CMC Podcast

In this CMC Podcast CMC Instructors Wayne Chapman, John McKently, Doug McElmury, and Kelly Byrne hold a roundtable discussion about NFPA General Use vs Technical Use ratings. They explore how the ratings are defined, if there is a requirement to use one over the other, and possible use cases. Overheard this episode: “As long as you are buying good stuff from reputable places you are not in danger of breaking things... don't put your Wish .com carabiners on your high change of direction” at 07:41 “Are there NFPA police?” at 17:28 "Hipsters of rope" - at 32:34

This week we are joined by Fred Salazar. Fred started his journey into the fire services at a young age when he attended a fire academy through a junior college, followed by paramedic school. Fred's first position out of school was with a fire team working for a petrochemical plant in Southern California where he served as a full time industrial Fire Fighter for 7 years. After his service in the industrial world, Fred moved to Colorado where he has worked for a metropolitan fire department for 26 years. Currently, Fred is a fire lieutenant in his department's Heavy Rescue program and has been an instructor with CMC since 1994. Overheard from this episode: “For me, one of the most enjoyable moments is when you see the student actually get it.” “Everything will come full circle at some point.”

In this CMC Instructor podcast, we are joined by LeRoy Harbach. LeRoy started in the fire service in 1981 where he worked his way up to Battalion Chief of the Caledonia, Wisconsin Fire Department. LeRoy left his Battalion Chief position to join the Waukesha Fire Department as an entry level Fire Fighter to take on new challenges and open himself up to new opportunities at a bigger department. LeRoy has been a CMC instructor since 1999 and teaches a variety of classes. Overheard this episode: “I get called for a lot of oddities, not only US wide but Internationally.” “Solving those problems…is a lot of fun.”

This week we are joined by CMC School Instructor Craig McClure. Craig got his start in rope rescue volunteering for a Search and Rescue team in Bend, OR. Eventually after many years of volunteering and teaching in the rope rescue field Craig started his own training company called The Crackerjack Group, which he ran for nearly 10 years. After selling the Crackerjack Group he returned to his passion of rope training world joining CMC as an instructor in April 2022. Overheard this episode: 4:46 - “Dude, rope is where it’s at.” 16:55 - “I really enjoy what we do in this, which is help people overcome those fears and kind of open up new things in their lives.” 24:52 - “That caving influence in ITRS (International Technical Rescue Symposium) is vital to the growth and vital to the history.” 30:54 - “If you’re going to pick up a new technique, you need to consider what you’re going to stop learning if you’re going to learn a new one.” 35:57 - “Their risk profile is different than yours, so maybe don’t adopt their practices.”

Join us weekly to get to know our CMC instructors. This week we are joined by Matthew Scharper. Matthew got his start in high school, volunteering for the Search and Rescue team in Mariposa County, CA. After search and rescue, Matthew joined the Mariposa Sheriffs department where he worked as a "Gun Toter" and Search and Rescue Coordinator for over 20 years. He worked his way up to State Search and Rescue Coordinator, where he was responsible for 58 counties. Now retired from law enforcement, Matthew has been instructing CMC Rope Rescue Technician I/II courses since 2013. Overheard this episode: “When somebody is basically hanging on to the edge of their life, you cannot question what you are doing.” “I was responsible to make sure that the State had a Standard of Care from North, South, East to West, that all 58 (counties) had the resources they need to do their jobs.” “At the time I was hired, I was also given the assignment as the Search and Rescue Coordinator for the department because that was something that actually got me into the job and it was something I loved and I wanted to do.”

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ Join us weekly to get to know our CMC instructors. This week we are joined by Kelly Byrne. Kelly Started his fire service career as a Highschool cadet volunteer in 1992. After Highschool Kelly served in the United States Army as an Airborne Infantryman with the 82nd Airborne. Upon completion of his service in 1999 Kelly moved back into the Fire Services where he found himself working for the Washington DC Fire Department where he currently serves. Kelly has been an instructor with CMC since 2013. Overheard this episode: “I anchored to the foot of Freedom. There is no more bombproof anchor than that.” “I wanted to be a guitarist in a rock n roll band and have big, long hair, dreams of that!” "Gravity is the same for everybody and the techniques aren’t too terribly different.”

