Technical Rescue

Rescue and Technical Rescue Operations
Overview

The term rescue has more than one obvious meaning in the fire service. Most would easily associate rescue with firefighters pulling potential victims out of a firey building. Over time however, our rescue mission has expanded to pulling victims out of any and all dangerous situations.

Completing this expanded mission often requires the use of special tools. These include repelling and hauling ropes, hydraulic rescue tools -- often called "the jaws of life", high-strength inflatable air bags, collapse and confined space equipment and many other items. Such technical rescue tools and operations have evolved into a special area of the fire service demanding dedicated companies and apparatus.

In the City of Waltham, we have two apparatus with special rescue equipment, Rescue-6 and Squad-5. Rescue-6 is called a Heavy Rescue because it is mainly dedicated to performing rescue operations. Squad-5, on the other hand, is more like a typical fire pumper but outfitted with hydraulic rescue tools and some other rescue equipment.

Rescue Companies at Fires
While every fire is different, the first mission of a Rescue company at a building fire is to search for victims on the fire floor or above the fire and get any people found to safety. This task must be performed quickly and therefore is often done without the crew carrying a charged hoseline (which would help protect the firefighters from the fire). At other times, the Rescue company may perform other more routine functions at a fire such as:

• operating a hose line
• setting up ladders
• ventilating (cutting holes in the roof or opening/breaking windows
• overhauling the fireground

Technical Rescue
Just as Rescue companies work as a team at building fires with other department crews (Ladder and Engine companies), Ladder and Engine companies often support firefighters on the Rescue when emergency calls come in that require technical rescue procedures.

While firefighters assigned to Rescue-6 or Squad-5 are most familiar with each unit's tools, all department members work together to complete a successful rescue. Examples of technical rescue incidents could include:

• Person Trapped Under or in a Vehicle
• Trench Collapse with Workers Buried
• Hiker Fallen Off Cliff at Prospect Hill
• Building Collapse
• Child Fallen in Well or Stuck in Pipe

Some of the tools found on Rescue-6 which could be used to perform rescues in the above situations include:

• Inflatable Air Bags
• Electric and Hydraulic Extrication Tools
• Cribbing, Strong-Backs and Air Struts
• Ropes, Repelling Equipment, Stokes Basket, Tripod
• Assorted Power Saws, Hand Tools and Demolition Equipment