students from the Roco class quickly broke down rescue gear and loaded on to response vehicles. This included Roco Instructor Kauer who was happy to lend his experience and training to the response.

The first obstacle was getting the patient off the floor. He was unable to assist rescuers who were now faced with lifting the 600-lb. man. A stokes basket was brought into the living room where the man was located. A group of ten rescuers was able to slide four sheets under the patient, and a couple of additional pieces of webbing were positioned for better handling of the patient. The man was then lifted into the basket stretcher.

While responders were moving the man into the basket, rescuers were working to build a system to move the patient to the waiting ambulance. Chainsaws were fired up and the front door was rapidly converted to a garage door to make room. A support beam for the porch had to be removed, requiring rescuers to place spot shores under the porch to provide for patient and rescuer safety during the move. Ramps were built using plywood and 4” x 4” lumber to remove the stairs from the equation.

Meanwhile, outside the house, rescuers, including Chief Kauer, established an elevated anchor on a large tree. A CMC Clutch by Harken became the progress capture device in a 5:1 horizontal mechanical advantage system. Quickly extended into the residence, the system was attached to the top of the stokes basket and tensioned. The haul team began to move the patient in the stokes basket across the floor and the emergency ramp system they had constructed, which allowed the victim to slide straight onto the gurney.

The patient was loaded into the ambulance and delivered to the hospital for definitive care in less than an hour, which was excellent.

Roco extends our congratulations to Wellsville (NY) Volunteer Ambulance Corps for a well planned and executed rescue. Good job!!

Jackson, Mississippi is a burgeoning metro area with over 600,000 residents. Interstate highways busily crisscross the city. In the early evening of April 30, 2024, emergency responders found themselves planning how to recover the body of a man that had been missing for a month.

An angler had discovered the body and called 911. Local law enforcement confirmed the location of the body and the Hinds County Department of Emergency Management called for resources. Raymond Fire Protection District answered the call. As the Technical Rescue arm of the multi-agency response and also knowing that the area was filled with levees and flood control zones, Raymond firefighters geared up with ropes and a SKED stretcher system.

On scene personnel had originally determined that boat access would be the best approach, but the location of the body along the 40’ rocky slope quickly changed to a ground-based recovery.

Raymond firefighters and other responders moved through three quarters of a mile of brush, loose scree, and at times, knee deep sand to arrive on the levee above the body. With darkness now upon them, the eight technical rescuers began planning the recovery operation.

Because they were in the middle of the often-flooded levee, rescuers moved forty yards to the west of the Pearl River to an elevated billboard advertising to the thousands of cars passing by every day on Interstate 20. An anchor was established and extended over 100-feet to the top of the levee.

Three rescuers scrambled down the slope to assist local law enforcement. The victim was placed in a body bag and securely packed in the SKED stretcher. Meanwhile, topside rescuers used the extended anchor to establish a haul system using a Petzl Maestro and a newly acquired CMC Capto in a 3:1 Z-Rig configuration.

Four litter attendants lifted the man, and the haul began. Heavy brush and knee-deep sand proved challenging, but the team soon reached the top of the levee. While rescuers were coming up the slope, personnel from Hind County EMS, Jackson Fire Department and local law enforcement had made access to the area traveling in a side-by-side. The victim was loaded and driven to the roadway to be transferred to the coroner. All told, emergency responders spent nearly four hours moving the body.

So often, the outcome of our rescue response is predetermined. Our actions provide closure rather than the excitement of a rescue. However, we can take solace in knowing that the professionalism and preparedness of local responders gave a local family the opportunity to say goodbye.

Roco Rescue is honored to recognize Raymond Fire Department, Hinds County Department of Emergency Management and other Jackson, Mississippi, responders that espouse the definition of quiet professional.

By Brad Warr, Roco Rescue Chief Instructor

Question: “I noticed that some mountain rescue teams are making the switch to the Petzl Maestro descent device – is this something an industrial rescue team should consider?”

Thanks for the great question. It’s been almost a year since the Petzl Maestro has been on the market, and we have noticed a big uptick in back country teams adopting the Maestro as their primary anchored descend control device. In fact, many of our instructors’ own home-based rescue teams have already made the switch to the Maestro and many of these teams respond to mountain rescue calls.

