Each year, I get the evaluation sheets from the teams who took part in the Grimpday. After reading it , I have noticed that there is often a correlation between the time taken by the team to execute a rescue operation and the points awarded to the work of the team leader.
Out of a total of 100 points , 25 are potentially allocated to the team leader, 10 are allocated to the controllers “appreciation” and 30 to the timing. The remainder are for the rigging and rescue.
If the team leader’s job wasn’t good , the appreciation of the controller won’t be good either. And finally the timing used for the rescue will not be extraordinary.
I have read and seen a lot of publications about the technical part of the job of rope rescuer, but I’ve never found anything on the way to command a rescue team.
While remaining humble, to put his finger on a problem or failure is still very easy but to propose a solution is always more delicate…
What I propose is not my own idea. I’m just using knowledge of military operations. The following is a basic infantry technique:
Two-Rescuer Sub Teams
To make communications easier, the team leader should organize his team into two components or sub-teams of two rescuers, each with its own team leader to make communication easier.
The team leader now has only two order to give, one to each team leader (Alpha and Bravo). Orders have to be clear , precise and short ! ! !
Working in these teams allows for a ‘buddy check’ inside of the team before starting each operation. This improves safety when operating.
The most important thing in a rescue mission is to access to the victim as fast as possible: to secure the victim , to stabilise the victim and to be able to send a report as soon as possible to the team leader (so he can decided to send paramedics if needed).
For safety reasons, the best method is to send a team of two to the victim. The placement of a cervical collar is also done with two rescuers. It’ll be easier and more confortable for the victim to be placed in the stretcher by two rescuers than only by one man.
This way to command a rescue team will work even if you are not working with your usual teammates because each teammate will have a task.