Join us weekly to know our CMC School instructors. This week we are joined by Justin Klopfenstein. Justin started his fire career early in life. Watching his dad work in the Fire Services, Justin was inspired to start volunteering with Cal Fire in Highschool in 1992. Justin worked as an EMT from 1999 to 2001 when he got hired as a firefighter. He spent 5 years as a Firefighter paramedic, 5 years as an Engineer, 11 years as a captain, and now as a Bataillon Chief. Justin has been a CMC instructor since 2015. Overheard this episode: "I’m a huge fan of just practicing your craft and honing your craft.” “As long as you have that depth of knowledge then you should be safe, you should be OK.” “I am a member of California Task Force 8 and currently serve as a Rescue Team Manager over there.”

Join us weekly to get to know our CMC School instructors. This week we are joined by John McKently. John began working in the rescue industry in 1974, became an instructor with CMC in 1995, and retired as the CMC School Director in 2020. John worked for 47 years on the Montrose Search and Rescue team in Los Angeles County, CA. In this interview, we talk with John about how he transitioned from working in the private industry as a construction manager for a bank, to being asked by CMC founder Jim Frank to teach rescue for CMC. John continues to teach classes for CMC in his semi-retirement. Overheard this episode: “We’re not in the business of exchanging lives.” “The thing that I really like is when you got a bunch of students and the light finally comes on in their head and you can see it on their face.” “Our team goes from 1,000’ in elevation to 10,000’ at the county line.”

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ Join us weekly as we get to know our CMC School instructors. This week we are joined by Derrick Walker. Derrick has a background in the industrial world working in power plants as a certified structural welder and welding inspector. Derrick has been teaching Rope Rescue Tech I / II classes with CMC since 2021. In this interview, we talk with Derrick about his background working in the industrial world and how that allows him to bring a unique skill set to the classroom. Overheard this episode: “I want to be able to pass along the things that I have learned.” “I’m your industrial guy, so that’s my world.”

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ Join us weekly as we get to know our CMC School instructors. This week we are joined by David Harper. David started his career by taking an EMT class in Highschool and worked his way up from working for a private ambulance company to Fire Bataillon Chief. David has worked with FEMA and managed both a rescue team and squad. David has been teaching for CMC since August 2021 and teaches Rope Rescue and Confined Spaces. In his personal time David works on his farm at home in Montana. Overheard this episode: “I’ve been a member of the FEMA Task Force for about 10 years now, been on there as a Rescue Squad Officer, Rescue Team Manager, and currently one of the Task Force Leaders for California Task Force 5.” “The middle of the call isn’t the time to start having what we call the good idea fairy come up in the middle.” “There is certainly an art to teaching.”

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ Join us weekly as we get to know our CMC instructors. This week we are joined by Dan Claridge. Dan has been working in Fire Services since 2001 and has been an instructor for the CMC School since 2014. Currently an Engineer Paramedic, City Of Glendale Fire Department (CA), Dan teaches subjects ranging from Low Angle Rope Rescue, Confined Space Rescue Technician, and Rescue Systems I/II. Overheard this episode: “I find a lot of value in that and getting better as an instructor, being able to have those different opportunities and scenarios where you are teaching.” “I like challenging people; I want them to challenge me.” “I’ll tell you right now, within the first 15 minutes from when I walked into that fire station, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.”

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ With this CMC Podcast we are kicking off our Instructor Series. Join us weekly as we get to know our CMC instructors. This week we are joined by Alan Baker. Alan started his career as a firefighter in Newport Beach, CA, in 1992 and has been an instructor for the CMC School since 1995. He is a senior instructor teaching subjects ranging from Trench Rescue, Rope Rescue, Rescue Systems, and more. Overheard this episode: "I never wanted to teach something that I didn't actually do rescues in" "As an instructor you have to open your mind up and just not say, 'I'm the one in charge and you're going to listen to me' , that's the wrong attitude to have." "The number one word is consistency"

