From the first time we did pole top rescue in the apprenticeship to present, I always went with the thought that I am not in a race, but I need to get to the victim safely. If I race up the pole, fall, and get hurt myself, then what was accomplished? Most of the guys in my apprenticeship class raced to see who could get the best time, but like mentioned above, a couple times rescue randy got airmailed. Glad that wasn't me up there! I am used to freeclimbing, and I freeclimb until just below the victim, then belt in. If you are used to belted climbing, then that's the way you should do it. Whatever method you normally climb is what you should be doing. In an emergency, you want to do what comes natural, not try to remember some different thing that you learned in a training exercise 9 months ago. The whole purpose is to get to the victim, safely, and without becoming a victim yourself, get him to the ground without causing any more injuries to him.
I haven't had to use any of the fall arrest stuff that some of you are being required to use, just wondering how much extra time it takes to get someone disconnected from all that junk. And, when you practice pole top rescue, is rescue randy all tethered in like a real person would be??
Living my life and loving it!!!
There is no pressure for someone to get a good time holy cow man you get all the hair up right a way! If i go up there to rescue someone i want to be fast as possible. Someone pls tell me whats wrong with that? Dont tell me you must be safe first i already know that. We take our tools in the back lot and hang them on a fence just in case-anything to get to him as fast as possible. There is much training before anyone goes up to do this and the new guys do it slow first till they get it then they speed up. I dont see a problem and it adds some fun to it. Yes ive fallen off a pole but guess what i was taking my time when it happened. Most of the time its a knot or a crack in the pole that caused the problem. Any how thats how we do it and its good training for the real thing which ive never done and hope never to. Before they had a dummy we used to let each other down but not from too hi up just to learn the way to do it. Its actually harder with the dummy cause i think hes full of lead or something.
Last edited by Bull Dog; 03-22-2007 at 11:12 PM.
We free climb if we wish, however, I think it is best to buck up the pole especially when you get near the dummy. In a real situation the victim could become sudenly concius and start moving around even kicking. If you are not bucked in you could end up on the ground as another victim.
I said earlier that we Free Climb doing Pole top rescue. OSHA considers it free climbing whether you use your hands or the strap to "hitchhike" or "buck" up the pole. The point is we do not use a full fall arrest system. We have linemen that do both styles of free climb, and the company doesn't care. Either one is still fast enough if you know what you are doing when you get to the top.