The Mock at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

Running through "Checkoffs" on a swing set at NCRC 2015 Photo By: Jeff Burns

Phil Goldman and I took his fifth wheel and drove down to Park City Kentucky to participate in a weeklong Cave Rescue seminar with NCRC ( National Cave Rescue Commission). 

Patient Packaging at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

This is a collective of established and elite instructors that specialize in cave rescue operations and can be called out to handle cave rescue and recovery events in underground environments.

Patient transport at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

It took Phil and I almost 12 hours to get down to Park City after going around multiple accidents, bad city traffic, and being blocked in from other semi trucks after gassing up.

The Mock Mock at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

We made it down to Park City and got set up in the parking lot where we would be spending the next week waking up around 530-6 am and learning cave rescue techniques from the class room to running multiple mock rescues.

Edge and patient tendering at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

The Mock at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

I started off with the level 1 class and I am glad I did, not only because it is a requirement to get into level 2, but I was able to re-learn a lot of what I already knew and see how other people build and troubleshoot cave challenges which was a great experience for me and helped me create more efficiency with a lot of procedures I follow.

working the comm's at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

The first few days we had to pass a series of tests that included knot tying and ascending rope within a certain amount of time.

Danyele at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

We spent a lot of time in class the first couple days but that got broken up by outside demonstrations on litter packaging, cliff and cave rescue using rig setups to lower and raise patients, search, and communication procedures for in-cave operations.

Edge tendering

At night we had a series of "check-off tests" to show our competency in setting up a rigging system, litter packaging using a ferno and a sked, along with other requirements that included knot tying, haul systems, medical first aid, and communications.

The Mock at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

We had a few in cave classroom lectures in coach cave which was 48 degrees inside, a lot better than the super hot and humid classroom!!!

haul team at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

Next we had in cave scenarios where we worked in groups packaging a patient in a ferno or a sked and troubleshooting the patients delivery through restrictive passages which was a lot of fun for all of us!

Patient transport at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

We also got a chance to practice communication setup, medical first aid, and searching for lost cavers. 

the Fuzzy Sloths at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

Finally came the mock mock which was a series of scenarios while working with all student levels who participated in the seminar.

Patient packaging at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

 We broke up into teams of three but each group had around 25-30 people so we all got a chance to do more.

Patient transport at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

Our team was able to complete 6 scenarios which was nice to get more hands on with different situations.

Edge tender NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

The Mock was a blast, I got assigned to the initial search team and we ended up having to report back to command on our findings and got reassigned to check out a vertical lead.

Patient transport through a tight passage in a sked at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

 This vertical lead ended up being a multi-drop with all kinds of dome rooms and other passages that we had to negotiate including a 5.8 climb into a karst window that took me to another window where I could see the register and hear a waterfall.

patient transport through a restriction at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

We were never able to find the patient but we had a blast and it made for a great day.

Historic artifacts in coach cave NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

The instructors were so helpful and knowing that this is something that they take time off for was really impressive to see how their dedication to the students was ever present.

lifting the patient at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

They dedicated themselves to help others that had some challenges with check offs and everyone was able to pass the class at the end of the seminar.

Haul team at NCRC 2015 in Park City, Kentucky, Photo By Jeff Burns

 I am so grateful that I was able to participate in this seminar as it was a wealth of knowledge and from the instructors and the students alike. It was also nice to develop friendships with so many people interested in caving, canyoneering, and other rescue professions which made for strong teams and great times!!  Thank you once again and I am looking forward to coming next year to participate in level 2.