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by 49th Parallel (@49thparallelrescueteam) a Canadian team composed of Firefighters from all across Canada who are involved with Ronin Rescue (@roninrescue). In this episode Doug talks with the 49th Parallel team about why they decided to compete in GRIMP NA 2022, what they learned from other competitions that helped them prepare, how they trained during the pandemic, and how they excelled as a team despite meeting each other for the first time at the event. We hope you have enjoyed our podcast series on the 2022 GRIMP NA teams. Stay tuned for information on our next GRIMP NA event, or sign up to receive updates: cmcpro.com/grimp-na. Overheard this episode: “It’s every discipline, all kind of formed into one, it’s like the Bruce Lee version of martial arts.” “For 3 years, I have had sleepless nights and anxious moments forever wanting to do that one again.” . . . #cmcschool #cmcpro #cmcpro_official #grimp #grimpday #grimpna2022 #grimpna #rescuecompetition #roperescue #firerescue #cmcrescue #rescue #csr #confinedspacerescue #towerrescue #roperescuetechnician #roperescuetech #roperescueprofessional #roperescuetraining #firstresponders #rescueinstructor #ropeaccesstechnician #roperescuegear

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by Peak Rescue (@peak_rescue) members Micah Rush, Toph Steinhoff, Eric Christensen, and Tye Herron who all placed first in Grimp NA 2022. Peak Rescue is a team from parts of Wyoming and Utah composed of members who work in Fire Service, Rope Access and Mountain Rescue. In this CMC Podcast Doug speaks with Peak Rescue about how their combined skillsets across a multitude of industries benefited them in competition, why it was they decided to get involved in GRIMP in the first place, how GRIMP helped them reexamine their team dynamic and the individual contributions they all make to said dynamic, and how GRIMP NA 2022 challenged them in unexpected ways. Overheard this episode: “You learn a lot when you are uncomfortable.” “It was cool to watch poetry in motion.” “It’s all about your team.”

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by Intervention Rescue (@interventionrescue). Intervention Rescue is a UK based technical access and rescue training provider that offerers consulting services for rescue plans and risk assessments. Intervention rescue is comprised of professionals from the rope access industry and firefighters. In this CMC Podcast, Doug interviews Intervention Rescue member Nick Croudace about: what drew a UK based team to compete in a competition in California, the benefits and challenges of being a UK team competing in an American styled competition, and what their main takeaways were from competing. Overhead during the episode: “It was the most gritty, the most real world; it felt like a real incident.” "Play with ropes, in the sun, in California, on a battleship; not many people going to say no to that I think.” “The scenarios where very different than what we have been through before.”

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by members of the Rose City Ropers: Adam Salvetti, Sam Dougan, Josef Kuehnast, Tyler Hohl, David Mackovjak . The Rose City Ropers are a team comprised of members from Portland Fire & Rescue in Portland, Oregon. In this CMC podcast Doug speaks with the Rose City Ropers on how they prepared for the GRIMP NA scenarios, how they approached friction between team members, how that friction benefited their team overall, and how a flexible mindset benefited their team long term. Overheard during the episode: “Spend the time to align your goals, both personally and how you fit into the group, so that when the moment of truth arrives, you’re not focused on the friction that comes up between members and you can focus on the patients.” “Simple is faster a lot of times.” "He squeezed out of the hole like a muffin.”

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/ In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by T'NT Work and Rescue (@tntworknrescue). Coming from Canada with a combined 70 years of experience, T'NT has a diverse background in law enforcement, rope access, and fire rescue. Team captain Wade Going and team members Danny DeHaas, Scott Gibney, and Steve Minarchi speak to how they mentally prepared to compete head to head in each scenario and how they remained calm and collected throughout the two-day competition. They express how much they learned through the competition format and how they applied this to future training. Overhead during the episode: "The thing with competition that you can't reciprocate in training is it really points out your weaknesses and it really points out your strengths. It will really influence our future training as to what areas we need to push more and which ones we feel we do well. I don't think you can reciprocate that in training, it only comes out in healthy competition." "With our training down the road, we're starting to look at a couple smaller groups that we can get together with so we can replicate the competition style. We get four or five guys on each team and have two simultaneous scenarios going where we're training while competing against another team at the same time - increasing the stress level, and coming up with on the fly scenarios."

