Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Also serving the communities of De Luz, Rainbow, Camp Pendleton, Pala and Pauma
Firefighting crews simulate hauling a rescuer and victim up a cliff utilizing a mechanical advantage and twin tension haul system, the Arizona Vortex, during a Thursday, June 11, Technical Rope Rescue training.
Capt. Joey Bradshaw of the North County Fire Protection District instructs crews on the Arizona Vortex, a new piece of equipment used for cliff rescues during a High Angle Rope Rescue training.
Firefighter Matt Anderson is lowered to a hypothetical victim during a High Angle Rope Rescue training.
Firefighter Matt Anderson prepares to be lowered to a hypothetical victim using main and belay lines attached to the North County Fire Protection District's new Arizona Vortex during a High Angle Rope Rescue training.
North County Fire Protection District firefighters learn about the department's new Arizona Vortex, which is used as a high point change of direction allowing the rope system to better deal with change in terrains, from flat ground to a steep cliff.
North County Fire Protection District firefighters made their way to a hilltop, Thursday, June 11, quickly assembling the department's new Arizona Vortex and preparing to lower firefighter Matt Anderson to perform a technical rope rescue of a victim located down the steep hillside.
To those observing, the scenario on private property on Monserate Place appeared to be very real that day, but in reality, it was actually a quarterly training on High Angle Rope Rescue, a high risk, low frequency skill that is perishable according to NCPD Capt. Joey Bradshaw.
"Training is essential not only to master new skills and equipment but to maintain our current level of proficiency," Bradshaw said.
The purpose of the training is to keep firefighters' skills sharp for mountainous and even urban rescues where a technical high or even low angle rope rescue might be needed, Bradshaw said.
"In rope rescue there are three fundamental disciplines," he said. "There is low angle rope rescue, high angle rope rescue and vertical rope rescue. All three disciplines utilize the same set of components and skills but they just build on each other."
NCFPD uses a component approach when it comes to training firefighters for technical rescue.
"I teach the guys and gals how to use each component and we do that on a much smaller scale, at crew level, at company level training that builds into those components a bigger drill like we did the other day," Bradshaw said. "It all comes together allowing us to deal with the variables of real life."
The group trains quarterly, Bradshaw said, adding that some training sessions are larger than others, but all trainings assist firefighters in preparing for calls that require the skills of technical rescues, including those that may require firefighters to utilize equipment such as the Arizona Vortex.
"It seems like we get these types of calls, more so than any other fire departments throughout the county," he said. "The I-5 corridor, the De Luz area, we get a lot of these calls that utilize high angle and low angle rescues where we have had to deploy these types of skills."
Kim Harris can be reached by email at [email protected].
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