Lines / Water

[OscarTango]

Boring comparison question, 

In Surrey everyone, on call and wholetime, has training to use work position with the working at heights equipment, though water training is, as far as I know, only Mod 1 water awareness excluding water stations. 

In Kent we can use work restraint, use fall arrest and knock up simple pulley systems for raising and lowering casualties but more complicated work position stuff is left to the dedicated Line Rescue team or USAR. However wholetime all have Mod 2 water (Wading, defensive swimming etc .)

Having met a few transferees it seems like a very mixed bag among brigades regarding these two skill sets, what's it like everywhere else?

[Carl]

I feel like you have been listening to a meeting we had today. I will try and entice @GK. into the topic as he will detail it far better than me.

[Jet]

In LFB I had zero line ops training and zero water rescue training (except throwing a bit of rope into the water from the shore). 

In GMC I’ve been trained in line ops up to work positioning and casualty retrieval. And also been trained in swift water first response which entails wading and defensive swimming and basic rescue techniques (short of the nationally recognised swift water technician). 

This is all as a standard firefighter, not based at a technical or specialist station and my training was covered on my transferee course. So yeah the difference between brigades in this instance is a a chasm. 

[HB2016]

In Hampshire all RDS are trained in work restraint and fall arrest systems, only wholetime can raise and lower.

All stations are water rescue level 1 (boot depth, throw from the bank etc). Stations with RSV's (Response support vehicle) are level 2 (as well as some strategic RDS stations) and one station is level 3 with sleds etc.

[Luminoki]

In West mids we can work with fall arrest systems, anything that requires raising/lowering is a job for tech rescue. 

In regards to water most stations are trained on level one, however we train to “rescue swim” using a PFD and full PPE minus the helmet ( although it is voluntary ) and to my knowledge it has been used in anger a few times. Level 2 is based at 4 stations and level 3 is once again tech rescues domain

[Highlander]

In SFRS we have separate disciplines in each:

Safe Working at height.

All FF have to do Level 1 awareness , which is work restraint/fall arrest. 

Level 2 is Rope rescue, in which dedicated (whole time) Stations. Causality rescue etc.

(there may be 3 levels where 1 is awareness, 2 is allowed to use Fall arrest/ work restraint and 3 is rope rescue) I forget, but you get the idea.

Swift Water Rescue

Level 1. Awareness, you can work within the warm zone                                          All

Level 2. Flood responder , you can wade and assist in rescues                               Select RDS stations

level 3 Water tech, you can swim and perform more complicated rescues           Select   WT stations

Level 4 Boat op                                                                                                                  Select WT stations

Level 5 IC

[Becile]

@Highlander I'm guessing your username suggests that SFRS = Scottish FRS . However remember SFRS also = Shropshire,  Surrey for example.

[Highlander]

Yep, you would be correct. 🤔

Though given that now we're the bigger "better interrogated" national service.  Perhaps Surrey and Shropshire should look at ways to change their names to avoid this confusion in the future 😂😂😂

Edited July 16, 2019 by Carl
Quote removed as not needed. Please see FAQ Section.

[Luminoki]

Or we could harmonise EVEN more. LFRS - Lancashire, Leicestershire, London etc 😉

One thing that has reared its head in H&W is the proposed crewing of the boats by the retained at one day crewed station. There is obviously a massive training implication for this and whilst a few stations already do level 2 water ( only 2, soon to be 3 WT stations are trained in this as opposed to 6 rds stations ) it might be a bit much to ask for crews to be level 3. Ive been told that in these target driven days the WT watches struggle to maintain their training on it. With RDS being a huge commitment already, are they allowing themselves to be tied more to an alerter?

[Jet]

5 hours ago, Luminoki said:

Or we could harmonise EVEN more. LFRS - Lancashire, Leicestershire, London etc

INCOMING!!!!!!!

[Messyshaw]

Someone give @Steve a heads up, as he will have a corona if he reads this cold

 

[Carl]

On 15/07/2019 at 19:00, Becile said:

I'm guessing your username suggests that SFRS = Scottish FRS . However remember SFRS also = Shropshire,  Surrey for example

Just as a reminder, Profiles can assist greatly if filled in correctly. For those who have not yet completed their profile information, please take a few minutes to do so, its certainly clears up any confusion within the forum topics. To view a members profile, simply click on their username

[Dyson]

I'm slightly confused...why are you marrying work restraint WAH to water rescue tech qualifications .....? massively different skill sets?

[Luminoki]

Because some services have these skills as standard for their ffs, some have them at a few select stations and others its the domain of tech rescue/USAR. What would boggle my mind in West Mids seems to be standard for @Jet in GMC

[Crog]

Kent all WT are trained in fall arrest and work restraint for SWAH, with a dedicated line rescue team and tech rescue with same training as line rescue. On call has no training for SWAH and carries no kit for it, although there may be the odd station that is.

All WT are also level 2 water safety, with a few stations level 3 and 1 at level 4.  All on call are level 1 I believe. Initial training is mandatory for this, but refreshers aren’t at the moment, although I don’t know anyone that has dropped the skill.

[Geeooo]

On 15/07/2019 at 15:45, Highlander said:

In SFRS we have separate disciplines in each:

Safe Working at height.

All FF have to do Level 1 awareness , which is work restraint/fall arrest. 

Level 2 is Rope rescue, in which dedicated (whole time) Stations. Causality rescue etc.

(there may be 3 levels where 1 is awareness, 2 is allowed to use Fall arrest/ work restraint and 3 is rope rescue) I forget, but you get the idea.

Swift Water Rescue

Level 1. Awareness, you can work within the warm zone                                          All

Level 2. Flood responder , you can wade and assist in rescues                               Select RDS stations

level 3 Water tech, you can swim and perform more complicated rescues           Select   WT stations

Level 4 Boat op                                                                                                                  Select WT stations

Level 5 IC

Highlander, 

I’m based in the West - you know, Strathclyde, the REAL SFRS , and we do Fall Arrest, Work Restraint & Positioning as standard in a non-Rope Rescue station, so I’m guessing we’ll be moving to a 3-tier system for SWAH. 

For WR, most WT stations will become Flood Response as I understand it too.