Community News and videos RESCUE DAY TROPHY '16

RESCUE DAY TROPHY '16

The Rescue Day Trophy has now established itself as a major event. With the recent 2nd edition, the RESCUE DAY TROPHY has become a truly unique rescue-focused event and the only one of its kind in Spain.

March 16 2016

Technical rescue

2016 participants and organizers in Encarnacion Plaza / Setas Plaza

The latest edition welcomed teams from Andorra, Portugal, and Spain: a total of 14 teams from all over the Iberian Peninsula, including professional and volunteer firefighters, industrial safety professionals, work-at-height companies, and caving rescue associations.

The event

This year, the event took a giant leap forward with INERCO-Forespro as co-organizer, and by involving local institutions such as the Instituto Municipal de Desportes (Municipal Sports Institute), Seville City Hall, and the Seville Fire Department. For this edition, the Rescue Day Trophy also celebrated "Firefighter Day," with a multitude of vertical activities to honor this institution: games for kids as well as timed challenges to ascend the legendary Tower of Seville.

Technical workshops

In keeping with last year's format, the Friday afternoon of the event was dedicated to technical workshops where Petzl, the official sponsor, presented new products and answered technical questions asked by participants. The other half of the day covered topics such as safety, immobilizing a victim in a rescue litter, and harness hang syndrome. The end of the day included a briefing on the procedures and techniques for Saturday.

Seville, rescue city

The day of the event started early in the morning for participating teams. At 07:30 they were all standing in Encarnacion Plaza, the event's main meeting area and logistics hub. This year Petzl set up an information booth to loan equipment if needed, and to provide technical assistance to participants. We received cooperation and support from local Search and Rescue, 112 Emergency Services, GREA, UME, the Seville Fire Department, etc. After a random drawing for bib numbers, each team walked to their assigned rescue scenarios spread throughout downtown Seville.

View from the Check Point at Encarnacion Plaza / Setas Plaza.

The competition

Five rescue scenarios throughout downtown, more than 12 hours of competition and grueling challenges pushing each team beyond their limits:

Rescue on Triana Bridge.

Triana Bridge, the tower, Pabellón de la Navegación overlook… One of these scenarios involved a 180 meter long Tyrolean traverse where each team had to lower the victim to a small boat in the middle of the river. Beforehand, one member of each team had to climb 50 meters. This scenario relied on support from two other boats, four UME directors, and two INERCO divers. One of the teams experienced a slight mishap, with no serious repercussions, where the victim touched the water.

Rescue litter on Navegacion Tower

Another scenario took place in the Puerta Jerez subway station, where rescue teams had to descend through one of the ventilation areas and raise the victim with two different-shaped litters, and using the mandatory emergency equipment as per event rules.

Alameda Park: rescuing someone on a scaffolding structure in the park. Teams had to demonstrate their dexterity, ingenuity, ability to work smoothly, and their technical know-how!

Setas de Sevilla was the highlight rescue scenario for this year's event! A workshop was held on the different types of accredited communications equipment. While this scenario should have been relatively straightforward, it stumped more than one team and resulted in a 35-minute difference between fastest and the slowest times.