Those who have completed all four levels of the North Carolina High Angle Rescue College are eligible to participate in the annual Graduate Mountain Rescue School, which is held in a different location around the state each year. This year, it was in Atlantic Beach. That's right, a mountain rescue school in Atlantic Beach!
Graduate school is a culmination of all the skills learned throughout the high angle rescue college - but this year, instead of camping out in the wilderness in the mountains, we spent the weekend in the midst of civilization at the coast, where instructors taught several of the basic skills needed for cell tower rescue operations.
Twenty nine students from across the state participated, representing fire and rescue agencies from Apex, Atlantic Beach, Erwin, Kinston, Mt. Airy, Mt. Mitchell, Nags Head, New Bern, Reidsville, Stokes County, Thomasville, Union Road, Wilson and Winston Salem (did I forget any? if so, email me!)
We had the perfect site - a 300 foot tower with a couple great working platforms. All of our operations were done from the 150-foot platform and below - which was plenty high, considering the only way to get up there was to climb a vertical ladder or the lattice, neither of which was easy!
Many thanks to lead instructors Adam Snyder (Chief) and Mike Simpson (Captain), both of the Atlantic Beach Fire Department. Also to Joe Burris, recently retired from OSFM, who was THE ultimate coordinator and chef for the event!
Also thanks to Jeff Hinshaw (Winston Salem Rescue) who provided several of these photos. Click the links below to read all about this school and view the pictures!
The Instructors
Introduction to the Tower
Pick-off Evolutions
Stokes Basket and Zip Line Evolutions
Down Time!
Candids and Miscellaneous Photos
Back to Photo Gallery
Copyright 2006 NCFirewolf