Rescue UP stairs

Pretty simple one this week. It involves Rapid Intervention Training.

Gather thre crew together and practice the rescue of an unconcious firefighter up a set of stairs from the basement.

There are many good ways out there being tried and practiced so use some of these and try some of your own.

(Always use caution when using other members as victims. Take proper safety precautions and be sure helmets and PPE are in place!)

Convert the victim's SCBA into a harness by taking the waist strap through the victim's legs and reconnecting. This prevents the harness from being pulled off his body.

One member gets up on the stairway and grasps shoulder straps.

Second member puts victims legs over their shoulders and pushes up as they go up the stairs in unison.

Other techniques include using a rope from the top, ( a solid anchor point) and getting some mechanical hauling advantage to the SCBA straps of the victim.

If the stairway is wide enough then maybe two members can be at the top with one at the bottom.

Sometimes two members can slip a halligan bar under the SCBA shoulder straps and lift and pull as a handle.

Stairwaays sizes and types vary from standard residential, commercial wide, to the rickety old narrow steps of a tenement.

Try some different methods with all members so that everyone can see how difficult it really is.

After practicing and brainstorming, try it under air (SCBA) and see how really exhausting this can be.

Then time it to see how long it really does take.