The 3 Configurations of Rope Rescue Systems

Transcription

1 The 3 Configurations of Rope Rescue Systems

2 Rope Rescue Systems Rope Rescue Systems incorporate a mainline to lower and raise rescuers and victims and; A Belay line which provides a redundant safety component for those who are suspended from the mainline. There are 3 configurations of rope rescue systems generally agreed upon by Fire Service Rescue professionals in California that can be adapted to any rope rescue or access situation. Let s look at an illustrated example of the most basic configuration on the next slide

3 Rope Rescue System Components RPM Anchor Anchor Double Prusik Belay with Mariner s Mainline Belay Line Both Mainline & Belay Lines always have separate and dedicated anchors

4 RPM Definition Rack Pulley/Prusik Mariner s Knot (a load release strap) with pulley and prusik attached as shown

5 The 3 Configurations of RPMs: There are three distinct t configurations of RPMs for Rope rescue & access. They are: In-Line RPM Change-of-Direction RPM Pig-Rig RPM Each offer advantages & disadvantages

6 Advantages of Each Configuration In-Line RPM is the simplest and uses the least amount of gear. Change-of-Direction RPM bends the mainline 90 degrees to move the system off of a roadway or to a more advantageous location. Pig-Rig g RPM employs a second rope for mechanical advantage allowing the mainline to be fully extended over-the-side to i it s maximum length or reach.

7 In-Line RPM (Lower)

8 In-Line RPM (Raise)

9 Change-of-Direction RPM (Lower) A change of direction pulley and anchor are added here The Change-of-Direction RPM bends the Mainline 90 degrees to keep the system off of a roadway or position it to a more advantageous location. RPM configuration is the same as In-Line.

10 Change-of-Direction RPM (Raise)

11 Pig-Rig RPM (Lower) Prusik is removed from here & set aside Pulley & carabiner are removed from here & set aside The Pig-Rig RPM adds an additional rope for raising operations, enabling the mainline ili to be fully fll extended dd to it s maximum reach. RPM is configured differently than In- Line or Change-of-Direction RPMs (see above)

12 Pig-Rig RPM (Raise) Change of direction pulley is clipped directly to anchor plate to reduce pendulum effect when hauling APi Pig-Rig RPM raise incorporates an additional rope system piggy-backed onto the mainline with a prusik Ratchet prusik is on the end of the Mariners to extend it s location o away from the pulley. It IS NOT self-tending and must be tended by hand!

13 Disadvantages of Each RPM Configuration In-Line RPM requires the most area in-line with the direction of travel (up & down). Change-of-Direction RPM places the RPM at a location away from the point of departure (over the edge) and requires one more pulley, carabiner, anchor sling/strap, and anchor. Pig-Rig RPM requires one more rope in addition to the gear required for a Change-of-Direction RPM. Requires an additional person to tend ratchet prusik. RPM is configured differently than for In-Line and Change-of-Direction RPMs.

14 Discussion All RPM configurations enable a rescue team to lower and raise rescuers and victims with the ability to change directions while under tension that s why they are always employed dfor any rope rescue or access situation. Operation of each configuration is essentially the same regarding changing from a lower to a raise or a raise to a lower (see following slides for In- Line examples) It is the rescuers responsibility to become familiar with each of the 3 RPM configurations discussed in this program and utilize the most appropriate for a given rescue. Obviously, this takes a bit of hands-on practice. Competency cannot be attained through simply viewing a PowerPoint program.

15 RPM Change-Over Sequence The next 7 slides illustrate the steps required to perform a change-over from a lower to a raise and a raise to a lower. The In-Line RPM configuration is shown in this example, but the procedure is essentially the same for all 3 RPM configurations.

16 Lower

17 Change-Over from Lower to Raise, Steps 1-3 Step 1: Lock-off Mainline at the Rack Step 2: Attach Prusik to Mainline at the Mariner s Step 3: Attach Pulley to Mainline at the Mariner s

18 Change-Over from Lower to Raise, Steps 4 5S 5. System is ready for Raise Ri Step 4: Disconnect Mainline from Rack Step 5: Remove Pulley, Prusik, & Carabiner from Anchor Plate and rig as shown, forming a Z-Rig

19 Change-Over from Raise to Lower, Step 1 St 1 L k ff Step 1: Lock-off Ratchet Prusik on Mainline

20 Change-Over from Raise to Lower, Step 2-3 Sep 2: Remove both pulleys from Mainline Step 3: Remove Prusik from Mainline and cache with Pulley & Carabiner on Anchor Plate

21 Change-Over from Raise to Lower, Step 4-5 Step 4: Reeve Mainline into Rack &l lock-off Step 5: Release the Mariner s and slowly transfer load from the Prusik onto the Rack

22 Change-Over from Raise to Lower, Step 6 7S 7. System is ready to Lower Step 7: Unlock Mainline from Rack & prepare e to lower Step 6: Remove Prusik from Mainline and re-tie Mariner s