Regina fire crews conduct rope training off the top of city hall
The Regina Fire Department’s technical rescue teams were conducted their bi-annual rope training drill on the east side of city hall on Friday.
The technique they were practicing is called a “pick off,” and is one of the many maneuvers that are used in the field.
“Basically, what it is, is that if a window washer or a worker that was working on the outside of the building gets tangled up in his own system, we’re able to lower a rescuer down and pick him off by putting him onto our system,” Kerry Gardner, a training captain with the Regina Fire Department, said. “We would then safely lower him down to the ground with our rescuer.”
The last time this specific technique was used was in 2011, when two workers were stranded on the 19th floor of Hill Centre Tower II. The rescue was a success and the workers were uninjured.
The department has four Technical Rescue Teams, one for each platoon. All four will be practicing their “pick offs” until Saturday.
“We try to come down here at least twice a year,” said Gardner. “Once in the spring and once in the fall.”
The practice runs on downtown skylines is preceded by a lot of practice at the fire halls. This is so the firefighters can “get the winter rust off,” and get familiarized with the process, according to Gardner. But rescues from the sides of high-rises are not the only thing that the rescue teams do.
“Not only do we do this but were also called for confined space and any low angle rescue in case anyone is stuck in a ditch or a hole. So, our technical rescue team isn’t just the rooftop here, we can do a whole lot of things,” Gardner said.
The simulated rescue at city hall drew a lot of attention from onlookers walking and driving by.
“It’s nice for people to know that we don’t only fight fires,” said Gardner.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.