Tree Rescue

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Seeing as much of the Northeast is densely forested or at least has many trees of varying heights in the general area, a question came up as to what happens if someone or something requires from upper branches of a tree. I am looking for answers as to how one would rescue something or someone from a tree.

I am talking about tree trimers, cats, dogs, bears, parrots, EDPs, star crossed lovers, hunters, kids out having some fun who have gotten stuck or injured up in a tree and required rescue. Obviously if there is road access then TL or Straight Stick would be easiest but what if you are rescuing a bow hunter is upside down suspended from his harness, 2 miles from the nearest road who now requires rescue.

What has your department done for these situations? What worked, what did not and what could be done better next time? What techniques and special considerations were taken? If possible stories of the rescue as well would be very helpful.

I know several departments in Westchester alone have had to face this issue; White Plains in 2008, Fairview in 2004, Port Chester in 2006?, Somers or Yorktown this year or last. Any one on one of these calls and have any information or suggestions to share?

We are trying to access our capabilities to rescue victims from these types of situations. Understandably they are infrequent at best but it that exact infrequency that requires at least a knowledge and preparation, however it goes without saying that an incident of this type would be rather intense.

Thanks for your help.

Edited December 11, 2010 by bvfdjc316

[Bnechis 3,961]

Timber.....Sorry I had to do it.

[Guest jcnyc]

Great pic lol! I would think the easiest would be a simple 2:1 and a diaper harness with webbing. C-Spine wont usually be an issue, but you could have hypovolemic shock to deal with and crush syndrome depending on how long they were upside down. Maybe bring some mast pants. Rarely is a tree stand higher than the reach of a 35ft portable, and when its life in the balance I would think you could get enough people to hump that thing in to the woods.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

Anyone done an accident involving a hot air ballon or a hang glider into a tree? These are not so rare...someone on here should have experienced one. What was done?

[Bnechis 3,961]

Anyone done an accident involving a hot air ballon or a hang glider into a tree? These are not so rare...someone on here should have experienced one. What was done?

Not so rare? They make national news because they are dramatic and rare.

If the saw worked on the Tree rescue, this should do the trick for Ballon Rescue:

The line gun also works well for rescuing a cat in a tree. When using it for cat rescue...think shooting skeet backwards...............

Shooting Skeet:

Step 1 - Pull

Step 2 - Shoot

Cat Rescue:

Step 1 - Shoot

Step 2 - Pull

And for cat lovers, we dont really shoot cats in trees. we also do not rescue them. Cats come down on there own. If they did not we would find cat skeletons in many a tree.

[Bnechis 3,961]

We are trying to access our capabilities to rescue victims from these types of situations. Understandably they are infrequent at best but it that exact infrequency that requires at least a knowledge and preparation, however it goes without saying that an incident of this type would be rather intense.

Ok now it’s time to get serious.

Like any other rescue we need to access the patient, stabilize them and then extricate them.

Access:

We need to get to their level (even better if we can get above them).

Ladder/Tower ladder if within reach of the road

Ground Ladder. The 35' may very well work and relatively quick. High likelihood you will need more than 1, to get enough personnel and leverage up there.

Tree climbing spikes & ropes (requires practice)

Stabilize:

The patient needs to be supported and potentially raised to extricate, prior to lowering. There are many types of harnesses, many are very difficult to put on someone who can’t "step into them" so you need to select one that can be placed on the victim. Diaper style may be the best choice, but there are others. We will also need a simple hauling system and a high anchor (a sling around the tree or the ladder itself. Again we need height above the victim to do this.

Extricate:

Many cases involve tree trimmers who get pinned when a section being cut shifts and pins them. This may require winching the section and or cutting parts of the branch. We must be very careful that either of those maneuvers will not cause additional shifting, which will make the situation worst.

[Pedro911 22]

[INIT915 1,119]

Great pic lol! I would think the easiest would be a simple 2:1 and a diaper harness with webbing. C-Spine wont usually be an issue, but you could have hypovolemic shock to deal with and crush syndrome depending on how long they were upside down. Maybe bring some mast pants. Rarely is a tree stand higher than the reach of a 35ft portable, and when its life in the balance I would think you could get enough people to hump that thing in to the woods.

MAST? What's your thinking in those regards?

[efdcapt115 1,511]

MAST? What's your thinking in those regards?

Don't answer that question jc, that gun be loaded.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

MAST? What's your thinking in those regards?

Stabilize BP maybe? Since the heart is pumping with gravity to most of your body most of the time, if you rotate a person 180 degrees the heart now has to use its energy to pump all the blood that was previously moved via gravity below the heart has to now be moved to an area above the heart. Possibly by applying the MAST pants you are preventing blood from having to be pumped to the area above the heart and up gradient thus decreasing strain on the heart and increasing BP?

Edited December 11, 2010 by bvfdjc316

[Pedro911 22]

Stabilize BP maybe? Since the heart is pumping with gravity to most of your body most of the time, if you rotate a person 180 degrees the heart now has to use its energy to pump all the blood that was previously moved via gravity below the heart has to now be moved to an area above the heart. Possibly by applying the MAST pants you are preventing blood from having to be pumped to the area above the heart and up gradient thus decreasing strain on the heart and increasing BP?

interesting thought... research "suspension trauma"...

