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The UKRO Rope Rescue Challenge 2008 was held in Stirling, Scotland. Again, this was a two day event with three taxing scenarios to test the teams technical, medical and command skills. The team performed well and scored highly, taking Best Team Leader (Keith Bellamy) and overall 2nd Best Team (Keith Bellamy, Paul Murray, Dave Heybourne, Simon Whelan, Chris Roper and Lee Giffard).
Pictures showing the team undertaking a stretcher rescue at the 2008 UKRO Rope Rescue Challenge:
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Rope Rescue team has just returned from an international competition with a new addition to the trophy cabinet.
Competing against top European mountain rescue teams from countries like Switzerland, Italy and France, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service came fourth – the top performing British team – at Grimpday 2010.
Grimpday is a multi disciplined challenge where firefighters are faced with the technical rescue of people from heights, or those trapped below ground.
This annual event is held in the picturesque city of Namur, Belgium and is an opportunity for European rope rescue teams to come together and share best practice and learn whilst undertaking a timed rope rescue circuit.
It is also an excellent training ground for British teams taking part in the UK Rescue Challenge, which is being held in Hampshire this September.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has taken part in Grimpday for the past four years and has steadily improved its rankings and is now competing for a place in the top three.
The Hampshire team is also ranked number 1 in the UK after taking gold at last year’s UK Rescue Challenge – an event which it is hosting in 2010.
Hampshire’s Rope Rescue team leader, Dave Heybourne, said:
“Grimpday is always a challenge for UK teams because we are competing against teams from areas where they carry out rope rescues as part of their every day job. So for us to come fourth is a really positive achievement.
“Grimpday is an excellent opportunity for all involved and every year we come away having learned something new that we can adapt to our local needs and thereby strengthen the service we offer here in Hampshire.”
Grimpday is dedicated to rescuing people trapped in perilous conditions and came about as a means of sharing various techniques used in different countries.
The Hampshire team was made up of team captain Keith Bellamy, Paul Murray, Lee Giffard and medics Richard North and Jim Hutchen.
Simon Whelan acted as the team casualty and Dave Heybourne and Alec Martin provided support.
In October 2008 the Technical Rope Rescue Competition Team were once again preparing for the annual Grimpday challenge.
The event had been modified making it far more technical, however it still comprised two parts, a timed technical assault course followed by a timed route which teams had to follow taking their stretcher bound casualty, and all their equipment, with them.
The technical rope assault course was held at a commando training area just outside Namur, then teams were transported by boat to the Citadel, near the town centre to complete the timed route.
The 2008 team was made up of Keith Bellamy, Simon Whelan, Chris Roper, Jim Hutchen, Tim Marsh and Dave Heybourne. Together they completed the challenge with a faster time than in 2007.
Pictures showing team members ascending a wall followed by their casualty at Grimpday 2008.
By taking part in these challenges as well as a number of exercises, rope rescue teams are able to come together, share best practice and learn new techniques from one another.
As a result Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Technical Rope Rescue Team continually improve their response capability by implementing new initiatives and refining their procedures from what they have learned.
By ensuring it has one of the finest Rope Rescue Teams in the country, HFRS is investing in the safety of the county and its residents.
For more information about the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Technical Rope Rescue Competition Team then call the team on 023 8062 6746 or email keith.bellamy@hantsfire.gov.uk.
The team refused to rest on their laurels and in October 2007 they took part on the international stage at Grimpday, an annual rope rescue challenge in Namur, Belgium. There they competed against teams from across Europe.
The challenge is in two parts, a timed route that teams have to follow taking their stretcher bound casualty and all their equipment with them followed by a rope assault course.
The challenge takes place in the Citadel close to the town centre meaning casualties often find themselves dangling on stretchers 95 metres above Namur. The timed route involves setting up rope systems to overcome different obstacles. The team has to get their casualty both up and down vertical walls and also set up a cable way to get over a moat.
Following the timed route the team then has to run the rope assault course where they have to abseil, ascend ropes and rope ladders, navigate through tunnels and descend zip wires.
Taking part were Keith Bellamy, Dave Heybourne, Paul Murray, Tony Brown, Kerry Charlton and Adam Jones.
Pictures showing some of the tasks involved at Grimpday 2007:
rope rescue team
vehicle extrication
