ASTM Int'l Develops Search & Rescue Team Training Standards - ASTM WK15661, ASTM WK15503

October 19, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

The proposed standards, ASTM WK15661 - Guide for Level I Rope Rescue Technician Endorsement and ASTM WK15503 - Guide for Training of Level I Rescue Technician, are under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F32.02 on Management and Operations.

"[ASTM] WK15503 is directed toward training rescue team members in a general sense and would apply to members of any rescue team that might respond to and provide removal of a patient from a wilderness environment," said Loui McCurley, vice president, Pigeon Mountain Industries and member of F32.

McCurley said that the proposed standard addresses only the rescue component including packaging and transport over nontechnical terrain.

ASTM WK15661 outlines the minimum information required for training and evaluating rope rescue technicians.

"It is quite rope-specific but it's only the first level of training for rope rescue personnel," said McCurley. "Additional levels may and should be added at a later date."

In addition to the proposed rescue standards, Committee F32 developed a search team specific guide, ASTM F 2209 - Guide for Training of Level 1 Land Search Team Member and is working on a proposed level 2 search team standard.

"Rescue in the United States is a multi-faceted endeavor that is undertaken by a variety of organizations ranging from search and rescue teams to law enforcement teams, state and national parks services, fire departments and more," said McCurley.

The proposed standards will be beneficial to land rescue teams such as mountain, wilderness and desert who operate as sheriff’s search and rescue teams, emergency medical services organizations, parks services and teams working to the guidelines of the Mountain Rescue Association or the National Association of Search and Rescue.

Source: ASTM International.