High and Low Angle Technical Rescue

The Tahoe Douglas Fire technical rope rescue team responds to several incidents each year to rescue stranded climbers and motorists who have gone over one of several embankments within the district.

High and Low Angle Technical Rescue The Tahoe Douglas Fire technical rope rescue team responds to several incidents each year to rescue stranded climbers and motorists who have gone over one of several embankments within the district. The team utilizes the latest equipment and is capable of handling a wide variety of difficult rescues. Every member of the department is trained in basic technical operations with several members certified as technical rescue specialists after attending intensive training on setting up complex systems of lowering and raising both personnel and victims.

Due to the complex nature of technical rescue, the team's training is ongoing as new techniques are developed and new equipment added. The Tahoe basin is a popular destination for recreational climbers who at times become stranded requiring our personnel to develop a rapid plan to safely bring the victim to of a cliff.

Mountain roads present a special problem for rescuers when a mortorist has driven off a steep embankment and the injuries to the victim require careful immobilization and rapid extrication to minimize the time between the accident and transport to a regional trauma center. Our low angle rescue equipment allows us to quickly move these patients without aggravating their injuries further.