In this CMC Podcast our school instructors Craig McClure, John McKently, LeRoy Harbach, and Jason Ilowite hold a roundtable a discussion about the books, aside from technical manuals, that have been influential to them in their lives and careers. Books mentioned: "The Mission, The Men, and Me" By Pete Blaber"Up the Organization" by Robert Townsend"…

In this CMC Podcast CMC Instructors Wayne Chapman, John McKently, Doug McElmury, and Kelly Byrne hold a roundtable discussion about NFPA General Use vs Technical Use ratings. They explore how the ratings are defined, if there is a requirement to use one over the other, and possible use cases.Overheard this episode: “As long as you are buying good s…

This week we are joined by Fred Salazar. Fred started his journey into the fire services at a young age when he attended a fire academy through a junior college, followed by paramedic school. Fred's first position out of school was with a fire team working for a petrochemical plant in Southern California where he served as a full time industrial Fi…

In this CMC Instructor podcast, we are joined by LeRoy Harbach. LeRoy started in the fire service in 1981 where he worked his way up to Battalion Chief of the Caledonia, Wisconsin Fire Department. LeRoy left his Battalion Chief position to join the Waukesha Fire Department as an entry level Fire Fighter to take on new challenges and open himself up…

This week we are joined by CMC School Instructor Craig McClure. Craig got his start in rope rescue volunteering for a Search and Rescue team in Bend, OR. Eventually after many years of volunteering and teaching in the rope rescue field Craig started his own training company called The Crackerjack Group, which he ran for nearly 10 years. After selli…

Join us weekly to get to know our CMC instructors. This week we are joined by Matthew Scharper. Matthew got his start in high school, volunteering for the Search and Rescue team in Mariposa County, CA. After search and rescue, Matthew joined the Mariposa Sheriffs department where he worked as a "Gun Toter" and Search and Rescue Coordinator for over…

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/Join us weekly to get to know our CMC instructors. This week we are joined by Kelly Byrne. Kelly Started his fire service career as a Highschool cadet volunteer in 1992. After Highschool Kelly served in the United States Army as an Airborne Infantryman with the 82nd Airborne. Upon completio…

Join us weekly to know our CMC School instructors. This week we are joined by Justin Klopfenstein. Justin started his fire career early in life. Watching his dad work in the Fire Services, Justin was inspired to start volunteering with Cal Fire in Highschool in 1992. Justin worked as an EMT from 1999 to 2001 when he got hired as a firefighter. He s…

Join us weekly to get to know our CMC School instructors. This week we are joined by John McKently. John began working in the rescue industry in 1974, became an instructor with CMC in 1995, and retired as the CMC School Director in 2020. John worked for 47 years on the Montrose Search and Rescue team in Los Angeles County, CA. In this interview, we…

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/Join us weekly as we get to know our CMC School instructors. This week we are joined by Derrick Walker. Derrick has a background in the industrial world working in power plants as a certified structural welder and welding inspector. Derrick has been teaching Rope Rescue Tech I / II classes …

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/Join us weekly as we get to know our CMC School instructors. This week we are joined by David Harper. David started his career by taking an EMT class in Highschool and worked his way up from working for a private ambulance company to Fire Bataillon Chief. David has worked with FEMA and mana…

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/Join us weekly as we get to know our CMC instructors. This week we are joined by Dan Claridge. Dan has been working in Fire Services since 2001 and has been an instructor for the CMC School since 2014. Currently an Engineer Paramedic, City Of Glendale Fire Department (CA), Dan teaches subje…

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/With this CMC Podcast we are kicking off our Instructor Series. Join us weekly as we get to know our CMC instructors. This week we are joined by Alan Baker. Alan started his career as a firefighter in Newport Beach, CA, in 1992 and has been an instructor for the CMC School since 1995. He is…

