Future firefighters from Fox Valley Technical College are taking their training beyond the classroom and onto the cliffs of High Cliff State Park as they practice technical rope rescue skills used in real-world emergency situations.
During the hands-on training exercise, students in the Fire Protection Technician associate degree program rappel down the park’s limestone cliffs and apply specialized rescue techniques in a realistic outdoor environment.
Students learn to raise and lower themselves and rescue victims using technical rope systems. They’ll build and operate rope systems with mechanical advantage, simulating the equipment and techniques used during actual emergency responses.
The training reflects a broader shift in firefighter preparedness that emerged following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In the years that followed, fire departments across the country placed greater emphasis on technical rescue training. Today, firefighters are expected to respond to a wide range of emergencies, including rope rescues, confined space incidents, trench collapses, structural collapses and other high-risk rescue situations.
"When they complete the Fire Protection program, students take valuable hands-on rescue experience with them to their future departments and have the skills needed to become active participants in virtually any rescue call they may respond to," said Bud Gadow, Fire Protection Technician instructor at Fox Valley Technical College.
High Cliff State Park provides a unique training environment that closely mirrors conditions students may encounter throughout their careers. By practicing on natural terrain, students build confidence while developing technical and problem-solving skills required during emergency response.
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Fox Valley Technical College, one of 16 colleges to make up the Wisconsin Technical College System, offers more than 200 associate degree, technical diploma and certificate programs. The College also provides instruction related to 22 apprenticeship trades and customized training to business and industry. Each year, more than 40,000 individuals enroll in classes at FVTC, more than any other technical college in Wisconsin.