Swift Water Rescue

Comment

Comment byScott Collieron November 15, 2011 at 12:57pm

Ian, you always have to consider the what if's. Although that person starts in the warm zone, if they are to make contact with a patient to assist out of the water or spillway, they would have to enter the hot zone. Never leave anyting to chance. Proper equipment to do the job. PFD's must be worn, belts with quick release and proper water rope as defined by NFPA. It is our job to act quickly. If for some reason that warm zone assistance turns back into a rescue, you want to get off rope quickly around Swift water and not run the risk of becoming tangled or pulled down.

Comment byWayne Benner Jron September 15, 2011 at 5:41pm

Ian are you suggesting hard tying the Shorebased rescuer? If so thats not a bad idea. If anyone has ever done swift water rescue and when a tag is made to the victim in the water by crews on shores if you dont have more then one rescuer backing up the thrower then more then likely hell end up in the water as well. So es in that case hard tie, nothing wrong with that but you better have a GO rescuer avaible to enter to finish rescue if needed.

Not sure if what I said makes sense but if Im reading you right then yah Im with yah all the way on hard tying..

Comment byIan Elliotton September 15, 2011 at 5:33pm

Ok, I guess my question was worded wrong. I totally agree with never hard tying whenever entering the water without the proper equipment and training. What about when one is in the warm zone (not entering the water) witihin 10' of the banks and being hard tied to recover a victim/rescuer that has recently been hit with a throwbag and needs help out? We see this quite often in concrete spillways where limited traction and steep banks hamper the rescue efforts out of the hot and warm zones. Any thoughts?

Comment byRich Longon July 19, 2010 at 8:55pm

Its our Dept policy that you need to have a quick release to enter the water while tethered. We also use dedicated ropes for water rescue that are kept with our swift water gear.

Comment byWayne Benner Jron July 18, 2010 at 6:25pm

We use water specific rope in our water rescue equipment. As for Harnesses keep them off, if your PFD does not have a QRS then dont enter the water. Because your right NATE that will drag you down to the bottom. We actually teach our guys to get into a roller and hold on to make a pocket it works but after a while you need to get off and thats where the QRS comes in. So my opinion NEVER EVER hard tie this is fotr any water related rescue. ICE/SWIFT/SURF/DIVE.

My department lost a firefighter to such action in surf with a ladder belt NO PFD, and was takne by the undertow. That was 1990 now we have a trained highly skilled TRT that must be able to swim in all conditions.

W Benner
PCFES
Ont Canada

Comment byNate Quartieron July 17, 2010 at 8:07pm

Hard tying to a harness with no release with the intent to enter moving water is a good way to drown. Ever held onto the water ski rope after falling? Same principle...

Putting a member in the water is one of the last options on the list, and only proficient, properly equipped members should attempt entry into open or moving water. Otherwise, we're just adding potential victims to the problem. Ops level members should be proficient in several options with throw ropes, etc.

Comment byZane Morganon July 17, 2010 at 4:15pm

My department is discussing adding water specific rescue rope to our rescue truck? Currently we are utilizing life safety rope. Besides the ability to float what are some advantages of the water rope? Does anyone carry water specific rope on their rescue trucks ?

Comment byIan Elliotton November 5, 2009 at 11:42am

"To hard tie or not, that is the question....." We are taught to never hard tie into a rescuer unless you have the right training and equipment meaning tech level with a quick release harness on your pfd. And in the fire service "nevers and always" tend to get us into trouble. If the rescuer is trained at an operations level, not entering the hot zone (not going in the water) would it be alright for that rescuer to be hard tied to a type 1/2/3 harness without releases? I have seen departments use ladder belts with ops personel and I have seen departments that only use their techs with quick release harnesses....any thoughts?