Elements and Performance Criteria
- Prepare for vertical rescue.
- Select equipment and resources to ascend and descend a rope pitch.
- Rig a rope to minimise the effects of rope stretch and significant rub points and to allow for efficient ascent and descent.
- Establish personal safety systems and use equipment in a safe manner according to the nature of the rescue, manufacturer's specifications, relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures.
- Identify immediate hazards and assess risks to self and others.
- Ascend and descend rope pitch.
- Ascend a fixed rope in a time efficient manner, demonstrating the ability to tune the single rope technique rig according to rescue requirements and organisational policies and procedures.
- Descend a fixed rope, using appropriate technique according to the situation requirements.
- Maintain personal safety while performing changeovers from ascending to descending and descending to ascending.
- Perform self rescues.
- Use mechanical advantage systems.
- Identify contexts requiring the use of mechanical advantage systems.
- Determine the type of system required according to contextual issues.
- Establish operational systems to raise and lower a person or equipment, ensuring the safety of operators, rescuee and others.
- Use system equipment according to manufacturer's recommendations and organisational policies and procedures, to ensure that design limits are not exceeded.
- Undertake vertical rescues.
- Identify an appropriate rescue method with relevant techniques to assist abseiler according to rescue circumstances.
- Demonstrate an escape from a belay.
- Establish rescue system efficiently and inform other group members of their roles.
- Construct and use an improvised harness in a rescue situation.
- Operate a rescue system, demonstrating lowering and raising procedures to recover a conscious person in a single pitch situation, with assistance.
- Conclude rescue operations.