CSFM Rope Rescue Awareness/Ops: Feb 21-23rd & Mar 1-2nd, 2025 Fairfield, CA

Description

Course Overview

This New CSFM 5-day course provides information on low-angle and high-angle rescue, familiarizing participants with operation of simple, complex, and compound rope rescue systems in the low- and high-angle environment. Introductory to intermediate ropes skills for all fire service and allied emergency “first-responder” personnel.

Student Requirements

Students must be 18 years old.
ICS-100 or NIMS 700 is required. It’s helpful to have a basic understanding of knots, anchors, and mechanical advantage.
Students must have personal medical insurance or department insurance coverage.
Student will need to provide their own Class III Harness, Helmet and Gloves for the course. Rentals are available. All other gear is provided for you.

Meeting Location

We will meet at 8:30 am on the first day of class at the Classroom Solano County Alt EOC – 2500 Claybank Road, Fairfield

(Go east on Fonstal Way from Claybank Road to get to the facility) / 38.27506, -122.00098

Best Access from Interstate 80 – Manual Campos or Airbase Parkway to Clay Bank Road to Fonstal Way to Claybank Detention Facility/Alt EOC

Schedule

Day 1: 9am – 5pm Lecture & Fundamentals of Low to High Angle Rescue Rigging

Rope Rescue Theory, Pre-Planning, Remote Area Incident Mgmt, Harnesses, Stokes Lashing, Knots & Anchors, Hardware and Software Rescue Equipment, Intro to M/A Systems, Components and Set-up of the RPM.

Day 2-3: 8am – 5pm Intermediate Rope Rescue Rapelling, Raising & Lowering Sys

Chico Bidwell Park: Rappelling and Ascending, Rigging Mechanical Advantage Sys. “Low to High Angel” Lower/Raising System w/Stokes Litter, Building A-Frames, Searching Techniques, S&R/MCI Disaster Drill.

Day 4-5: 8am – 5pm Intermediate to Advanced High-Line Rigging Sys & Rescue Scenarios –

Inclined Rigging System: “High Angle” Lower/Raise with Stokes, Passing knots in Raising and Lower Systems, Telfer systems, Rescue Problem: Rigging a “Telfer Line”, Test:, Clean-up.

Logistics

Personal Protective Gear, PPE

If you do not have your own Class III Harness and Helmet, we can rent them to you. Your own gear is welcome as long as it is rescue rated, and you will need to furnish your own leather gloves.

Field attire: Loose fitting jeans or cargo pants are good for harness wear, and some kind of element/thermal wear appropriate or the season. Long sleeves or a light brush coat is recommended for abrasion resistance. Class will be taught “rain or shine”, so make necessary provisions.
Footwear: Slopes are steep, unstable and rocky, so hiking or wildland fire boots w/ ankle support are recommended. Lightweight hiking boots also work well.
Gloves: You will need to supply your own leather gloves for Rope Rigging and Rapelling Evolutions.

The first day of class will be in a classroom and outdoor park training site (Rain or Shine)

Lecture and rope skills will be information intensive! Plan on getting a good night rest beforehand.
Bring note taking materials: your textbook, handouts and certification/registration paperwork will be provided.
Class refreshments will be provided. However, we will break for lunch in town.
We will be conducting outdoor rope rigging activities after lunch.

Class Days 2 – 5 backcountry field site!

We will meet at a pre-determined grocery store each morning at 7:30 for students to get lunches and then caravan or carpool to the canyon training site. Training sites are remote, wild and scenic, restrooms facilities are limited as well as cell phone signals.
Some items to consider bringing with you:

Ice Chest and/or Thermos for hot drinks
Lots of hydration fluids: A gallon of water and several sports drinks per day, per person.
Sun Screen
Hat & Sunglasses
Camera
TechNu for Poison Oak
Portable Camping Chair
Thermal clothing and jacket for winter months

Last day of class

We will finish up at the training site with a written test and certificate handout. By 6pm, you should be on the road home or traveling back to your hotel.

Curriculum

Day 1: 9am to 5pm Introduction to Intermediate Rope Rescue Rigging Skills

Introduction & Course Logistics, Overview Rope Rescue Theory
NFPA Standards 1670, 1006, 1983
Rescuer Safety: 10 and 18 of Rope Rescue, Building intermediate safe rigging systems
Personal and Team Equipment, Signal Commands, Rescue Terminology/Safety
Incident Management & Pre-Plan, Incident Size-Up and ICS System
On Scene Safety and Site Control
Remote Area Search and Rescue Techniques
Equipment and Rope Care and Maintenance
Rope & Webbing: Construction, Care, Maintenance, Safety Inspection, Usage Log
Harness: Care/Maint., Manufactured Class, Personal Harnesses (Webbing and Pre-Rig), Swiss Tied (Upper & Lower), Hanson, Hasty
Review Review Hitches: Munter, Prissik, Clove, Kliemheist, Bachman, Italian Braid, Dbl Half-hitch

LUNCH

Hardwear: Carabiners, Pulleys, Break Rack, Gibbs, 8-Plates, Jumars, Kootnay, Collection Plate, Swivels, 540RQ Belay
Review Anchor Options: Natural (Trees, Rocks) & Artificial (Vehicles, Pickets, Structures)
Single Point Anchors: Strength, Placement, No Knot, (Single bight, 3-bight, Wrap-3-2, Girth Hitch), Pre & Tensioned Back-Tie Off
Multi-Point Anchors Systems: Self- Equalizing, Load Sharing, Lifeline Anchors
Load Release Hitch: (LRH) Webbing & Rope
Mechanical Advantage: Simple and Compound Systems 1:1 COD, 2:1,3:1, 4:1 Pig, 5:1, 6:1, 9:1, 12:1
Patient packaging

Day 2-3 8am to 5pm Intermediate Rigging Systems Focus: High Angle Rappel, RPM Raising and Lowering Systems, High Angle VIctim Pick-Off’s

Belay Friction Control Lowering Systems: Breakrack, 8-Plate, Prissiks, Mechanical Cam devices Munter Hitch, Belay Falling Load, Self Belay
Bridge Rappel
Rope Ascending Techniques
High-Angle Mechanical Advantage Lower & Raising Systems: Simple, Compound, COD, Calculating M/A 3:1,4:1,5:1,9:1, Pig-Rigging, Haul Team Methods
A-Frame: Construction, Placement, Tag-Lines, Lashing Techniques, Building A-Frames & Tripods Safety Considerations
RPM System: Usage and Change Over
Rigging System Safety Checks
Victim cliff face Rescue Pick-Off’s

Day 4-5 8am to 6pm Advanced Rigging Systems Focus: High-Angle Stokes Management and Use of High-Line Systems

Stokes Litter Rigging for High-Angle Rescue: Patient Packaging, (Backboard & Stokes Litter Rigging) Securing Load, Attendant Mgmt Methods
High-Angle Lower and Raising System: Horizontal Stokes w/Attendants, (2 Line Sys)
High Line Tyrolean System: Set up and Use with Stokes Litter, Attendant, RPM Locomotion for descent control and raising system
Test: Written
Closing: Clean-Up and Certificates

"TRAIN AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES!"

(530) 727-8550