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Technical and Educational Articles
This page includes archived articles from the Rescue Response Gear Newsletter as well as other timely and educational informationals. Topics are generally centered around rope rescue and rope access rigging, rope construction, mechanical advantage systems, the physics behind rigging, critical thinking, central and peripheral issues in rescue, team management, safety considerations for accessing work via rope and many others.
If there is anything specific you would like to see included in future Newsletters or this section (TEA), write us at info@rescueresponse.com and let us know. |
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Technical - Central Issues of Technical Rescue
by Pat Rhodes
In the contexts of rope rescue, what does central and peripheral mean? Central issues are those concepts that are non-negotiable in the eyes of any given individual or organization. Central issues are the law and they "shall" be followed. Peripheral issues are concepts that are not ironclad and offer more flexibility in the options available in accomplishing a given goal. An example of a central issue might be, "All bowlines shall be used only when. . ."
Click on the Title Above for the Complete Article.
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Technical - Critical Thinking On Rappelling
by Pat Rhodes
The Importance of the Angle of the Rappel Rope
There has been much written on the subject of "edge trauma", or if you will, the psychological stress of taking that first step over the edge. We will tell you here and now that the physical aspects of rappelling play as big (if not bigger) role to "edge trauma" as that of psychological stress.
The importance of angles and their effect on rope systems can not be over emphasized.
Read More
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Technical - Determining the Resultant of a High Directional
by Pat Rhodes
Excerpt from Urban Technical Rescue, Vol 1., by Pat Rhodes
A component can be represented by a single line or arrow. This indicates direction. The length of the arrow indicates magnitude. Therefore this arrow has a greater magnitude than the one above.
In fact, simply by comparing the two arrows we could deduct that the second arrow is about 2x more powerful or stronger than the first.
Click on the Title Above for the Complete Article.
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Technical - Knots 101
by Pat Rhodes
For the next few months, our newsletter will take you through some of the more common and not so common (but very useful) knots and hitches used in rescue and rope access applications. The standard definition of a knot is a rope intertwined with itself; a bend is the intertwining of two ends of a rope and a hitch is a knot that is dependent on a host object.
Excerpts from Urban Technical Rescue, Vol.1:
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Technical - Raising the Bar, Part 1
by Pat Rhodes
Excerpt from Urban Technical Rescue, Vol 2., by Pat Rhodes
We will often attempt to maintain a 10:1 safety margin with our rope equipment. In a static state, we will analyze our weakest link in the system and try not to exceed 1/10 of its maximum rating. This is known as the Static Safety System Factor, or SSSF. Although this equipment / system rating will be discussed in depth throughout this book, right now I'm using the SSSF as an analogy to the quality of your team's training.
Put a number, or hypothetical rating between 0 and 100 on the skill level needed to safely and efficiently complete a worst case scenario technical rope rescue that is potentially possible in your area of response. Remember, this is only a self-comparison scale. I will give an example and choose the number 50 to represent a difficult confined space / high angle industrial litter extrication that involves multiple changes in the fall line and challenging focused-floating anchor considerations.
Click on the Title Above for the Complete Article.
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Technical - The Wheelbarrow Style
by Pat Rhodes
(Excerpts from Urban Technical Rescue Vol. 2 by Pat Rhodes)
Wheelbarrow Rescue Syndrome (WRS) is a cumbersome, burdensome, and awkward affliction of those rescue technicians, teams, and agencies that promote “bigger is better”, or, “when in doubt, bring it all”. These teams tend to settle for rote training...training without understanding or any thought to why they are doing what they’re doing. Just tell them “HOW”, they don’t need to know “WHY”. Most instructors that are only interested in rote training are usually lacking in their own theoretical foundation. Settling for this type of instructor and training is unstable.
Here are some telltale signs and symptoms of a team that suffers from the Wheelbarrow Rescue Syndrome (WRS):
1. They insist on using only NFPA rated steel carabiners for all loads.
2. They insist on using only General Use NFPA rated hardware.
3. They insist on using only ½ inch rope (NFPA rated of course.)
Continued in the full article...
Click on the Title Above for the Complete Article.
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Technical - Anchors, Pt. 1
by Lance Piatt
This will be the first of a two part series on anchors. This section, purposely, will not include situations that necessitate vehicles, pickets or other such portable anchors. Nor is the series meant to be an exhaustive source of information… there are numerous books on this subject. If you have any questions regarding the below information, please feel free to contact RRG.
(Excerpts taken from “Rigging in the Vertical Realm, Thorne and Rhodes; The North American Working at Height Handbook 2004, North Sea Lifting Ltd.)
