The ABCs of high-angle vs. low-angle rope rescue in fire fighting training

When you take part in Emcare’s fire fighting training program, you will learn all about technical rescue – which is a huge part of fire fighting. Having an excellent grasp of fundamental rescue skills such as the knowledge of how to apply both high angle and low angle rope rescue will set you apart in your search for a career. In just a few minutes of reading, find out a few things about these types of rescue and what you can expect from Emcare’s rigorous fire fighting training courses.

What is rope rescue in fire fighting training?

Before we launch into an explanation of how high and low-angle rope rescue differ from one another, it is important to establish what exactly rope rescue entails. Rope is considered to be one of the most adaptable pieces of equipment in technical fire fighting training. Also referred to as “life safety rope,” it is frequently carried by firefighters and transported to all emergency situations, used for escaping buildings or assisting victims. The use of technical rope for rescue is usually divided into two clear-cut categories:

• High-angle rope rescue
• Low-angle rope rescue

What is low-angle rope rescue in fire fighting training?

Now that you have a basic understanding of what rope rescue is about, you may be wondering what exactly low-angle rope rescue entails. Low-angle rope rescue is executed in situations where there is not much of an angle or steepness at all. Usually, this angle will be between 15 and 35 degrees, with a small descent that will need to be overcome in order to access victims or put equipment into place. After completing your fire fighting training and being briefed when you begin your career as a firefighter, you will know how to recognise a low-angle rope rescue opportunity.

This is the most common type of rope rescue, and usually involves the rescuer anchoring the rope in order to use a pulley system or another form of leverage so as to create a support system or balancing aid. There are a plethora of situations wherein this type of rescue will be appropriate, for example:

• Assisting victims trapped in ditches inside vehicles after motor accidents
• Assisting victims who have fallen down an incline and cannot get back up again

What is high-angle rope rescue in fire fighting training?

As suggested by the name, high-angle rope rescue involves a descent or ascent that is considerably higher than that which calls for a low-angle rope operation. This could mean anything from 60 degrees or higher, and the steepness of this angle calls for an entirely different approach and execution as it is regarded as quite dangerous. In this case, ropes must be connected to anchors securely, then firefighters must connect themselves onto these ropes and rappel down to rescue any victims. In other situations, equipment must be hoisted and placed in different locations, which adds the difficulty of weight distribution to the equation.

High-angle rope rescue operations are considerably dangerous because the rescuer, like the victim, is placed in a very perilous situation. This is where the health and safety training you receive from Emcare will come into play. There are various potential situations in which this type of rope rescue is necessary. Firefighters and rescuers who work in coastal or mountainous areas will frequently find themselves descending sheer cliff faces and other drops on a rope in order to rescue victims.

Through being well-versed in this type of rescue, firefighters can work in tandem with search and rescue teams to speed up any rescue process. There are other, more industrial accident locations that call for this rescue – such as towers, wind turbines, fuel tanks and more. These situations may call for direct vertical descent, which entails firefighters either climbing or lowering themselves to gain access to victims. High-angle rope rescues are also frequently executed in mining accident scenarios.

What is steep-angle rope rescue in fire fighting training?

There is one more type of rope rescue, which falls between the angles required for low and high-angle rescues – 35-45 degree scenarios. This type of rope rescue calls for firefighters to use different equipment, as the pressure on the rope is often more extreme. No firefighter should ever engage in a steep-angle rope rescue if they have only had training in low-angle rope rescue. Those with training in high-angle rope rescue, however, should be able to adapt to steep-angle situations. Some fire fighting training centres cater for specific steep-angle rescue lessons while others do not.

What will you learn about rope rescue in fire fighting training?

Now that you have a fundamental grasp of what the different rope rescues are about, you may be curious as to what you will learn about them during your fire fighting training at your chosen training centre. It is likely that the first thing you will learn about is how to raise and lower the rope, the different types of pulley systems out there as well as the most efficient and safe ways to secure them. These aspects differ depending on whether the fire fighter will be training for low-angle or high-angle rescues. Because of the varying angles of drops and descents, the weight distribution of the fire fighter makes a large difference and thus specific training must be completed.

