Section 4-1

Rope

Standards

NFPA 1983 Fire Service Life Safety Rope and System Components

This standard is to provide minimum performance requirements and a reasonable degree of safety for new life safety rope and new system components used to support fire service personnel, and civilians during rescue, firefighting, and other emergency operations, or during training evolutions.

NFPA 1670 Operations and Training/or Technical Rescue Incidents

This standard identifies and establishes levels of functional capability for safely and effectively conducting operations at technical rescue incidents.

NFPA 1006 Rescue Technician Professional Qualifications

This standard establishes the minimum job performance requirements necessary for fire service and other emergency response personnel who perform technical rescue operations.

Rope Rescue

Rope rescue is the providing of aid to those in danger of injury or death in an environment where the use of rope and related equipment is necessary to perform the rescue safely and successfully.

Types of Rope Rescue

Rope rescue can be divided into two categories, high angle rescue and slope evacuation. High angle rescue, also known as Vertical rescue, is defined as a rescue where the rescuer and/or victim have all their weight supported by rope. Slope evacuations, also called low angle evacuations, are rescues where the weight of the rescuers is on the ground and the victims weight are on the litter tenders or rescuers.

Uses for Rope Rescue

Rope rescue can come in to play with a wide variety of rescues. Rope rescue is the basic foundation for most disciplines of rescues. Rope rescue is used in:

• High Angle

• Slope Evacuations

• Confined Space Rescue

• Trench

• Water Rescue

• Wildland search and rescue

Hazards Associated with Rope Rescue

There are numerous hazards associated with rope rescue operations. All members operating at a rope rescue operations must know the hazards and how to avoid them. The most common hazard at a rope rescue operation is falling. Most rope rescue operations involve elevations, and with elevation, whether it is a roof, a water tower, or anything in between, there is always a chance of falling. Any responder with a chance of falling must, per AHJ policy, be secured.

Other hazards associated with rope rescue include:

• Trip hazards

• Uneven or wet ground

• Entanglement or pinching hazards ( i.e. hands caught in rope equipment)

• Falling objects (i.e. equipment, rocks, building components)

• Utilities

• Atmospheric hazards

• Weather

• Untrained responders ( misuse and abuse of equipment)

• Hostile by-standers/victims

• Hazards specific to the location of the rescue

In all disciplines of "technical rescue", if you count the numbers of deaths or serious injuries that occurred after "rescuers arrived on scene", there are many more rescuers hurt or killed then victims.

It is the responsibility of the AHJ to pre-plan your response area to identify the location and hazards of potential rope rescue incidents and prepare for them through training and response procedures/guidelines.

First-Due Company Operations

It has been said that the first 5 minutes of an operation determine the next 5 hours. That can never be overstated in rope rescue. First-due companies operating at the awareness level, are not considered "rescuers", they have many very important tasks to complete to ensure the overall success of the operation. These duties include:

Size-up

Your size-up should be continuous. Size-up should start with pre-incident planning. Size-up then continues with information received with the initial alarm and information given enroute. Once on the scene, the size-up should remain continuous as conditions change. Size-up should include, but not limited to, the initial findings on the scene including the following:

1. Scope, magnitude, and nature of the incident. 2. Location of the incident.

3. Risk versus benefit analysis (rescue versus recovery) 4. Access to the scene

5. Environmental factors

6. Available / necessary resources.

7. Ability to contact victim ( can this be performed without endangering rescuers or victims)

Secure the general scene around the incident.

1. This area will include an area within 300 ft. ( or more, per incident command)

2. Make the area safe for rescuers

a) Control/limit traffic and sources of vibration in the area, This may include shutting down vehicles and equipment.

b) Control/limit access to area by unnecessary personnel. c) Identify the hazards and remove or reduce their impact.

Notify a qualified rescue team to perform the rescue. These teams should be identified by AHJ or department SOP / SOG.

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