Tree Climbing Supplies In Search And Rescue

Thousands of rescue operations take place every year. The unexpected can quickly turn a fun outing or an average day at work into an emergency. In these situations, personnel need fast access to victims. Equally important, these rescuers need to maintain their own safety. Otherwise, they risk turning one emergency into two. For these situations that require climbing or repelling, responders should always have access to the best in tree climbing supplies.

Important Tree Climbing Supplies

Rescue operations that require climbing or repelling typically rely on four types of equipment. These types are made up of a vast number of products to fit specialized needs, as well as individual preference.

1. Rope Lines

Lines are an essential part of any rescue response. A static line system is commonly used in a variety of applications and the necessary ropes should always be available. It is often advantageous to add pre-tied knots to ropes. An increasing number of ropes are now available with thimble eyes to save time and prevent rope wear.

2. Rigging

Plenty of Plenty of rigging hardware should always be on hand. Pre-rigging lines is a common technique to improve response time. A common rescue and response rope system uses a 4:1 Mechanical Advantage. While these preparations can be made ahead of time, flexibility is important. Teams always need to be able to adjust rope configurations or have alternative rigging available.

3. Harnesses

Many rescue crews have a tendency to neglect harnesses, instead focusing on maintaining other equipment. However, harnesses are a commonly used tool for rescues and thus should be given equal attention. A certain amount of pre-rigging can make a big difference here as well. Some alternatives to the basic harness are special climbing clothes with integrated harnesses. These are a great option for rescue teams utilizing tree climbing supplies often.

4. Personal Safety Equipment

In addition to typical rigs, rescue teams need to have a host of other equipment. This includes vests, gloves, helmets and headlamps, compasses and first aid supplies. These items should be drop proof. This is especially true of first aid kits. The difference between a rescue operation and a recovery mission can be the few minutes the responder has with the victim. Dropped supplies should never be the cause of failed rescue.

5. Equipment Management

A fast responding team can be significantly slowed by failure to keep equipment in an organized storage system. All items should be stored in a easily accessible location and labeled clearly. Many teams utilize color-coding to make finding important equipment even easier. Smaller items can be kept on belts or in pouches in harnesses.

Maintaining an adequate supply of these tree climbing supplies and organizing them in a clear fashion can significantly change response time. Rescue crews can save more lives and do so in a safer manner if they have all necessary equipment available. For this reason, responders should always be prepared for the worst situations with adequate gear, proper training with that gear and a predetermined system for deploying the equipment in the field.