Prompted by increasing inquiries regarding the durability and attributes of 11 mm NFPA General Use Rope, our friends at CMC (Instructors LeRoy Harbach and John McKently) embarked on a sequence of experiments within the CMC lab. Their investigation into knot effectiveness encompassed 487 trials across various rope varieties, uncovering valuable insights into the influence of diameter, composition, and materials on knot performance. Additionally, they broadened the focus of their research to assess the viability of smaller diameter ropes suggested for rescue operations, leading to the formulation of guidelines for estimating knot efficiency relative to rope diameter.

Click HERE to read the full case study.

Additional Resources:

• Service Life Guidelines for Rescue Gear

• Q&A: 11mm Rope and NFPA Requirements
  
  

CMC SAFETY NOTICE: LEVR™ ESCAPE SYSTEM

Please be advised that CMC has issued a Product Safety Notice and mandatory inspection for LEVR™ Escape Systems manufactured between January 1, 2023 and February 1, 2024. 

If you have LEVR Escape System(s) in your possession, please read the Product Safety Notice and follow the required steps described in this link.

If you need assistance with inspecting your gear, Roco Rescue will be happy to help, please call 800-647-7626.

Always remember to inspect your gear before each use. Stay safe!

In the world of elite rescue gear, the marriage of carabiners and the aerospace industry is well documented. In 1967, when Jim Clark, Seattle Manufacturing Corporation (SMC) founder, brought his technical skills from the aircraft industry to the rescue world; it was, let’s say, unique.

Over the ensuing 50-plus years, SMC Gear has become a staple of rescue and sport caches around the world. The steel SMC large and X-large biners of the 80’s and 90’s will be found in Industrial Rescue team kits for generations to come based on robust construction alone.

In more recent years, TerrAdaptor tripod system is where cutting-edge rescuers turn when the other options on the market just don’t give you enough versatility to color outside the lines. The newest gear coming out of the Ferndale, WA operation is incredibly well thought out, with creative thinking highlighted in the excellent Apex pulley line.

Now under the umbrella of the Harken family of equipment, SMC Gear and Roco Rescue have a long history. The Roco Tactical Division has leaned heavily on the SMC Gear line and expertise over the years while serving our tactical clients. The TerrAdapter has travelled the world with our Tactical Cadre, providing new and innovative problem-solving options to some of the top operators in the world.

In addition, our Roco Training Division is deeply invested in the SMC Gear offerings. Our original TerrAdapter was one of the first to come off the line and has provided top notch service for nearly two decades. When we converted the Roco Training Center equipment kits to 11mm, Roco instructors chose gear they felt best represented Roco Rescue’s commitment to providing elite equipment for our students. SMC was well represented. The Apex pulley has become a fast favorite and the Origin 5 and Origin 8 rigging plates have become our go-to in classes. We are also excited to evaluate the Origin TT.

As SMC makes some of the best rescue and mountaineering gear on the market, Roco Rescue is proud of the decade’s long relationship between two iconic players in the rescue world. Rescuers can count on SMC gear to be solid and reliable, no matter how tough the job.

Additional Resources:

• Service Life Guidelines for Rescue Gear

• Roco Rescue Open Enrollment Training

A 29-year-old New York state man survived to see another Christmas when a strong rescue plan by Woodbury Fire Department, local EMS responders and park rangers resulted in the man wakening in a warm hospital room on Christmas morning.

In the early evening hours of Christmas Eve, local EMS responders from Woodbury Community Ambulance and park rangers from New York State Park Police responded to a remote area in Harriman State Park for the report of a male who had fallen 25 feet from a cliff. Responders arrived and determined that the man had serious injuries and needed immediate evacuation. While EMS personnel began to treat the man for a probable broken jaw and leg fracture, Park Rangers contacted Woodbury Fire Department just north of the park for assistance.

Located 50 miles north of New York City, Woodbury Fire Department hosts a dedicated group of firefighters, trained, and equipped to respond to these types of incidents. When the call came out, Captain Bob Kauer was at home. Quickly determining the need for technical rescue, Kauer spoke with Fire Chief Chris Burke who assigned him to run the operation. Eleven Woodbury firefighters left their homes in freezing temperatures on Christmas Eve to race the ever-closing window to get the victim to definitive care (Woodbury Personnel – Cpt B Kauer, Lt T Finnegan, Driver S Stansfield, FF M Franko, FF J Stevens, FF D McCarthy, FF T Aliji, FF C Sheehan, FF M Flakowicz, FF H Danielson).

The Woodbury Fire crew met with Park Rangers and were informed the patient was approximately 1.5 miles from the roadway. Captain Kauer immediately coordinated equipment and packaging material to be moved to the scene and made the decision to call for an Air Ambulance to meet them at the roadway on the way out.

The Woodbury Fire crew faced two large washouts on the walk in and began to plan how to move the patients through them on the carry out. The smallest was walkable with the victim, but the large washout was 25’ deep and rocky and would require a rope system for passage.

Rescuers transitioned the patient to a Stokes Basket after treating injuries and covering him with a heat blanket. He was lashed in using the CMC Patient Tie In System. Litter bearers then began the long mile and a half carry out.

Leapfrogging ahead, Capt Kauer and a small group of rescuers prepared a low angle rope system to make passage of the large wash doable. A Harken/CMC Clutch was anchored and ready when the team arrived with the patient. Rescuer tie ins were made using firefighters existing Gemtor Rescue Harnesses and the patient was rapidly moved through the wash. Shortly thereafter, the patient was delivered to the flight team of Atlantic Air One who medevac’d the patient to the nearest trauma center.

The entire rescue lasted three hours and highlights the strong coordination and cooperation of local response agencies. Roco Rescue would like to recognize The Woodbury Fire Department with the Roco Rescue “Real Rescue” Award.

Roco Would Like to Recognize Your Outstanding Rope Rescue!

Nominate your rescue team so we can recognize your professional efforts with a Roco Outstanding Rope Rescue Plaque. All reports that we receive highlighting an actual rescue event will be considered.

Click here to download the Real Rescue Form. You can then email form to info@RocoRescue.com.