Rahway Fire Department: Rope Rescue Training
City of Rahway
The Rahway Fire Department remains committed to the safety of the community and of its members. To ensure that safety, the Department is proactive in conducting various training exercises that are implemented throughout the year. Recently, members of the Department participated in Rope Rescue Training. This training allows firefighters to simulate situations in which a person is injured, incapacitated, or unconscious and secure them into a rescue litter to lift them to safety. Some simulations include confined space rescues, which is where an individual has been injured or has become stuck in a confined space like a vent, pipe, silo, or tank. This specific training includes a 145-pound dummy that is used to mimic “dead weight” and act as the injured body that needs to be secured and transported. The ropes are used to lower aid down to victims via a tripod or help firefighters’ rappel down into the structure where they are secured and harnessed to safety.
Leading these training sessions is Battalion Chief Thornton, who serves as the Department’s training officer. Alongside Battalion Chief Thornton is Battalion Chief Schlosser who, as an iron worker, has experience with precise knot techniques and tripod engineering to be able to provide to most leverage for a successful rescue. These trainings are provided to Rahway’s firefighters at least four times a year on a rotating schedule to ensure that every tour benefits.
“Rahway’s Fire Department conducts various trainings through the year,” Michael Roberts, Chief of the Department states. “These trainings involve different simulated scenarios from car accidents to ice rescues, confined space rescues, ladder rescues, and more. Our firefighters are skilled and ready for any rescue scenario, and we will continue to work and train to remain ready.”
Photo by City of Rahway