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by the Orange County Fire Rescue Florida team (@ocfirerescue): Ryan Allen (@rope_rescue_guy), Evan Pech, Jeffrey Hansen, and Christopher Ramey. Orange County Fire Rescue Florida was founded in 2015 in response to the ever growing theme park industry. OC Fire Rescue Florida performs rescues on theme park rides and other unique structures in Central Florida, including Sea World, Orlando Eye observation wheel (7th tallest in the world), the world’s tallest Swing Ride, Drop Tower, and Sling Shot. They also work closely with other Fire Departments within Orange County that cover Universal Studios and Disney World. In this episode OC Fire Rescue explains the process of getting ready for GRIMP NA 2022 and the strategies they used to excel in the competition. Overheard in this episode: “In this event, we ascended every single scenario except the Catacombs, in which we didn’t even use ropes.” “If you want to do GRIMP and want to be good at this, I think you have to take a bunch of different disciplines and cross-pollinate.” - Ryan Allen

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by Xavier Tournay of the Val De Sambre Team from Sambreville, Belgium. They discuss their experience as a small fire department participating in GRIMP and the unique terrain the Battleship IOWA provided throughout the competition. Overheard from this episode: “To compete on the battleship USS Iowa is an amazing experience.” “For us, a very small fire department, it’s a one in a life experience.” “It's very positive, very positive for the listeners, the rescuers that want to be part of such an event in the future - they have to do it.”

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by the entire Yes Ma'am team (@yesmaamrescue): Team Captain Lydia Tan (@lydiaai007), Evaluator Kitana Chu, Team Members Saskia Roosen (@saskiaroosen), Alia Koster, Cecilia Gonzales (@womeninrope), and Stephanie Hyatt (@verticalintegrityrescue), and Victim Brid Casey. Yes Ma'am was the first ever all-female team to compete in a GRIMP event. In this episode, they share their experience of doing something that has never done before and the importance of diverse representation in the industry. The team members also came from six different countries from all over the world. They explain the process of training remotely and having their first in-person meeting just 2 days before the competition, and the different techniques they used when brute strength wasn't an option. Overheard during the episode: “It was empowering, I was doing something that has never been done before, and being part of a team that has never been done before; it gave me confidence.” -- Stephanie Hyatt "It will be more normal to see women on everything, you will see women doing all kinds of things because they know it's possible -- It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter how big you are, if you do the job, if you do it well, you can do it, of course you can.” -- Alia Koster "I was always told that if I want to do something, look for someone that looks like you doing that. And in this case, there wasn't anyone doing this that looked like me. So, we are now that female team doing the rope rescue competitions." -- Stephanie Hyatt "It's a great opportunity. These competitions are the best training you can get for real existing situations. You have to deal with the stress, you have to deal with the unknown, and sometimes you're with crew members you don't know very well. Because that is, in the end, the reality." -- Saskia Roosen

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by members of OCFA 91 from Orange County, CA: Team captain, Aaron Creager and team members Dan Blaul, Chris Johns, Chris Linton, Tommy Olvera, and Sebastion Rodreguez. The team reflects on their lessons learned and the variety of confined space scenarios at GRIMP NA, saying: “It shows the range that this competition can have; as complex as the Wing Void problem to as simple as the patient packaging in the SKED and Confined Space Drill. This competition is all about learning and getting better, and making your program better, and your team better.” Hear more details in the full podcast, available now.

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by the entire Magic Valley Paramedics Special Operation Rescue Team from Twin Falls, ID: Team captain, Chad Smith, team evaluator Theron Thomas, and team members Isaac Baker, Gerald Dillman, Adam Enock, Stan Flint, and Brian Stone. They discuss the technical challenges they faced, and were overheard saying, “We are going to be able to serve our patients every day so much better because of our experiences at GRIMP NA”. Listen-in to find out why, and hear about what they learned.

We are excited to announce our podcast mini-series recapping CMC GRIMP North America 2022! We are kicking it off with a short episode introducing the 2022 teams and the 6 challenging scenarios they faced aboard the Battleship IOWA. Each week, we will release new episodes with team interviews, round table discussions, and key takeaways from event evaluators.

A Podcast of Podcasts! Podcast hosts Doug McElmury, of the CMC podcast, Mark Pfeifer, of the Ronin RescueCast, and Christopher Feder, of Rescue Connection LIVE!, sit down for a round table discussion.

In this episode, Jim Pellitteri Battalion Chief from the Gurnee (IL) Fire Department and and Chris Rohde Director of Training at the McHenry Township Fire Protection District discuss what swiftwater is, some of the most common misconceptions about it and fundamentals to consider. They give some examples of swiftwater specific dangers and give tips for how to safely and effectively navigate swiftwater rescue.