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Just doing some basic research I found this SOP/SOG from Phoenix FD, AZ:

PHOENIX REGIONAL

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

TREE RESCUE OPERATIONS

http://www.phoenix.gov/FIRE/20413.pdf

[Guest jcnyc]

If you can find MAST, I suggest it to remove the likelihood that when the patient is inverted, from head down to head up you don't lose them. Put pants on, inflate just not to the point of real effectiveness. Chances are if the guy is in an emergency he is probably in a position that is not going to be head up since our body is top heavy. If you look at the new protocols for crush victims that we have in NYC they have really used past experience to benefit the patients. If you think I am wrong let me know, this is not my area of expertise, I leave that to spending money on motorcycles and parts :-)

[eric12401 77]

I know Gardiner FD and Ellenville FD (both in Ulster) have had quite a few hang gliders stuck in trees over this past spring/summer. I'm not sure if there's any FF's from those departments, but it'd be pretty neat to hear how they dealt with it.

[Pedro911 22]

Unusual call from the UK

mva with pt in tree

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1334522/Firefighters-called-tree-rescue-difference-kitten-woman-pick-truck.html

[PFDRes47cue 653]

I know Gardiner FD and Ellenville FD (both in Ulster) have had quite a few hang gliders stuck in trees over this past spring/summer. I'm not sure if there's any FF's from those departments, but it'd be pretty neat to hear how they dealt with it.

As previously stated...more frequent than some of us think.

[GBFD109 55]

In this situation, i think Phoenix's SOP's are the best your gonna find. Ladders should always be the first option. If conventional ladder methods are inappropriate, then its time to start climbing the tree. Climbing the tree should be left to trained personnel only, and by trained i mean more than passed knot tying in FF1. Westchester county developed the technical rescue team just for f*cked up situations like this one, call them, I'm sure they'd love to help out. Also, I'm sure theres plenty of tree companies in the area of Bedford Village, call sav-a-tree over in the hills, im sure they'll be happy to lend a bucket truck and operator for the occasion. Plus, nobody knows trees better than an arborist, a.k.a tree mechanic. It may be a good idea to have someone there, either a member or not, whom is experienced operating with, in, or around trees.

Edited December 14, 2010 by GBFD109

[mreis95 77]

Why on earth would you want to rescue a bear lol

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Why on earth would you want to rescue a bear lol

In my many travels around this country I have spent a fair amount of time in National/State parks as well as preserves and refuges. During that time I have seen on at least 5 different occasions Bears entering camping grounds/occupied area and being scared up a tree. This obviously causes a problem in that you don't want an angry/scared bear up a tree surrounded by people and recreational activities. So you have to get it out of a tree, I have seen rubber bullets used, mace, water hoses, tranquilizers etc. So they have been known to dart a bear, let it pass out in the branches and then go and get it to relocate it. I remember this happening specifically in Blue Mountain Lake in the ADKs about 10 years ago with NYDEP/NYDEC/NYSP.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

In this situation, i think Phoenix's SOP's are the best your gonna find. Ladders should always be the first option. If conventional ladder methods are inappropriate, then its time to start climbing the tree. Climbing the tree should be left to trained personnel only, and by trained i mean more than passed knot tying in FF1. Westchester county developed the technical rescue team just for f*cked up situations like this one, call them, I'm sure they'd love to help out. Also, I'm sure theres plenty of tree companies in the area of Bedford Village, call sav-a-tree over in the hills, im sure they'll be happy to lend a bucket truck and operator for the occasion. Plus, nobody knows trees better than an arborist, a.k.a tree mechanic. It may be a good idea to have someone there, either a member or not, whom is experienced operating with, in, or around trees.

That would require 1. You can get the bucket to the scene i.e. assuming it is not in the woods. 2. The bucket truck/arborist is not the one who requires rescue (which more than likely will be the person needing rescue 3. That someone would actual volunteer to let their privately owned, money making, business equipment be used in a rescue situation. Not everyone is as readily willing to share equipment when there is no economic gain. Every minute that bucket truck spends at an emergency, the fewer and fewer dollars that go in their revenue and pay checks and the less likely they are to assist. 4. That your wait time for a bucket truck/arborist is not extreme. These trucks are working, on the road and are on site much of the time, very rarely do they just sit around waiting to do work like fire apparatus. Thus, the wait time for one of these may prevent them from being an effective option.

We are looking to at least be able to attempt rescues on our own, we are not looking to call a private company to maybe do it for us. We were looking to have our people trained and able, not hoping that some guy with a crash course on how to operate a bucket truck with questionable safety training is able and willing to respond and operate safely and within the existing command structure. Many of our members are trained and have extensive experience in rope rescue and other aspects of technical rescue, we are looking for idea and protocols for them to conduct this type of rescue as well as integrating this type of rescue into our equipment and SOPs/SOGs.

Edited December 14, 2010 by bvfdjc316

[Pedro911 22]

interesting thought... research "suspension trauma"...

This is a link to a well researched document regarding medical complications due to prolonged supension in a chest harness. Relative to your MAST post BFDJC:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/crr_pdf/2002/crr02451.pdf

[x635 4,066]

PHOENIX REGIONAL

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

TREE RESCUE OPERATIONS

It's funny Phoenix were the ones to develop these operating guidelines.......because last time I was there, Phoneix was mostly desert, and I didn't see any climable trees or forests!