Modern Rigging

While we would love that everyone out there is a rope nerd like us, we have to understand that is not the case. Sometimes the technical rescuer is their own worst enemy by tending to over think or even over rig systems. Simplicity is often the key that most people are looking for. In the rescue world, we are too often tasks with many hats to wear. Fire, Rescue, EMS, Water, Code Enforcement, the list could go on. Demands are high and time is low. So much of the modern rope rescue gear is designed to simplify the process and time involved to rig and operate the systems. What used to take over a dozen pieces of equipment for a simple over the hill low angle rescue is down to about 6 pieces of gear. This is great because it drastically reduces the amount of equipment we have to carry on the rig. In addition to that, when we open the rigging bag now and there is only a handful of pieces, it makes setting up the system less complicated for the less trained helping hands. This in no way means we need to train less! While the modern equipment is certainly easier to use, it does not allow us to train less on it. During classes, we use the "3am call" as our reference point. What does that mean? It means, that we train with our gear even after the point of it being clockwork on that 3am call. Having less gear in the bag makes the training curve easier which allows for more reps to take place. More reps equal more hands-on time for people to master the skills that the public is relying on us to have. While the traditional rigging equipment still has its uses and must also be learned. Not every department out there is able to make the change to the modern equipment for whatever reasons they may have. With that said, it is important that we know what that gear is and how to properly use it also. Then comes along the debate of NFPA rated gear or not. Our equipment cache contains both. It's ok if that extra little writing is not on the gear. Knowing and understanding your load calculations and forces are the key to whatever gear you are using. Tell us what you think below.