Considerations in building an anchor
Anchors are truly the most important aspect or component of any system when used to lift, perform work or rescue someone. Without a solid base or foundation, the entire project is in jeopardy. Whether you’re dealing with natural or artificial components for the anchor system, take special care and make sure the integrity and strength of the component is not in question. In times of question, backups, opposition or back-ties must be employed (this will be discussed later). In building an anchor system, it is best to keep the line of pull directly “above” (or fall line) the load. When this is not doable, using advanced placement skills to focus the main direction of the anchor to viable position will be needed (such as re-directs).
Continued in the full article..
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Technical - Anchors, Pt. 2
by Lance Piatt
This is the second of a two part series on anchors -- the first part is available here. This article will intentionally omit situations which necessitate vehicles, pickets or other such portable anchors. Nor is the series meant to be an exhaustive source of information… there are numerous books on this subject. If you have any questions regarding the below information, please feel free to contact RRG.
(Excerpts taken from "Rigging in the Vertical Realm" - Thorne and Rhodes; "The North American Working at Height Handbook 2004" - North Sea Lifting Ltd.; "The Tree Climbers Companion, 2nd Edition Revised and Expanded" - Jeff Jepson)
Fixed Multi-point (Load Sharing) Versus Distributing (Self-Equalizing) Anchors
The debate over multi-point/load sharing (MPLS) and that of distributing (self-equalizing) DSE anchors is one of focus and elevation (high directional). The debate may have quieted down a bit over the years, mainly due to many "anchor" policies within the guide service, rope access and rescue teams... never the less, the problem -- and thus confusion -- is still there.
Continued in the full article..
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Technical - Jiggers, Pt. 1
by Lance Piatt
The following information is meant only as an introduction and is the first of a three part informational on the loveable jigger system.
Jiggers
Generally, these beauties are considered pre-rigged pulley systems used mainly for hauling, but can be very
important in lowering heavy loads as well. The advantage of these systems is in their rapid deployment,
and straightforward operation without advanced levels of training or expertise. They are low maintenance and high yield work horses and have been around for many a year.
From old (and new) time mariners, to arborists, to rescuers, to the backyard working guy (or gal), jiggers have much to offer. An obvious application in industrial height safety, is lifting the weight of a fallen worker so that he can be transferred to a lowering rope. Arborists use many a jigger (fiddle blocks) for raising and pre-tensioning heavy loads. General riggers can apply these gems in hundreds of other manners (from pulling to maintaining).
Read the complete article...
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Technical - Jiggers, Pt. 2
by Reed Thorne
The following article is the second of a three part informational on the loveable jigger system. This piece focuses on the AZTEK Pro kit and it's many uses. The following is intended only as a guideline, and none of these should be practiced without adequate training and safety.
It has often been said that “necessity is the mother of all invention”. Truly, when thinking of technical rope rescue, nothing could be more true. The reliance on specialized gear and equipment is a subject with which many rescuer shave struggled over the years as they approach this subject. There is many times a gentle balance in what we carry to the top or bottom of a true rope rescue
venue. Too much specialized gear and the much offending “wheelbarrow rescue” will ensue where metric tons of rope and equipment is needed to perform even the most rudimentary rescues. Once an instructor friend of mine grumbled in observing the inordinate amount of time it took a team to amass the prodigious amount of pre-rigged gear “Why don’t these guys go out and buy a commercial size wheelbarrow to cart their colossal amount of gear around?”.
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Read the complete article...
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Technical - Rope Grabs
by Lance Piatt
The strength, purpose and performance of rope grabs differ depending on the user and situations with which the actual unit is being used in. Many times we see strength ratings such as 2,500 lbs/11.5 kN, 5,400 lbs/24.5 kN or even 7,500 lbs/34 kN; yet the rope damage may actually occur as low as 2,000 lbs/9 kN. Are we measuring the strength of the grab itself or the unit capacity to carry a load? What is this load and is it a static pull or a dynamic catch? Grabs are not marked with a minimum breaking standard; there is no suitable test method for determining a valid or usable breaking strength.
Continued in the full article.. Click the link above to read more.
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Technical - Reducing Rock Fall Hazard in Mine Rescue
by Reed Thorne
REDUCING ROCK FALL HAZARD DURING MINE RESCUE OPERATIONS
INTRODUCTION:
To many people, rescue from elevated, sometimes vertical, locations brings about thoughts of heroism mixed with brawn and self-sacrifice. Most of us can certainly conjure up images of harrowing cliff rescues where the entire technical effort is hanging from a few seemingly small nylon ropes hundreds of feet above the ground. Such is the vertical realm of technical rope rescue—a vast technical field of which I am an instructor of—both professionally, and as Battalion Chief of (rope) Operations for a northern Arizona Fire District.
