Rope Rescue Operations

You will want to have your personal equipment with you on day one of your rigging course. The basics of your personal rope rescue kit should include the following.

Helment

Technical rescue helmet that can protect you from falling rocks or equipment as well as impact from a fall. You may consider other items like the ability to attach a headlamp, visor, or sun shade as well.

Harness

The type of harness you may be wearing will depend on your response area and mission profile. Traveling into the backcountry, weight is a big concern. Having a sit harness (Type II) with the ability to add a chest harness when needed is an acceptable system. If you are part of an urban rescue team you will most likely have a full body harness (Type III) which are heavier but are more comfortable to wear or sit in for long periods of time.

Gloves

Gloves for technical rope work need to provide you with protection from running rope through your hands while at the same time allow enough dexterity to grasp the rope and operate devices. Depending on the weather you may choose fingerless gloves, or choose to have a warm outer glove over the rigging glove.

Boots

Footwear for rope rescue and high angle work need to provide a fairly stiff sole to avoid your foot loop from pressing into your feet. Good soles are important to helping you avoid slips and falls.

Some additional items that may be nice to have include: Personal (marked) carabiners and preferred Decent Control Device, Prussic/Purcells, Ascending equipment, Sunglasses, Buff, Rain Jacket and Pants, Warm Layers, Head Lamp, Water and Food and Snacks.

Joining a technical rescue team can be the start of a very rewarding career or volunteer pursuit. Taking a Rope Rescue Operations course can help to open doors when you are looking to be accepted by a team.

Hard technical rope rescue skills are of course not the only thing that a team is going to want to see in on your application. Having additional medical certifications like a Wilderness First Responder, EMT, Paramedic, Nurse, or Doctor will show you are able to provide additional value.

Other interests and skills also help with demonstrating competence in the outdoor and in uncomfortable situations. Climbing, Skiing mountaineering, Caving, Arborist work, Tower work, Swiftwater Rescue, and Rope Access work will all give you relevant experience.

As you look at teams be sure they are a good fit for what you want to be doing. Their mission profile, response area and number of calls per year are good places to start when looking at a good fit for you.

Rope Rescue Operations is the best option for someone who is wanting to learn the basics of rigging for high angle rescue. This rigging class teaches you how to approach a rescue, set up high angle rescue systems and how to manage a patient in a litter. Additionally you learn how to climb ropes and rappel back down. These ascend and decent skills are key to having rope mobility.

Overall Rope Rescue Operations is the best rigging course for new rescuers and teams.

Rope Rescue Operator and Rope Rescue Technician are courses 1 & 2 out of 3 courses in the Technical Rope Rescue certification progression Rescue 3 International offers.

Rope Rescue Operations provides the fundamental building blocks rescuers need to be able to do technical rigging for high angle rescues. These include knots, anchors, mechanical advantage, lowering systems. Ascending and decending on ropes, litter handling and basic edge transitions.

Rope Rescue Operations is a prerequisite for Rope Rescue Technician.

Technician builds on the the skills learned in the Operations course. Additional skills for moving patients vertically and laterally are introduced. These include changing litter orientation, having the rescuer on separate ropes from the litter. Highlands, Skateblocks and Cross Hauls.

For a rescue team to be competent at rope rescue we recommend at least the Rigging leaders progressing through both levels and ideally the entire team.