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Permalink Reply by Michael Carpenter on October 6, 2007 at 9:27pm

Sandy

there is a lot of advice that you can be given, knot is just one of the items that you need to know and know right
you also need to know and do a lot of other items
first do you have a fear of heights, confind spaces, if you do then you will need to over come the fears or inform the team capt, so that he/she is aware of this and not put you in a place to get you or someone else hurt.
this should not stop you from being on the team as there are a lot of jobs that you can do
You will go though the training and once you have completed the training the train again, not only on knots but also on the systems, rigging, anchoring M/A securment of the Patient
then go to your area and look for places that people will get into trouble and try and figure out how and what equipment you will need to get some one out of the trouble. in other words Preplan the rescue.
also do not just go to one training class and expect to learn it all, go to different classes from different instructors and learn more,
It may take a long time, (depending on how fast you catch on) to be confendent in your skills but if you keep training you will be able to go places with the training
but that is just my two cents worth

but if you want email me and i will help any way i can, I instruct rescue and do some standard stuff

any way good luck with the team and stay safe

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Permalink Reply by Ivan Watts on October 7, 2007 at 8:36pm

These are both informative answers to this question, I now have an additional quesiton for the poster: How do you get rope rescue certified? At my current job as a cellular tower construction worker, their training for climbing up on those things is called comtraining, is it the same thing? Or at least have similar componants?

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Permalink Reply by Michael Carpenter on October 8, 2007 at 7:38am

Ivan

I am not sure what comtraining intels but, to get Resuce certified most departments require that you attend a class that meets NFPA 1006 and or 1670, then the Authority having Jurisdiction should test your skills and knowledge then if you pass, you should be certified in Rope Rescue.
just because you go to a class does not mean that you are certified (just like in Haz Mat) your department must as the Authority having Jurisdiction provide you with the certification. There are a lot of training groups out there that you can get the training for this, if the training that you Received from your job helps you with the rope rescue side then even better.
Hope this helps, stay safe

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Permalink Reply by Allen Wahlstrom on October 8, 2007 at 10:56am

Having just finished CSR/CORE Rescue last week for the 3rd time, I continue to be amazed at how fast and how much the field changes from year to year. The PETZL iD is revolutionizing how easy descending can be. Knots have been and always will be the base of Rope Rescue, learn em and carry a piece of rope in your coat, you can never practice knots enough.
Make sure your department does regular Rope training, and be there for it.

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Permalink Reply by Kenneth Holley on October 8, 2007 at 2:51pm

Keep a 6' section of rope next to your chair or couch in the t.v. room and practice,practice and practice tying knots.

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Permalink Reply by Mick Mayers on October 8, 2007 at 10:46pm

Yes, actually I do. Have you looked at my post "The Best Knot Website Ever"? It'll link you to Grog's Animated Knot Page. Read the testimonials and you'll see why I say that.

I have taught rope rescue for over twenty years and I have been a climber since 1978. I still keep a 10 foot section of dynamic kernmantle rope (nice and pliable, feels good to work with) in my station bag and practice my knots.

The Grog site was sent to me by my brother who is also in special operations. Turns out the webmaster for the site lives about ten minutes from my home and the only reason I found out was that I read an article in our local newspaper on all the hits he was getting. Small world sometimes.

Practice, practice, practice. Play with the rope and your rigs on a regular basis. Rig them in the dark, in the rain, in the snow, in mud, and all at the same time. Before long, everyone will come to you for these answers.

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Permalink Reply by Keenan Mulvaney on October 11, 2007 at 11:20pm

TIE YOUR KNOTTS!!! Pay attention to detail, that thing you thought will probably hold, probably will, but would you want your Brother or Sister Firefighter hanging off it? NO, PTB. GOODD LUCK

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Permalink Reply by Jason Brooks on October 12, 2007 at 2:58pm

Don't fall, that would suck. Find a harness that you are comfortable with. Too many teams all have the same harnesses. Not everyone will be comfortable in the same harness. Look around and try to try them on.

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Permalink Reply by Lawrence W on October 12, 2007 at 5:27pm

I keep a 30 foot section of self rescue rope in my gear. Remember that improvising is sometimes just as important as the mainstream techniques. I took a Firefighter Survival and Rescue course last year that concentrated on several LODD situations over the last several years. They taught a lot of self rescue techniques that are really handy in a pinch.

Remember that there are MANY sources of great information out there to help you keep yourself and your team safe. Check them all, and use the information that is best suited for your unique situation.

Adapt and Overcome.

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