On a pleasant Saturday afternoon the Gurnee (Ill.) Fire Department heard the familiar tone sound to alert them of an emergency call. A roller coaster had stopped upside down with 24 people trapped on board. A simple joy ride turned into an emergency situation. On scene, two ladder towers were set up underneath the inverted roller coaster. The coaster was stuck in a loop in the upside down position. The passengers were all triaged by age, pre-existing medical conditions and location on the coaster. Passengers who were directly upside down were the highest priority for rescue. The crew at Great America manually released the safety harnesses on the coaster that secured the passengers. The victims were freed from the coaster one at a time onto a ladder tower and then brought to the ground for evaluation and treatment. The incident was a great success with all 24 people being rescued and EMS care given where needed. There was no significant harm to the passengers or rescuers. The incident took about three hours to mitigate.

Technical-rescue teams for high-angle rescue were considered, but not needed for this incident. The roller coaster loop where the train was stuck was about 50-feet high. Although the ladder towers had a difficult time making access, they were successful. The Great America team and Gurnee Fire Department team worked very well together. The incident action plan was to rescue those in harms way with all available resources in a safe and timely manner without incident. This was achieved and all parties were satisfied with the end result.

But what if the ladder towers were not able to reach or make access? Was there an alternate plan ready to execute? Do you have a rope-rescue team trained to the technician level, if needed? If this incident happened on one of the higher roller coasters a high-angle rope rescue would have been needed. The truth of the matter is high-angle rescue is high risk and low frequency. But fire departments must be prepared to respond for those who can't rescue themselves, no matter the height. What is the potential for high-angle rescue in your town? Antenna towers, water towers, cell towers, electrical towers, high rises, mid-rises, industrial complexes, ravines, construction sites, agriculture structures, e.g., silos, confined spaces, water and trench rescue events, and large amusement parks are just a few of the structures that may require rope rescue. Are you prepared to respond and be successful?

The Gurnee Fire Department asked this question and saw the need for a specialized rope-rescue team. Great America alone gives justification for the creation of this team. They currently have 13 roller coasters ranging from 28 feet to 208 feet, which hold up to 36 passengers. They also have a 330-foot circular glass elevator that can hold up to 70 passengers, a variety of water rides and bungee-type rides. All of these attractions present a need for high-angle rescue.

A team was created to perform at heights with confidence in skills such as: knots, anchoring, mechanical advantages, self-rescue, pick-offs, rappelling, ascending, Stokes work, patient packaging and transferring, high-lines, line transfer, and lead climbing. We have seen the benefits of this team. Our department currently has eight rope-rescue technicians to respond to a potential incident and can be supported by adjacent teams in Lake and McHenry counties, as well as other rope-rescue teams throughout the state of Illinois.

These teams are very well equipped and trained. The initial training consists of 80 to 120 hours of rope rescue supported by continuing education annually. Training is where most rope-rescue technicians gain experience and is key to a successful program. Remember there is no room for error at 200-plus feet. One wrong knot or mishap could cost people their lives. Training must be part of the plan.

Heights can be very frightening, which makes the training essential and intense. Overcoming fear is the first obstacle to overcome for many. Imagine asking someone to go over the edge of a structure at 200 feet and telling them that their H-inch, static kernmantle rope with a tensile strength of 9,000 pounds will hold — as long as they tied everything right. The look on their faces is priceless, but even more so is seeing their confidence improve with each training session. Repetition in training is vital in creating confidence and increasing the likelihood of success. The rescue teams are expected to perform at high standards, so they should be given the time and tools to help them meet those standards.