Aerial rescue training suggestions

[Jem4417]

I was asked to help with a general safety meeting with the topics of aerial rescue and safe bucket truck operations as the subject. Everyone at my company has all the general ideas, regulations, and know how's down but I'm hoping to come up with some creative ideas to get everyone involved in a hands on manner. Any suggestions, tips, or related resources would be much appreciated.

 

[JontreeHI]

I think competition style is pretty ace, set up some scenarios with a real body in the tree and rescue the heck out of each other. Mix it up with realistic variables-for example, at our last training, I went up to get a buddy, checked him out, attached to him and started descending, but because of his body position I wasn't able to see he had a knee ascender type device below his hitch, we contacted that, couldn't rap further, so I had to think about how to essentially make a pick off improvised with the gear I had on my saddle, get some room to disengage the knee ascender and get him down. Stuff like that I think is so true to reality, and invaluable.
Pretty fun team building too

 

[fall_risk]

That sounds like a great start, but I think spar rescue gets short shrift. I know I have the most anxiety blocking large pieces spiked into a heavily leaning spar. It's also difficult because of the lack of high TIP/rigging/pick-off points and the awkward rescuer access. I guess the problem is a lack of appropriate training sites. Thinking about this topic is why I always have a choked friction saver, a wrench or auto locking decender with a choked SRT line and long tail, or a monkey tail type system, so that even if I can't get myself down, it would be easy to tend for a rescuer. Let me tell you what, if you're going to pick my large derriere off, you better bring your 9:1...or GRCS. I've been fantasizing about a 25' or 30' telephone pole with a cross arm that has a gym-style climbing rope and doubled 1/2" on one side and a spotting rig and rings on the other, for both aerial rescue training and smoking myself.

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[Jem4417]

I really like the ideas. I like the idea of a competition to get people interested and agree that spar pole rescues get neglected. I'm looking for some good bucket truck rescue scenarios as well. That ones probably harder then a climbing rescue to make fun.