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by 49th Parallel (@49thparallelrescueteam) a Canadian team composed of Firefighters from all across Canada who are involved with Ronin Rescue (@roninrescue). In this episode Doug talks with the 49th Parallel team about why they decided to compete in GRIMP NA 2022, what they learned from othe…

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by Peak Rescue (@peak_rescue) members Micah Rush, Toph Steinhoff, Eric Christensen, and Tye Herron who all placed first in Grimp NA 2022. Peak Rescue is a team from parts of Wyoming and Utah composed of members who work in Fire Servi…

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by Intervention Rescue (@interventionrescue). Intervention Rescue is a UK based technical access and rescue training provider that offerers consulting services for rescue plans and risk assessments. Intervention rescue is comprised o…

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by members of the Rose City Ropers: Adam Salvetti, Sam Dougan, Josef Kuehnast, Tyler Hohl, David Mackovjak . The Rose City Ropers are a team comprised of members from Portland Fire & Rescue in Portland, Oregon. In this CMC podcast Do…

More podcast episodes here: https://www.cmcpro.com/podcast/In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by T'NT Work and Rescue (@tntworknrescue). Coming from Canada with a combined 70 years of experience, T'NT has a diverse background in law enforcement, rope access, and fire rescue. Team captain Wade Going and team members Danny DeHa…

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by the Orange County Fire Rescue Florida team (@ocfirerescue): Ryan Allen (@rope_rescue_guy), Evan Pech, Jeffrey Hansen, and Christopher Ramey. Orange County Fire Rescue Florida was founded in 2015 in response to the ever growing theme park industry. OC Fire Rescue Florida performs rescues o…

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by Xavier Tournay of the Val De Sambre Team from Sambreville, Belgium. They discuss their experience as a small fire department participating in GRIMP and the unique terrain the Battleship IOWA provided throughout the competition. Overheard from this episode:“To compete on the battleship USS…

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by the entire Yes Ma'am team (@yesmaamrescue): Team Captain Lydia Tan (@lydiaai007), Evaluator Kitana Chu, Team Members Saskia Roosen (@saskiaroosen), Alia Koster, Cecilia Gonzales (@womeninrope), and Stephanie Hyatt (@verticalintegrityrescue), and Victim Brid Casey.Yes Ma'am was the first e…

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by members of OCFA 91 from Orange County, CA: Team captain, Aaron Creager and team members Dan Blaul, Chris Johns, Chris Linton, Tommy Olvera, and Sebastion Rodreguez. The team reflects on their lessons learned and the variety of confined space scenarios at GRIMP NA, saying: “It shows the ra…

In this CMC GRIMP North America 2022 recap, we are joined by the entire Magic Valley Paramedics Special Operation Rescue Team from Twin Falls, ID: Team captain, Chad Smith, team evaluator Theron Thomas, and team members Isaac Baker, Gerald Dillman, Adam Enock, Stan Flint, and Brian Stone. They discuss the technical challenges they faced, and were o…

We are excited to announce our podcast mini-series recapping CMC GRIMP North America 2022! We are kicking it off with a short episode introducing the 2022 teams and the 6 challenging scenarios they faced aboard the Battleship IOWA. Each week, we will release new episodes with team interviews, round table discussions, and key takeaways from event ev…

A Podcast of Podcasts! Podcast hosts Doug McElmury, of the CMC podcast, Mark Pfeifer, of the Ronin RescueCast, and Christopher Feder, of Rescue Connection LIVE!, sit down for a round table discussion. Notes: 15:03 Ronin interview with Kathy Gill 16:58 MTS interview with Kathy Gill 21:47 CMC Large Animal Rescue Podcast 28:04 Ronin RescueCast - Gen Z…

In this episode, Jim Pellitteri Battalion Chief from the Gurnee (IL) Fire Department and and Chris Rohde Director of Training at the McHenry Township Fire Protection District discuss what swiftwater is, some of the most common misconceptions about it and fundamentals to consider. They give some examples of swiftwater specific dangers and give tips …

