ERT Telpher Systems
Wake County Fire Training Center
15 November 2003

A few members from Wake Forest Fire Department (Rusty Hurst, Jeremy Blake, and Jonathan Burgess) joined us in Apex and finished out the ERT Telpher Systems certification class on Saturday, 15 November 2003 at the training center. We split up into two teams and rigged a high-line from the roof of the 5-story training tower to the roof of the burn building, just over 150 feet away. After all the lines were secured, we loaded up the stokes basket with Big Dummy (that was the mannequin, NOT one of us!) and hauled him from one side to the other.
And of course, what's an ERT rigging-type class without a little rappelling thrown in? We took some time out to have fun too, rappelling off the tower and sending some folks across the high-line.
Click the thumbnails to view a larger photo.

This team hooked up the tensioning system that was used to pull the slack out of the main lines.
Howard and Sean
We're supervising, heh

Instructor (Mike Beasley) watches as Rusty Hurst and Fjelstad (a.k.a. "Fjelly") secure the tripod.
Ready to go!
Howard and Sean hook up the empty litter...

... and send it on its way
Gravity pulled the litter down the line. I manned the prusiks while Rusty fed the line. A brake bar rack provided tension to prevent the litter from travelling too fast.
A long way down!

It was just over 150' of travel distance. How much rope did we have for our tag lines? 150', of course! so, we learned how to tie on extra rope, and "pass the knot" through the system.
We had neglected to attach a tag line to the litter from the burn-building side, so when gravity turned against us this team had to improvise a way to pull the basket the rest of the way in.
Trying to manhandle it in just didn't work!

Ian decided to give his lassoing skills a test...
...he actually caught the pully, but it eventually slipped off. Time for Plan B!
Perhaps just a ploy for Beasley to get out on the line and have a little fun!

After securing Big Dummy in the basket with internal and external lashings, they send him on his way.
Beeze
Even with a 3:1 mechanical advantage rigged on our side, it was still tough to haul Big Dummy up the line, especially the last couple of feet!

Fjelly gives it the ol' heave-ho
Taking a ride on the nylon highway...
I shoulda known the belay man would be a smart-aleck and hang me up halfway down the line. Not like I'm scared of heights or anything.

View from the other side. After lunch the teams swapped jobs.
Sean and Howard turn Big Dummy loose.
The big white bus

Looks like Big Dummy is hanging on for dear life!
Whatever you do, don't look down!
Beeze and Fjelly

Rusty feeds the line
Jeff Maynard brought his .5 to visit (and no, he wouldn't let us put her in the litter)
Quite an impressive operation from this perspective

Almost there!
Beasley had an enormous amount of confidence in our riggings, apparently...
Look Ma, no hands!

Roy gave it a try too

Jonathan Burgess does his first-ever rappel
Spiderman... Spiderman....

Copyright 2003 Apex Fire Department

This team hooked up the tensioning system that was used to pull the slack out of the main lines.	Howard and Sean	We're supervising, heh
Instructor (Mike Beasley) watches as Rusty Hurst and Fjelstad (a.k.a. "Fjelly") secure the tripod.	Ready to go!	Howard and Sean hook up the empty litter...
... and send it on its way	Gravity pulled the litter down the line. I manned the prusiks while Rusty fed the line. A brake bar rack provided tension to prevent the litter from travelling too fast.	A long way down!
It was just over 150' of travel distance. How much rope did we have for our tag lines? 150', of course! so, we learned how to tie on extra rope, and "pass the knot" through the system.	We had neglected to attach a tag line to the litter from the burn-building side, so when gravity turned against us this team had to improvise a way to pull the basket the rest of the way in.	Trying to manhandle it in just didn't work!
Ian decided to give his lassoing skills a test...	...he actually caught the pully, but it eventually slipped off. Time for Plan B!	Perhaps just a ploy for Beasley to get out on the line and have a little fun!
After securing Big Dummy in the basket with internal and external lashings, they send him on his way.	Beeze	Even with a 3:1 mechanical advantage rigged on our side, it was still tough to haul Big Dummy up the line, especially the last couple of feet!
Fjelly gives it the ol' heave-ho	Taking a ride on the nylon highway...	I shoulda known the belay man would be a smart-aleck and hang me up halfway down the line. Not like I'm scared of heights or anything.
View from the other side. After lunch the teams swapped jobs.	Sean and Howard turn Big Dummy loose.	The big white bus
Looks like Big Dummy is hanging on for dear life!	Whatever you do, don't look down!	Beeze and Fjelly
Rusty feeds the line	Jeff Maynard brought his .5 to visit (and no, he wouldn't let us put her in the litter)	Quite an impressive operation from this perspective
Almost there!	Beasley had an enormous amount of confidence in our riggings, apparently...	Look Ma, no hands!
		Roy gave it a try too
Jonathan Burgess does his first-ever rappel	Spiderman... Spiderman....