In this episode, Clara Acuna talks about the many operations that take place at the Ice Harbor Lock and Dam and reveals some of the unique challenges that the on site rescue team has to be prepared for.

Many innovations in technical rescue have stemmed from the cold, wet, dark and challenging conditions of caves. These environments make for unique rescue scenarios that require creative solutions with minimal amounts of gear. In this episode Doug McElmury hosts a roundtable discussion with Carrey Bull, Justin Wheaton, Tim White and Andy Armstrong about some of the unique challenges that cave rescue teams encounter including: communication, patient packaging, equipment, navigation and training.

The MABAS Divisions 4 & 5 Specialized Response Teams (SRT) works with its over 40 member fire departments across northeastern Illinois to coordinate specialized response services to protect the health and safety of the public. Teams are trained to respond to a wide range of emergencies such as hazardous materials releases, structural collapses, rope, confined space or trench rescues, water rescues and/or recoveries as well as wildland fires. In this episode CMC School instructor Doug McElmury discusses the details of this coordinated effort with Christina Loomis, the Administrative Coordinator.

MRA (Mountain Rescue Association) is an organization of teams dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education founded in 1959 by a group of mountaineers near Mt Hood in Portland, OR. Today MRA is made up of over 90 teams consisting of over 3,000 members. In this episode Doug McCall (President), Monty Bell (Statistics Chair), and Doug McElmury continue the discussion from episode 20 covering standards and the different types of training the MRA offers.

In this episode CMC instructors Doug McElmury and John McKently speak with Chris Boyer, NASAR Executive Director, about the standards creation process and how NASAR develops build education courseware, publications, and certifications around those standards.

Thank you to all of our podcast listeners! As we gather with loved ones and slow down for the holiday it's a good time to share about the things and people we are grateful for. In this Thanksgiving Special episode CMC instructors discuss what they're grateful for around technical rescue including testing methodologies, new ways of sharing knowledge and the people who have impacted their careers and driven the technical rescue world forward. Enjoy!

MRA (Mountain Rescue Association) is an organization of teams dedicated to saving lives through rescue and mountain safety education founded in 1959 by a group of mountaineers near Mt Hood in Portland, OR. Today MRA is made up of over 90 teams consisting of over 3,000 members. In this episode Doug McCall (President), Monty Bell (Statistics Chair), John McKently and Doug McElmury discuss the history of the MRA, some of what they do as an organization and where the organization is headed in the future.

NASAR (National Association for Search and Rescue) uses standards developed by ASTM, NFPA, DHS, FEMA, and other respected bodies to build education courseware, publications, and certifications. In this episode CMC instructors speak with Chris Boyer, NASAR Executive Director, about the history of NASAR and what they're doing today to advance search and rescue in the US.

In 2019 CMC hosted the first GRIMP North America event. We're excited to announce GRIMP North America 2022 to be held March 24-26 on the Battleship Iowa in Los Angeles, CA. This episode discusses the background of GRIMP, how it's structured, what teams learned from the competition, how teams are evaluated and what's in the works for the GRIMP North America 2022. GRIMP™ North America is an international rescue skills challenge hosted by CMC on the magnificent Battleship Iowa in Los Angeles, California. We designed this event to provide an opportunity for education and spirited competition surrounded by peers. Our goal is to foster learning and collaboration within the global rescue community, knowing that as teams work to sharpen their skills and response capabilities, rescues become safer and increasingly successful for everyone involved.

Take a peak under the hood of CMC product development in a candid discussion about what goes into designing and engineering new products with our Director of Product Strategy, Director of Engineering, Engineering Manager for New Product Design and Director of the CMC School. Learn how CMC decides what products to develop, what the design, engineering and testing process was like for the CLUTCH, Outback and ATOM harness, and what unique challenges are faced when developing rescue and access life safety equipment.

Large animal technical rescue is a universal possibility for fire departments and technical rescue teams throughout the country. This interview with Dr. John Madigan a Distinguished Professor emeritus of medicine and epidemiology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine discusses the training and tools available for rescue personnel to effectively respond to an incident involving injured or trapped large animals such as cows and horses.

