We recently finished a fantastic week with Rescue 1, Seattle Fire Department. The commitment to excellence and dedication to the mission within this Company – and entire Department- is remarkable. Our objective heading into the week was clear: deliver a set of experiences that challenged reliance on gadgetry; focus on fundamental principles of rigging and ropework; and facilitate a healthy discussion regarding equipment choices & training progressions as they relate to Mission Profile.
We began with an in-depth discussion of rescue kit selection. The team worked every scenario with the gear chosen for their harness – a Small Teams type of approach. Lengthy discussions took place regarding terminology such as mirrored systems, two-tensioned rope systems, single main/separate belay, DCTTRS, etc. In the end it was decided that the name matters little, but effectively mitigating legitimate risk is what will win the day. Just how strong does the anchor need to be? Why 10:1…and how can a Company reasonably deviate from it? Everything comes back to managing the right risk at the right time. With thoughtful kit selection and a training progression focused on system simplicity, even the most difficult rescue scenarios can be efficiently solved. It was an honor to work with such a terrific group of professionals. Our hat is off to Rescue 1, Seattle Fire Department.
