MUSAR has been providing technical rescue training since 1991.  Their instructors come from the fire service and have real-life rescue experience. Based off many USAR folks that I talked to, Howell, Michigan is the place to go to stay on the leading edge with trench rescue. For the last several years a great friend from across the pond would travel to Michigan to take the latest trench rescue program from the Michigan Urban Search And Rescue Training Foundation.  Irakli West from Heavy Rescue Germany is that friend.

Below are the photo summary of each day’s activities.

Trench Rescue Technician

Day 1

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Day 2

MUSAR Trench Rescue Technician – Deep Trench 6m (90 Min), End wall raker

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Day 3

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Day 4

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Day 5

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Paratech Strut

Chief Buddy Martinette walks thru the basics of a Paratech Struts.  For more information on the textbook in the video, checkout the third edition of Trench Rescue: Principles and Practice to NFPA 1006 and 1670.

Trench Rescue

Here is an interesting look from several different views of a successful trench rescue back in April of 2016. The rescue took place by Orange County’s Fire Authority in Tustin, California.  Below are several videos of the rescue.  The lessons learned video provides a great resource for every fire department regardless if your department can handle a trench recuse or you rely regional or county tech recuse team.

The first video is from a Youtuber GregFromTheOC.  The first 30 seconds of the video provides a brief description of the incident. The first six minutes is audio only of radio traffic with dead airtime removed. The Stokes basket is lowered at the 18 minute mark and is back with the victim at the surface at the video’s 20 minute mark.

News video

Lessons Learned

Battalion 3 Chief Jeff Hoey reviews the lessons learns and presents scenarios based on this complicated trench rescue.