This episode discusses how NFPA compliant gear changes what we do, how we rig and the way we operate as rope technicians. What does redundancy mean when thinking about harnesses, anchors, anchor plates, carabiners and twin tension rope systems? Tune in with CMC School instructors Doug McElmury, John McKently, Wayne Chapman and Fred Salazar.

Are you training as you would conduct a real rescue? This round table discussion covers the topics of training with real people vs manikins, who to contact for training access to local confined space environments, skill building vs realistic training, training with realistic man power and more. Hosted by Kelly Byrne with CMC School instructors LeRoy Harbach, Doug McElmury and Wayne Chapman.

What is backcountry rescue and what are the challenges backcountry SAR teams face? This episode discusses member retention and training, how teams are equipped and trained based on their location, how different types of gear factors into the equation and how do fire departments and SAR work and train together. The round table discussion is hosted by CMC School instructor John McKently with guests Fred Salazar, Craig McClure and Bruce Parker.

Firefighters Kelly Byrne, Dale Pekel, and LeRoy Harbach discuss bailout escape systems in a round table discussion. Learn about the history behind bailouts, why training is so important, what new systems are on the market and the techniques for using them. Join the conversation by telling us what you think of performing bailouts.

This episode discusses the question, 'What does independent anchoring of the feet actually mean when using the Arizona Vortex?' in a round table discussion with CMC School instructors.

This episode discusses what we do with our belay line when using an artificial high directional like an Arizona Vortex. Do we put it high through the Vortex along with our main or second line, do we run it low along the ground or do we do something in between like suspending it temporarily from an AZTEK kit? Tune in to the round table discussion with CMC School instructors Kelly Byrne, Wayne Chapman, Doug McElmury, John McKently and LeRoy Harbach.

Myths in rope rescue often start from a truth and evolve into misinformation over time. In this episode hosted by Doug McElmury, CMC School instructors continue the discussion around some common myths that are prevalent in rope rescue specifically focusing on the topic of NFPA compliant gear.

Myths in rope rescue often start from a truth and evolve into misinformation over time. In this episode hosted by Doug McElmury, CMC School instructors continue the discussion around some common myths that are prevalent in rope rescue including: Does NFPA require the use of steel carabiners? If you drop aluminum hardware will it develop microscopic cracks? Do you have to use G rated gear? Can you use T rated gear on a rescue? Does your belay line need to be hooked up to your dorsal connection? Does NFPA require a 15:1 safety factor?

Rope rescue myths often start from a truth and evolve into misinformation over time. In this episode of the CMC Podcast hosted by Doug McElmury, CMC School instructors discuss some of the common myths that are prevalent in rope rescue including carabiner gate orientation, metal on metal and rope system configurations during edge transitions.

What does one learn from 2,397 rescues over the course of 47 years? In this episode of the CMC Podcast LeRoy Harbach interviews CMC Senior School Instructor John McKently discussing the changes and evolution of SAR.

In this episode we discuss the question, "Are bowlines safe enough for rope rescue?" in a round table discussion hosted by Kelly Byrne with guests John McKently, LeRoy Harbach and Wayne Chapman.

To be prepared for an edge transition gone wrong, the Belay Competency Drop Test is supposed to be representative of a fall onto a second line from your main line during an edge transition. The Belay Competency Drop Test is a 200kg mass falling 1 meter onto 3 meters of rope with no more than 1 meter of rope slipping through the device and the maximum arresting force felt on the anchor should be no more than 15 KN. This is now an ASTM standard: ASTM F2436 - 14(2019). In this episode hosted by Kelly Byrne with guests John McKently, LeRoy Harbach and Wayne Chapman we discuss the question, 'Is the belay competency drop test and whistle test (where everyone lets go of the system at once) still a valid test method or rigging paradigm?' and is there a better way?

This episode discusses the question, 'Should aerial ladders be used as artificial high directionals for rope rescue?' in a round table discussion hosted by Kelly Byrne with guests Mike Forbes, Doug McElmury and Wayne Chapman.

Rope rescue has generally been the purview of the fire service and most fire departments have some interest in rope rescue. So what role does rope access training and technique have in the fire service?

This episode discusses training and competency, specifically how training and techniques merge together to determine what's appropriate for departments or teams that don't have the opportunity to train as often.