Multi-Agency VR Practice

Today’s training was a treat! The Blue Mountains SES Vertical Rescue team and BSAR had a joint training session with Blue Mountains Police Rescue and the NSW Ambulance’s Special Operations Team (SOT).

Police Rescue demonstrated the use of what they called a game changer in their operations: the battery-powered personnel winch! The winch can be installed on the rope or at the anchor. This model can take the 8 mm lightweight rope. The range is about 120 m and the working load limit 250 kg. At 13 kg it is hefty!
We all had a go at being winched up and down: it was quite smooth!

We then practiced passing knots, pick off rescues and learnt a few different pick off rescue techniques.

We then had a tour of the SOT vehicle and talked about the capabilities of the “soties”: it is quite impressive what both Police Rescue and SOT operators can do!