[TowerTalk] Tower Falls, After the fall/save

[Mike Fatchett W0MU]

You will not be feeling very good after a fall either.  You will experience
a nasty shock when the arrest lines reach their full stretch.  You could
easily hit your head in the fall etc.  You will probably be in better shape
than if you hit the ground though.  Chances are pretty good the shock will
put you out but I could be wrong.  I have never talked to anyone that has
ever had the opportunity to test their rigging.

I am a Volunteer FF while in Montana.  A tower rescue has never been
trained.  We have a search and rescue team but I am sure I would be the one
with the most tower climbing experience in the area.  The response time
would not be great as the towers are not close to the stations.  Our Ladder
truck can reach 55 ft.  I hope we never get that call.  I am not an EMT so I
do not know what the dangers are from passing out do to leg constriction.
It can't be good but I don't know how life threatening it is.

We risk our lives everyday.  You can do everything right and it still might
be your time.




On 10/26/07 5:36 PM, "Doug Renwick" <ve5ra at sasktel.net> wrote:

> Good points Pat.  A full body harness will probably add a few minutes to
> your life, but will it save your life?  Unless you have immediate
> assistance it may not save your life.  Could be classed as a false sense
> of security.  But then it would be better to have a chance of saving
> your life rather than no chance at all.
> The best advice is to not get into a situation where you need to
> activate the full body harness.
> At my QTH I would estimate that it would take at least 30 minutes before
> a response team would arrive.  Maybe too late.
> 
> Doug
> 
> 
> OK,
> 
> If most of us agree that a full body harness attached securely
> to the tower at all times,  is good  protection, then how does
> the rescue play out?  Depending on the harness, and your suspension
> your problems may just be beginning.
> I have (somewhere) an after-action  report of a training class for first
> 
> responders for recovery of a victim who is suspended by his certified
> full body
> harness somewhere above the ground.  The class began with hoisting
> the volunteer "victim"  a little off the ground and discussing the
> nuts and bolts of recovery.  During the initial chatter, an unexpected.
> unplanned
> event happened.  The volunteer "victim" became a VICTIM and passed out.
> 
> The pressure of the leg straps had cut off circulation  at his legs, (It
> was later learned)
> and he passed out.   They lowered the "victim"  the one foot or so,to
> the ground 
> where he regained consciousness.  It was stunning to the class, and a
> real lesson.  They then realized that a suspended person can become
> a medical emergency, depending on positioning, adjustment of the
> suspension harness.
> 
> So a suspended, saved person may still a
> medical emergency, needing quick response.
> Even at best, if you are hanging at the 70 ft level
> things may  still be  dicey for  a rescue unless you have planned,
> walked through the rescue cycle of the event.
> 
> Talk to your nearest first responders, fire stations, ambulances
> etc to see what their capabilities are for recovering you
> suspended at 70 ft, or whatever  height.
> If your cell phone works at 70 ft and if you can reach it, after
> your fall, just call 911 to start the process.  Or yell to your
> thoroughly 
> briefed family/ground crew to do the  right thing and start the process.
> 
> In the case of Jamesburg where I play, for example, a worst case fall
> off the ladder 
> below and leading to the hatch to the  dish surface and feeds,  could
> result in me 
> hanging by the shock arrestor in my full harness, about 65ft above
> ground 
> and about 15 ft horizontally spaced from any  structure.  See Picture:
> 
> http://www.xertech.net/Jam_pics1/page/image10.html
> 
> On a regular tower, it might be that you are hanging in a
> position/location,
> or are injured where you cant grapple with the structure to get a
> foothold to 
> further climb down the tower.
> 
> If I developed the pass out problem due to harness constrictions, I
> would be 
> a dead body by the time they recovered me.
> 
> Turns out the local Carmel Valley/Cachagua  Fire Station is 1/8 mile
> away and had trained at the
> Jamesburg Dish, and was equipped with the know how and
> hardware to recover a  suspended victim at 70 ft or so.  If emergency
> ground crew
> and response chain worked without a hitch,  I guess they could arrive on
> site
> in about 5-10 minutes, and begin the aerial rescue.
> Thank goodness.
> 
> All the Best, 73,
> Pat Barthelow     aa6eg at hotmail.com
> http://www.jamesburgdish.org
> Subscribe: http://bambi.net/jamesburg.html
> Jamesburg Earth Station  Moon Bounce Team
>  
> 
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