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Excerpts from Indianapolis Fire Department Facebook page:

10:15 AM – After an errant #IMPD drone perched itself on top of a construction crane while in the course of it’s duties overnight, #IFD TacTeam 7C utilized the task…. by Indy Public Safety Logistics to help retrieve it… as an opportunity to conduct some spur of the moment high angle ropes/crane training.

 

High Angle Rope Rescue Training is inherently dangerous, highly technical, equipment intensive and requires constant training to maintain a perishable skill. The reality of our teams responding to an issue involving a crane, are more common than one might think. The bonus for today’s evolution was that no human victims were needing rescue, just a piece of expensive equipment that had a mind of it’s own.

 

Under the command of Lt. Ben Roberts, Lt. Erik Baynard, who is SPRAT certified, (Society of Professional Rope Access Technician), served as the primary rescuer, backed up by Private Ryan Cundiff. The IFD team made contact with the TWG Construction supervisor who generously allowed for us to make the retrieval. The building is the future home of Rise on Meridian apartments and will house 269 units.

 

Once the generator, providing power to the crane was shut off, Locked Out an Tagged Out by IFD, the 2 firefighters began the climb. The Mast sits at just at 130 feet high with the articulating Jib extending about 160 feet out. The drone was perched about 12 feet from the end of the Jib. With winds sitting at a mild 3 mph, the cranes position, in weathervane mode, was not expected to provide much concern for the climbers.

 

Climbing started at 11:25 AM. While Cundiff staged for backup just below the Jib, Baynard reached the Jib at 11:33 AM. The difficult transition to the top of the Jib was successfully made at 11:45 AM. Baynard notified command that end of the Cranes safety cable had been reached at 11:56 AM and he was going to utilize the fall protection system he brought with him to the top. The first transition on the Jib was reached at 12:06 PM and the drone was recovered at 12:23 PM. The drone was brought to safety at 12:33 PM. The two climbers began the process of returning at 12:38 PM and were both safely on ground at 1:26 PM.

 

The drone did sustain some slight injuries but nothing that can’t be fixed relatively easily and returned to service.

 

We are proud of the work our Tactical Teams do and this is one more example of a training opportunity we couldn’t let pass by.

Indianapolis FD photo

Indianapolis FD photo

Indianapolis FD photo

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