To decide whether the Maestro would be a good choice for an urban/industrial rescue team, let’s look at why a mountain rescue team would choose the Maestro. Mountain and back country rescue teams covet light weight, easily transportable equipment. Smaller diameter ropes, lightweight carabiners, pulleys and rope grabs are the norm when you must pack in your own gear. Anyone that has hefted a Petzl Maestro would never consider the device to be petite. At nearly two and a half pounds, the device is far from the featherlight kit usually found in back country response packs. Yet despite the rotund nature of the device, it continues to find its way into the equipment caches that ride on the shoulders of mountain rescue teams. That says a lot about how these teams feel about the Maestro’s performance.

The “intuitive nature” of the Maestro is one of the descender’s strong suits. This is also one of the reasons we chose it for use in our new entry level Roco Urban/Industrial Rescue Essentials™ course. Often attended by brand new rescuers taking their first steps into technical rescue, the Maestro was the perfect fit. At the completion of the first 50-hour course, all Roco instructors commented on how much easier it was to train new rescuers to use the Petzl Maestro compared to other popular descent control devices. It allowed our students to progress quickly while increasing their safety as well.

Mountain rescue teams are also very aware of the corollary between “friction management” and system efficiency. When you are working in small teams with potential for lots of friction running over rock and dirt, a device that can greatly increase friction reduction during hauls is very appealing. The Maestro delivers friction reduction in spades. The faceted sheave in the Maestro delivers up to 95% pulley efficiency.

The Maestro’s ease of use, consistent control and efficient operation were a few of the reasons we chose it for our courses. While Roco’s advanced classes delve into other personal and anchored descenders, we feel the Maestro gives the highest likelihood of success for new and experienced rescuers. The Petzl name behind the device gives us confidence in its dependability.

As an Urban/Industrial rescuer, we can take the experiences of top mountain rescue teams in the country to heart. If they are willing to carry the extra weight of the Maestro based on its performance, then perhaps we should carefully consider the Maestro as our primary choice for descent control.

To learn more about the Petzl Maestro, read our full review or join us for one of our newly designed rescue courses for 2021. Roco’s new Urban/Industrial Rescue Essentials™ 50-hour entry level course strives to create rescue team members that can contribute from Day 1.

Check out our current open-enrollment course schedule for upcoming training dates, or review our complete course descriptions to find the right course for your needs.

Brad Warr is a Chief Instructor for Roco Rescue and a Captain at the Nampa Fire Department. Brad joined Roco Rescue in 2003, teaching a wide variety of technical rescue classes including rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue, and structural collapse. Brad became a firefighter for the Nampa Fire Department in 1998 and was promoted to Captain in 2006. Before joining the fire department, Brad worked for three years as an Emergency Response Technician for a large computer chip manufacturer in Boise, Idaho, where he was responsible for OSHA compliance, emergency medical response, confined space/rope rescue response and hazardous materials response.

By Brad Warr, Roco Rescue Chief Instructor

I took my first rope rescue class in 1995. I spent a lot of my youth in the outdoors and did some knot-tying and rappelling at scout camp. I have fond memories of flying down the (super-sketchy) zip line at summer camp. Climbing over the edge at my first rope rescue class wasn’t terrifying, it was exhilarating. It was also confusing - really confusing.

Urban and industrial rope rescue had collided with wilderness rescue techniques. NFPA regulations relating to technical rescue were being adopted by fire departments across the country. Industrial rescue teams were adopting those same standards and the race to heavy rigging was well underway. 

Questions Abound

Confusion reigned, in part because it was a time of great change, but also because I was so green. I remember having so many questions. Did my rope need to be brand new for every rescue? Why did a figure 8 have ears? So, I wrap three but only pull two? Why should I avoid descenders with too many moving parts and why do my double pulleys weigh 6 pounds? Mechanical cams will strip my rope but if I wrap a couple of those little cords around my big rescue rope then I am safe? It was a lot to digest.

Now, 25 years later, I have learned so much. Mostly I have learned that there’s always more to learn. I have learned that money spent on quality training is money well spent. I have been privileged to train with some of the best instructors in the world. It has taught me that if I am to be successful as a rescuer and as an instructor that I must evolve… much like the equipment has evolved and will continue to evolve over time.

Equipment Advances & New Techniques

Today our descenders have pulleys, our pulleys have swivels and the equipment we use is incredibly reliable and, well, mechanical. The equipment is sleek. It’s smooth. Best of all, it’s not complicated.

