Try This Drill

We have several parks and schools in our district, and we started using the playground equipment as a training tool. The bigger the better.

We'll find a starting point and anchor about 200' of utility rope to it. Then we run the rope all throughout the equipment. Up a slide, down a slide, around objects and under them. This is only limited by your imagination and the size of the playground.

Try to find things that you can run the rope under that will require the member to don and doff their airpack. Also - alot of playgrounds have the little areas that are like some type of room or something with an opening that simulates a window. Run the rope through there.

Cover the masks of the members (use Glad "press-n-Seal" over the mask - it works the best) and send them through the playground, following the rope.

You'll be surprised that no matter how long they stand around and watch you string the rope through, they still get turned around or run into problems.

The other great thing is that when you go back another time to do it again, you run the rope through a different way and it's an entirely different drill.

I'll caution you on one thing though - We ran one that had about a 4' drop on it. It's not a long fall, and the members liked it because it really tested them, but you don't want anyone to get hurt so if you encounter something like this use a spotter or two.

Give it a try. It's easy and it works.

Have fun with it, and Stay Safe Brothers and Sisters.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Bates on August 3, 2008 at 5:40pm

after reading this idea several months ago, last week we tried this drill. everyone loved it, and it proved to be extremely challenging, i even threw in some bungee cords stretched across one small area to simulate an entanglement. thanks for sharing this idea

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Permalink Reply by Sandi Humphfres on August 3, 2008 at 6:06pm

Sounds like fun. I'll run this by my training officer and see if we can try it. My BC dsn't like change and so he might be harder to persude. Thanks for the great idea !

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Permalink Reply by TheOtherJohnGage on November 8, 2008 at 12:08am

What a great idea. So easy, cost effective, yet challenging and basic. Thanks for sharing.

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Permalink Reply by Glen on May 23, 2009 at 11:10am

I have used this drill in my latest FF1 class and they absolutely LOVED it. I have had several requests that we go back and do it again. The playground that I used was from smaller children, so there were many small openings in which they had to remove their air pack to pass through the obstacle.

Thanks for the GREAT idea.

Stay Safe,

Glen