In this episode, Clara Acuna talks about the many operations that take place at the Ice Harbor Lock and Dam and reveals some of the unique challenges that the on site rescue team has to be prepared for. Notes: 0:55 Introduction 5:42 Overview of Ice harbor public services 6:57 Overview of fish passage 12:51 Overview of the lock system 17:40 How do t…

Many innovations in technical rescue have stemmed from the cold, wet, dark and challenging conditions of caves. These environments make for unique rescue scenarios that require creative solutions with minimal amounts of gear. In this episode Doug McElmury hosts a roundtable discussion with Carrey Bull, Justin Wheaton, Tim White and Andy Armstrong a…

The MABAS Divisions 4 & 5 Specialized Response Teams (SRT) works with its over 40 member fire departments across northeastern Illinois to coordinate specialized response services to protect the health and safety of the public. Teams are trained to respond to a wide range of emergencies such as hazardous materials releases, structural collapses, rop…

We apologize for some background chatter in the first several minutes of this episode. It is cleared up after 5:30 1:35 Standards as they relate to the MRA. 15:30 To prepare for accreditation and make sure teams mission ready, what types of training does the MRA offer? 23:38 What was/is MRA's role in NATRS (North American Technical Rescue Symposium…

0:23 Chris Boyer introduction 1:12 John McKently introduction 2:35 Standards, training, certification. 16:00 Examples of how NASAR builds educational content 20:53 How do you select who your trainers and evaluators are going to be? 38:52 Has new technology driven change in the lifecycle of certification? 40:20 Hug-a-tree NASAR general public educat…

Thank you to all of our podcast listeners!As we gather with loved ones and slow down for the holiday it's a good time to share about the things and people we are grateful for. In this Thanksgiving Special episode CMC instructors discuss what they're grateful for around technical rescue including testing methodologies, new ways of sharing knowledge …

0:24 Doug McCall Introduction 2:09 Monty Bell Introduction 3:51 John McKently Introduction 5:20 History of the MRA 10:45 What is the accreditation process for the MRA? 18:27 Reaccreditation 19:40 What training opportunities are offered through the MRA? 23:40 California reaccreditation 31:17 MRA statistics program 38:35 MRA Basecamp online outdoor e…

0:20 NASAR Executive Director Chris Boyer introduction. 1:37 John McKently introduction and involvement with NASAR. 3:54 What does search look like in the US today? 7:57 How did NASAR get started? 10:54 When did the organization start expanding eastward? 13:42 Are there any states that put SAR in the hands of fire from a legislation standpoint? 18:…

0:08 What is GRIMP? 1:43 How GRIMP North America came to be. 13:33 Training for provided CMC gear. 16:45 What was it like to be a participant at the first GRIMP North America? 19:30 How did GRIMP change the way you operate afterwards? 24:45 If given the opportunity, would you participate in the event again? 25:40 What's in the works for GRIMP North…

0:07 Introductions 0:48 How does CMC decide what products to develop and focus on? 5:10 What does the development process look like once you decide what products to pursue? 10:18 Can you talk about the design and engineering process for the CLUTCH? 14:00 The challenges that come from the variability of rope. 15:00 Ware testing 18:14 How did you go …

Episode Notes: 0:20 Dr. John Madigan introduction and background. 2:20 What got you into the animal rescue portion of this field after you became a veterinarian? 7:30 Background and uses of the Anderson Sling 11:25 Large Animal Lift sling 12:15 The Loops System 14:48 Training and maintaining proficiency with the Loop System 18:18 Is it necessary or…

Topics: 0:35 How does NFPA compliant gear as well as modern gear in general change what we do, how we rig and the way we operate? 1:18 Redundancy - What needs to be backed up and what doesn't? Starting with harness. 3:40 Redundancy of anchors and specifically anchor points. 11:00 Redundancy in anchor plates. 13:30 Redundant carabiners in twin tensi…

