Tom Pendley founded Desert Rescue Research in 1995. At the time we were teaching a lot of technical rescue and everybody wanted illustrations for the procedures that we were teaching. We simply didn't have any real stock of quality illustrations. What's more, we couldn't find anyone who had any. It was almost like we were teaching rescue by folklore. It was very frustrating.

We started making drawings with computer vector based drawing software. These are high-resolution line art images that are very clean. The early drawings helped the teaching process significantly. They also helped to solve the problem of maintaining consistency in training. Not just on one team but within a regional program where different departments automatically respond on calls together. The more procedures we illustrated, the easier it became for everyone to be prepared to utilize these same procedures and maintain consistant safety factors.

In early 1999 we started on a field operations guide for the Phoenix Fire Department. The goal was to provide clear high quality illustrations with very concentrated step-by-step instructions for each procedure. We wanted to put everything in and still keep it small and useful. It also had to be approved by the program as a whole and conform to national standards. The first edition was a big success and virtually every fire department in Arizona adopted its use.

We started working on the second edition almost immediately. We added 30 pages and many new illustrations. We came up with an icon system that links each procedure to NFPA 1670 and worked hard to model national standards and trends. The second edition came off the press in mid August 2000. This new edition received many compliments and is headed toward becoming a standard text for rescue technicians and first responders.

Desert Rescue Research is working on multimedia interactive computer training tools and has a textbook in the works. We work closely with Phoenix Rescue Specialists and are available for technical rescue program development and consulting as well as custom training.

Courses are offered in

• Rope Rescue
• Confined Space Rescue
• Helicopter Operations
• Trench Rescue
• Structural Collapse
• Instructor courses