As you can imagine, anchoring and securing a rope safely has a lot to do with tying knots. During your fire fighting course, you should learn all about the most effective knots that you will use throughout your career. The type of knot required varies depending on the situation at hand, which is why a vast and adept knowledge is always an advantage – which is why so much emphasis is put on the importance of knots across the world in fire fighting departments. During the training course where high-angle rope rescue becomes a focus, trainees will learn how to rappel down sheer objects so as to simulate cliff faces as well as the sides of buildings in order to save those in trouble.

In gaining a firm understanding of angles and anchors, participants will also learn how to identify and analyse the terrain of an accident site where an emergency is occurring. Fire fighting trainees will be taught to ask the following questions:

• What can be used as an anchor for ropes in this location?
• Which parts of this landscape may be helpful or alternatively get in the way of rescue efforts?
• Will the identified anchor, such as a nearby tree, be able to take the strain of the rope’s weight and all those depending on it?
• Could the anchor potentially fall and cause injury or damage?

In learning about fire safety and awareness, fire fighting trainees will begin to understand how important risk and safety assessments are in pulling off a job safely. Rushing in to save the day without proper thought behind actions is a sure way to be injured or cause injury. Being a successful fire fighter also has a lot to do with being considerate of the rest of your team during an emergency situation. You will also need to learn to rely on your co-workers to collaborate on decisions regarding the terrain and weather conditions before any major rescue decisions are made.

Why is low-angle and high-angle rope rescue such an essential skill?

While there are fire fighting stations that are happy to teach a rookie fire fighter how to execute rope rescues, many will not be so overjoyed. With a growing interest in the field, a saturated job market as well as retrenchment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not likely that any job will be handed to you on a plate, especially if it is as specialised as firefighting. Having the skills and qualifications that make you a capable rope rescue worker can only be a boon for your career and is likely to make you an appealing job applicant. The more skills you possess, the higher a commodity you become for your department – which is likely to your future in the position.

What fire fighting options does Emcare offer?

Amongst the plethora of health and safety courses offered at Emcare, there exist several acclaimed fire fighting training courses that will get you a certificate and help you on your way to becoming an employed firefighter or rescue worker. Emcare offers the following fire fighting courses:

• Basic Fire Awareness Course (duration of half a day)
• Advanced Fire Fighting Course (duration of 2 days)
• Fire Fighter 1 SP and Hazmat Awareness Course (duration of 9 weeks)
• Fire Fighter 2 and Hazmat Operations Course (duration of 7 weeks)

Participating in these courses can set you on the path to becoming a top-notch firefighter in the field.

All about rescue rope

During your training courses or career, you will become well-acquainted with rescue rope and its basic construction. In doing so, you will learn about the difference between the threads and the strands as well as how to manipulate rope into various positions at each end. There are a plethora of different ropes, all designed to endure surprising weight and pressure to aid rescue personnel in their efforts. Having a basic understanding of the main types of rescue ropes is essential.

There are 3 main types:

• The escape rope: which is used for emergency scenarios where a self-rescue must be executed.
• The line safety rope: which is used to support victims during a rescue.
• The utility rope: which will not hold the same weight as the former two but will still offer functionality and hardiness.

While it may seem simple enough to select the correct rope for a specific situation slipping up even once due to a lack of safety awareness or in-depth rope knowledge can be disastrous. In many cases, however, fire departments will colour code ropes and indicate their lengths clearly for all to see. The importance of properly maintaining ropes will also be instilled in training and an early career.

As you take part in fire fighting courses and as you transition into your early career, you will gain a better understanding of some different types of rope rescue besides low-angle and high-angle rescues, such as:

• Confined space rescue: where an individual or group has been injured or become stuck in a confined space such as a tank, vent or pipe.
• Self-rescue: where a fire fighter becomes trapped in a structure that calls for the use of rope to escape.
  

• Rural search and rescue: incidents that occur in national parks or hiking trails (usually hikers and tourists falling and injuring themselves).
• Urban search and rescue: incidents occurring in an urban setting.
• Marine fire rescue: fire incidents occurring on docks or boats near the coast.