Picket Anchor Systems
Pickets have many different uses in the rescue side of the fire service. Below are the basics of pickets used as anchor for rope rescue.
- Pickets are typically made of 1″ diameter rolled steel that is 4′ long.
- The pickets should be driven 2′-3′ into the soil (2′ in stable soil and up to 3′ in unstable soil) at a 15 degree angle away from the planned load.
When connecting the pickets, use a 20′ piece of webbing or 1/2″ utility rope. Connect the base of the read picket with a clove hitch and wrap the webbing or rope to the top of the forward picket up to 6 times (finish with another clove hitch). Use a piece of wood or rebar or another picket inserted between the wrap to twist the pickets. Tension until the forward picket starts to move, then back off one half turn and drive stake into the ground.
York County Vehicle Technician Class 2021
Pictures (by John E. Burruss)
Heavy Rescue
Large Animal Rescue
Working with their past experince, the Patterson Fire Department’s completed their 4th horse rescue in the past several years.
Horse Rescue
Per the post from the Patterson Fire Department’s Facebook page:
At 0732, 25th of August 2021, the Patterson fire department was dispatched for a public assist to a local farm. Patterson’s heavy rescue, 22-6-1, arrived on scene and found a 31-year-old male horse, named “Dozer”, in distress. He had apparently fallen and managed to get himself stuck between a rock and a fence line. At first, the crew attempted to assist the horse in getting up by shifting his position. It became apparent that additional equipment was going to be needed to help Dozer out since he had become too exhausted to get up on his own. After some discussion, it was established that the best plan of action was to use a Paratech bipod system. It would be used as an artificial high directional with TU-32 griphoist’s assistance to lift the horse up. With a lot of sweat and effort, the crew was able to lift the horse up onto his feet. After some much-needed fluids and rest, we were happy to see Dozer trot away, unassisted.
An interesting fact, this is Patterson Fire Department’s 4th horse rescue in the past several years, all with successful outcomes.
Photos below from Andrew Akin
Bowling Green State University State Fire School Certified Rescue Tech
These courses are NFPA compliant and covers all six disciplines of technical rescue operations. Students will utilize the latest and greatest equipment and will put learned skills to the test in intense hands-on scenarios.
General information on the Certified Rescue Technician Program.
Class Schedule
- Rope Rescue Technician
- Water Craft Ops / Swift Water Ops
- Confined Space Technician
- Vehicle & Machinery
- Trench Rescue Technician
- Structural Collapse Operations
Rescue Methods BGSU 2021 rescue tech series with structural collapse ops.
