Areal rescue

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Do any of you practice your ariel rescue technique, and if you do how often?

 

How many of you have a rescue specific kit as suggested/recommended that nothing is ever borrowed from?

 

How many of you are confidant that if the worst happened the designated rescue personel are confidant and capable enough to really get you down in a realistic time frime?

 

Have any of you trained beyond the standard first aider?

 

Have you ever installed a rescue specific climbing line at the start of a job?

 

I have so many questions! I am doing a piece for collage and need a good controversial and relevant subject and think this might be a good place to look for one as it is something I have given a lot of thought to over the last few years.

 

Your thoughts and views appreciated:biggrin: PM if off the record desired, mums the word if need be, I just need to know.

 

Thanks all

[Stephen Blair]

if i am on something big or dodgey i will install a seperate climbing line and put a harness on it, if i bring in another climber then i do the ground work in my harness and have a secondry line in place, when on pole work i now always clip in my figure of 8 below my friction hitch. I have only done this since monkeyd spoke about it and john shutler gave me the tip for the figure 8

[john dawson]

lets be honest, most peeps, including me are very unprepared for such a thing,

 

i kno what id do in most situations to get a climber down. but iv neva needed to.

in most cases id have to start climbing from scratch, as most employers will tell you to stop playing about wiv second access lines and get on wiv the job!

a rescue kit is irrelevant, as a climber (cs38+) should have all the kit on site regardless.

[skyhuck]

To be honest I think for many this is just window dressing.

 

I personally think more emphasis should be put on the climber be ready at all times to self rescue.

 

Only use a rope that can get you down in one pitch!!

 

Keep you rope clear and rerouted for a straight decent!!

 

Don't leave pegs!!

 

I know at least two guys who cut them selves badly and would have bleed to death waiting for even the fastest climber to come get them, the both got themselves down and lived to tell the tale.

[Peter]

I never practise aerial rescue, although I do do the AR event in the ISA climbing comps, so I guess that might count.

 

No specific rescue kit here.

 

Depends on the scenario really, if I'm out on the tips or on spikes on a pole there is really very little chance of a rescue in a realistic time frame.

 

5 day first aid, now expired. Probably get around to a refresher this year sometime, but I will only do the shortest possible course.

 

Very rarely have a separate access/rescue line. Tbh dont do many big trees these days, on a big tree I would have a footlock/srt line, but dont often have a rescuer that could use it anyway.

 

To put all of this into context, I mainly subbie climb, so work with a variety of tree teams. I dont usually work with another climber, usually have another CS38 on site, but probably have never seen them climb, let alone practised a rescue with them. You cant be confident in someone's ability to rescue, even if you know they can climb, under those circumstances.

 

The overriding lesson for me in all this is, if you get hurt, get yourself down immediately. There is a little window of opportunity following most injuries where you can get to the ground yourself on an adrenaline surge. Obviously this is dependant on being prepared to make an emergency descent at all times, so rope clear below you, no tangles and knots etc. On a pole, I either set my ropeguide or choke off the climbing line and back up my hitch with a descender.

The only time you wont be able to get down yourself is unconsciousness, or if trapped by a cut section. Proper planning of the work is essential to minimise risk.

 

While you are researching, see if you can find an answer to this question, how many lives have been saved by aerial rescue?

 

Although it is a laudable cause, I personnally believe too much emphasis is put on rescue, and not enough on proper work planning and always being ready to get yourself down. That may be controversial, but I believe my reasons are sound.

 

Firstly, no-one can ever rescue you quicker than you can get down. Even with the best rescue set up and rescuer in the world, you are looking at 3-6 minutes minimum, from whistle to touchdown. I can get out of any tree in less than a minute, usually less than 30 seconds. Once you are on the ground, then proper first aid etc can get under way. Also, on a noisy work site, it could be a little while before anyone on the ground realises your in trouble. If you come burning out of the tree dripping blood, its pretty obvious.

 

Secondly, most tree teams dont have a really good AR set up, or rescuer, and it could easily be 15-20 minutes before touchdown. Stop work, get the kit out of the truck, set it all up, remember how to tie a blakes, get the ladders.......

 

Thirdly, no matter how practised or skilled, you cant predict how your team will react in an emergency. More practise helps, as the routine that is drilled into you will just take over, but most teams that dont practise that often will be panicking a little until a plan is formed.

 

As for applying first aid in the tree, how long does it take you to reach around for your first aid kit, remove a dressing, unwrap it without dropping it, and apply it? I'll wager I could be on the ground before you have unzipped the pouch.........

 

Apologies for the long post.

[Mark Bolam]

Totally agree with Huck and Peter.

 

Get yourself down, or you're knackered.

 

I think a rescue climbers primary function is to collect gear from the tree after an accident. Or a body....

[David Humphries]

I think Dave makes a very valid point here.

One that many should take on board.

 

However for us, as we can make time for it, I try and put time aside every 6 months for some AR chat & practice.

 

We've recently had a days "refresher" first aid, that looked at situations that may occur.

 

I also brought in Rich from Treevolution for a couple of days of advanced climbing, which gave us the oportunity to work around some rescue scenarios.

(can't endorse this highly enough, if budget allows)

 

I've specifically put a check box on the site specific R/A that makes the recorder talk to the team & climber around installing a second access line.

I reckon one gets installed with hitch pre set on about 30% of our tree works.

 

Some of these shots show second lines in place.

First couple of are from a leaning pop take down, which had armillaria & perennioporia. second line set in cambium saver.

Next couple are from a lime with weak unions and cavities. Spare line coming down toward camera case.

The Oaks with two climbers up could be seen as overkill, but trying to create the mind set of installing rescue lines.

 

Richard taking us through a pole rescue.

 

Last couple are older shots showing some practice.

 

.

[Peter]

As usual COL setting the standard.

 

What happened to Richard's eye protection?

[David Humphries]

He's sporting the new prototype breathable clear pvc complete face shield

 

 

 

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[Rupe]

One fo the most dangerous things IMO is groundies (aerial rescuers or not) not knowing where you are, geographically! So you cut yourself and get down out of the tree on the adrenaline rush as mentioned above. Then pass out!

 

Groundie calls ambulance, they say where are you? Knackered!!

 

However elaborate your rescue kit and plan is, it is essentiat to have adress, postcode, grid refs etc easily available to everyone on site.