1:17 Real people vs manikins? 9:16 Do you know of people who still use manikins? 10:24 Confined space training and realistic spaces - are you training as you would conduct a real rescue? 11:58 Who do you contact to get access to real spaces to training in? 17:40 What is the purpose of training and what are the different goals? 19:38 Are you learnin…

Topics 1:46 What would you say makes a rescue 'backcountry' as opposed to something else? 6:02 Volunteer retention in SAR? 13:40 Easy in, easy out. 17:50 MRA competency. 22:32 Maintaining competency and standards. 27:00 How do you test competency? How do you design tests so that people aren't just training to pass the test. 30:55 Who supplies medic…

3:39 Dale, what was your first exposure to bailout systems? 9:35 When you started off making procedures and figuring out how to do bailout in the 90's, was it mostly trial and error? 15:43 LeRoy, What was your first exposure to bailout? 19:42 Dale, do you remember your first solid bailout kit? 21:48 Dale, are you an escape belt guy or a harness in …

Join the Conversation Please email us with questions or comments about this topic at podcast@cmcpro.com Important Warning: Many of the activities discussed in this podcast pose a very substantial risk of serious injury or death. Products and techniques discussed in this podcast are intended for use by specially trained professionals. Technical resc…

Links 4:00 YouTube Video - Vortex drop 2012 Paper - 2007 ITRS Presentation on Belay Line Tests with Vortex "Again.....Are you REALLY on Belay" (part 2) - Reed Thorne from Ropes that Rescue 6:20 YouTube Video: Rope Rescue Systems Testing - Main/Belay (Back-up) Failures Kirk Mauthner Sharp Edge Testing in - EMBC Rope Rescue NIF Equipment Testing Summ…

1:18 There's no difference between NFPA and non-NFPA rated gear. 10:05 What are some of the portions of NFPA testing and inspecting? 17:25 Clarifying semantics of NFPA 'certified' vs 'classified' or 'compliant'. 25:24 What is the evolution of the testing process? 28:47 What gear is exempt from being NFPA compliant? 30:17 Evolution of the standards …

0:50 Myth 1: NFPA requires steel carabiners for use. 4:15 Myth 2: If you drop aluminum hardware it will develop microscopic cracks. 10:13 What do we do about the fire departments that say we have to use steel carabiners? How do we educate them that there's other ways to go? 15:57 Myth 3: We have to use G rated gear. 18:22 Myth 4: Your belay line ha…

2:12 Myth 1: When you have a screw gate carabiner in the vertical axis you must always have it so the gate opening is at the bottom. 5:30 Myth 2: When you have two carabiners connected to the same thing the gates need to be opposite and opposed. 11:00 Myth 3: How you load webbing into an offset D carabiner. 15:18 Myth 4: No metal on metal. 21:58 My…

Topics: 1:00 Who is John McKently? 2:05 What do you see as the biggest changes that have taken place over your career? 4:45 Carabiner types and material evolution. 7:40 What did you do before CMC? 8:45 How did you get into rescue originally? 10:00 How many rescues over the years? 11:50 Changes in systems and hardware. 18:40 Camp crews and labor man…

Topics: 0:20 Are bowlines safe enough for rope rescue? 4:00 What makes a rescue knot a good knot? 7:30 What testing has been done and how strong are bowlines? 12:35 How do you define a bowline? 14:30 Is there a standard test for knots for cyclic loading? 16:40 Difference between a climbing knot and a rope rescue knot? 17:15 Anecdotal story of a bow…

Topics: What is the Belay Competency Drop Test? Brief history of past papers and arguments discussing the topic. How do you have a good test to test something where you have to let go of it to make it work? Is there a way to account for the human element? Is there a better test? If one line fails, is it still controllable? Where do you want your be…

Topics Should aerial ladders be used as artificial high directionals for rope rescue? Examples of when you might use an aerial ladder as an artificial high directional. Minimize the load, maximize the degree of aerial elevation, minimize aerial extension, keep the ropes distinct resultant and distinct with crane theory What other rope rescue scenar…