Current Developments for Transmission Tower Rescue

Salt River Project, AHS Rescue, Paradise Valley Community College, and Rescue RIG are currently in the planning stages of sponsoring a combined fire service/power company transmission tower rescue training program.  There have been numerous training programs offered to emergency responders in dealing with transmission towers, as well as programs for lineman self-rescues; but rarely have the two worked and trained together.

Each group brings different talents and skills to the table.  Rescue work on towers is radically different from all other vertical rescue environments.  All towers have some form of intimidation associated with them; transmission towers intimidate with massive amounts of electricity often supported by flimsy structures.  It is impossible to instruct a fire rescue technician the needed skills and the art of managing electricity for this type of rescue in a few weeks of training.  These are skills that are learned through several years of lineman apprenticeship followed up by several more years of journeyman field experience.  By the same token, linemen are not exposed to accepted high angle protocols of the technical rescue technician, or the needed EMS skills that the fire service provides.  We feel the answer is found by combining linemen with rescue technicians to form a highly specialized response for this highly specialized rescue.

We will be looking to start this training in the spring of 2007.  Anyone interested in this endeavor, or wanting to contribute information or participation please contact Rescue RIG at info@rescuerig.com .