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 Vertical and Confined Space rescue operations
are extremely complicated in nature and highly technical in operation. Each
of these rescue disciplines require specialized training and equipment to
successfully meet the assigned rescue objective. The irreducible minimum,
however, is proper rescue training. During any rescue operation, in fact,
a highly trained rescue team can usually overcome deficiencies in their
rescue equipment. Thus, proper training is the key element to all rescue
operations.
What rescue teams must take away from every rescue training program
is a respect for the fundamentals of rescue. Although that may seem like
an obvious point, many times the fundamentals are either overlooked or not
covered adequately. Lack of respect for rescue fundamentals takes a terrible
 toll on the rescue community
each year. How many times do articles appear in magazines and news papers
telling about rescuers being hurt or seriously injured during a rescue operation.
Later, upon review of the incident, it becomes painfully evident that a
either a basic (required) element was eliminated from the initial procedure
or improperly implemented into a larger rescue system.
So, for this month, our Safety Tip is Return to the Basics. As technical
rescue training advances and technical procedures become more involved,
the rescue community and every individual on the front line must never forget
that even the simplest component of a rescue system must be completed properly.
Regardless of how complicated a rescue scenario becomes, the basic elements
of the system are required to make the larger system work. Without the fundamentals,
the rescue system may not only fail, but may endanger the lives of all involved,
including the rescuer.
During normal training, all rescuers want to advance their skills and
practice new and more complicated rescue procedures, even before they totally
understand the fundamentals. After all, it is human nature to be curious
and have a desire to understand. However, proper perspective is always necessary.
In all our training programs, we constantly stress the basics. A thorough
working knowledge of both proper rescue techniques and each piece of rescue
equipment must be realized to make the rescue operation as safe as it possibly
can be. No matter how far rescue techniques advance, a regular return to
basics will always uncover deficiencies that need to be addressed. It can
even save lives.
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