We’ll be doing a demo of some of that equipment and the techniques that drive the hardware (teachings adapted from our rope rescue training courses) at the North Dakota Safety Council's 2020 Safety Conference. We’re proud to be partnering with the North Dakota Safety Council to make industrial safety training and services more accessible in a region experiencing rapid industrial growth. Roco Rescue Director of Training Chris Carlsen and I will be offering a different hands-on session on each day of the conference. Sessions and topics include:

• Advanced Rope Rescue. Learn the most efficient rescue techniques, using modern rescue equipment and systems. Recent advances make it possible to perform the same task with a higher degree of safety while also being more efficient in terms of manpower, equipment and time.
• Mechanical Advantage Systems. We’ll teach you the principles of mechanical advantage in an easy-to-understand way. Covered topics include calculating input and output forces, determining appropriate equipment requirements for a given situation, as well as often-overlooked considerations such as frictional loss and sheave diameter. This is a hands-on class, taught on a 2-story training prop.
• Vertical Mobility in Place of Traditional Means of Access. Rope access is significantly safer and in most cases more cost effective than traditional means of access (scaffolds, man-lifts, etc), which explains why it is gaining acceptance in a wide variety of industrial settings. We’ll teach and demonstrate several different rope access techniques and talk about scenarios in which they might be applied.
• Intro to Rescue Advancements. A great opportunity to see the latest advancements in rescue equipment, systems and techniques, attendees will get hands-on experience as we demonstrate the latest techniques and equipment - and show how many tasks can now be done with a higher degree of safety and efficiency. Today’s lightweight precision manufactured equipment as well as modern synthetics have increased safety and give rescuers greater flexibility and multi-functionality than ever before.

A Safer Way

Even if you’re not attending NDSC’s conference this week, these are the types of topics you can expect when you come to Roco Rescue for training. We stay on top of the very latest developments in rescue and distill what’s most useful and most effective into our courses, in an easy-to-remember fashion. Our instructors are skilled rescuers and teachers who adapt their methods to a variety of learning styles.

We hope to see you at the NDSC Safety Conference or in one of our rope rescue certification courses. Check out your training options below, or call us to arrange for us to come to your site for training.

Brad Warr is a Chief Instructor for Roco Rescue and a Captain at the Nampa (ID) Fire Department. Brad joined Roco Rescue in 2003 and teaches a wide variety of technical rescue classes including rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue, and structural collapse. He is also a member of Roco’s Contracted Safety & Rescue Team, providing standby rescue services for plants, refineries and other industrial facilities. Brad became a firefighter for the Nampa Fire Department in 1998 and was promoted to Captain in 2006. His responsibilities include training for the department’s Heavy & Technical Rescue Team. Before joining the fire department, Brad worked for three years as an Emergency Response Technician for a large manufacturer in Boise, Idaho, where he was responsible for OSHA compliance, emergency medical response, confined space/rope rescue response and hazardous materials response.

By Brad Warr, Chief Instructor

Ask any Roco instructor what they would prioritize if they were in charge of training for an industrial rescue team, and you’ll hear Rescue Challenge consistently mentioned. After working with a lot of creative minds to plan the 2019 Roco Rescue Challenge, and serving as an evaluator, I am a firm believer in the value that teams get from this one-of-a-kind event.

Scenarios, Team and Individual Performance Evaluations

The teams at 2019 Rescue Challenge were tasked with six advanced confined space and high angle problems set in urban and industrial settings. The opportunity to watch and learn from the other teams made for a unique learning experience.

In addition to the six scenarios, teams also faced off head-to-head in the Team Performance Evaluation. Finally, team members solved old school rope questions with new school rescue answers in the Individual Performance Evaluation.

New At Rescue Challenge 2019

While the rivalry amongst teams was robust (we do award trophies and let’s face it, rescuers are a competitive group), the sharing of ideas and experiences was readily apparent. With the new approach of staging each team side by side in a group staging area, the camaraderie was quite evident.

Our Rescue Challenge planning team also took a new approach to the scenarios. Shorter time limits tested the teams’ decision-making processes under tight time constraints. With only 50 minutes working time on each scenario, teams made decisions that had to be executed quickly and efficiently to deliver the patients into the transport EMS system within the “Golden Hour.”

There was one “new look” scenario this year that had everyone talking. Rescuers were faced with an injured patient suspended in a car that had gone over the guardrail and was hanging by its rear axle in a scenario aptly named “Holy Schnikes”. One of the critical decisions rescuers had to make was whether to rapidly remove the patient or stabilize the vehicle, which would delay care for the patient.

Well-Trained Rescue Teams Make For Safer Facilities

These realistic scenarios show why this is not a competition, it is a challenge. A Rescue Challenge. Congratulations to this year’s teams for rising to meet it. The experience gained from Rescue Challenge, together with continued training, will make the facilities these teams serve safer places for everyone who works there.