“So, if all three of those checked out and we’re in a calm situation, it’s fine for us to secure the victim and then wait for [emergency medical services] to get there to instruct us on if they want us to bring him down or not,” he says. HAVE A PLAN Another critical assessment is deter- mining if any gear compromise hap- pened during the incident. A success- ful rescue begins long before a rescue happens, according to Ed Carpenter, di- rector of operations at North American Training Solutions (NATS) . “A lot of it comes down to planning,” Carpenter says. Having critical information accessible, like the location of the nearest hospi- tals, fire departments, and the site’s address, makes the decision-making process easier during an emergency. He also recommends building an emer- gency action plan into daily meetings. “If you have it written down and you have it in a recognized location, all I need to do is train the worker, go to that job briefing, get the information off of this section,” Carpenter says. “But if it’s not written down, you gotta remember who to call and remember who’s going to do what and remember all that. You cognitively can’t process all that infor- mation in an emergency situation.” He says a critical question for tree care professionals to ask during a rescue is, “Are we capable of performing this, or do we need to bring in additional re- sources?” Depending on the circumstances, lo- cal rescue professionals may not be equipped to handle a specific circum- stance and will need more specialized support for situations, like a high-angle rescue or technical rescue. Carpenter notes that having a communication plan ready and knowing when addi- tional support is required is essential. “As a tree worker, because of the risk that’s involved in the environment, we’re
It is critical to have someone who can take charge in an emergency situation.
8 | ArborTIMES Summer 2024
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