Click the link above to read the full article
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Technical - Practical Leadership for Technical Rescue
by Kevin Frye
Author’s note: This will be the first of a multi-part article. More will addressed in following RRG newsletters.
One of the most overlooked aspects of rope rescue is the ability to efficiently direct and control and a rescue operation. As the Control Officer, we all too often focus on the tactical, or “nuts and bolts” instead of the strategic, or “big picture”. Many times a 30 minute rescue operation turns into a two hour debacle mostly due to lack of leadership and direction. As a leader responsible for technical rescue operations, you need to be able to communicate to your team members the goals and objectives of the event, (be it an actual rescue or a training exercise), and then safely complete the operation. This is a difficult task given the dynamic arena in which we often operate. The responsibilities associated with these functions usually comes with rank, but without the benefit of education and mentorship. The attributes required for running an operation must be learned and practiced in order to complete a job in a safe and timely manner. In the following sections, we will address key elements relating to the proper operation of a Technical Rescue incident or training evolution. Continued in the full article..
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AHD - Anchoring the Vortex 2.0 Multipod
by Reed Thorne
Reed Thorne provides detailed technical information on proper assembly and anchoring of the Arizona Vortex 2.0 Multipod.
Set aside a bit of time, put on your thinking cap, and click on the link above to read along with Reed about proper usage of this marvelous tool.
Click the link above to read the full article
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Minimalist Rescue Archetype #1 - Parapet Rescue
by Reed Thorne
This technique has been sometimes known as a “parapet rescue”. Obviously, if the rescue team can perform a rescue without ever sending a rescuer into exposure, this would be optimum. In this system the victim's system hanging presumably to the top is used as the lowering attachment.
- No rescuer over the edge
- Dynamic fixed brake
- Victim hanging in harness
Click the title above to view the archetype in full.
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Minimalist Rescue Archetype #2 - Solo Rescue / Gecko Victim / Descend Together
by Reed Thorne
#2 of 7MRA is the first of the truly “solo” rescues requiring really only one competent rope rescue practitioner. This means exactly like it sounds; one rescuer over the edge doing it all on their own. At first glance, the casual observer will realize the inherent flaw or risk in this situation: One person doing it all can make a mistake. Generally the more eyes on something, the safer it becomes. Hence, we would only send well trained personnel on such an endeavor; one that will not make mistakes resulting in less than desirable outcome. This, and indeed all the truly “solo” rescues techniques (#’s 2, 3 and 4 of a total of 7MRA), need to be rehearsed to perfection by anyone attempting them in an actual rescue.
- Solo rescuer
- Clinging “gecko” victim/No harness
- Rescuer/victim descend together
Click the title above to view the archetype in full.
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Minimalist Rescue Archetype #3 - Solo Rescue / Gecko Victim / Mid-Face Lower
by Reed Thorne
#3 of 7MRA - Solo rescue, with the rescuer travelling down to the victim, rigging their harness, and lowering to the bottom from there. As always, be aware that one person doing it all can make a mistake. Generally the more eyes on something, the safer it becomes. Hence, we would only send well trained personnel on such an endeavor; one that will not make mistakes resulting in less than desirable outcome. This, and indeed all the truly “solo” rescues techniques (#’s 2, 3 and 4 of a total of 7MRA), need to be rehearsed to perfection by anyone attempting them in an actual rescue.
- Solo rescuer
- Clinging “gecko” victim/No harness
- Mid-face lower via travelling brake
Click the title above to view the archetype in full.
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Minimalist Rescue Archetype #4 - Solo Rescue / Hanging Victim / Traveling Brake Pickoff
by Reed Thorne
#4 of 7MRA - Solo rescue, with the rescuer travelling down to the victim, performing a pickoff to their harness with an AZTEK kit, and then lowering both of them off to the ground. As always, be aware that one person doing it all can make a mistake. Generally the more eyes on something, the safer it becomes. Hence, we would only send well trained personnel on such an endeavor; one that will not make mistakes resulting in less than desirable outcome. This, and indeed all the truly “solo” rescues techniques (#’s 2, 3 and 4 of a total of 7MRA), need to be rehearsed to perfection by anyone attempting them in an actual rescue.
- Solo rescuer
- Hanging Victim in their own harness
- Traveling brake
- Pickoff & lower with AZTEK
Click the title above to view the archetype in full.
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