Watch three technical rescue teams negotiate an obstacle course at the Structural Collapse Technician (SCT) program taught by Spec Rescue at Westover ARB in Chicopee. In this segment, the teams move a large heavy concrete block using hand tools, ropes, lumber and mechanical advantage systems. It took just over an hour to complete the entire course.  

​For eight straight days in October, 3 of the Massachusetts technical rescue teams participated in a Structural Collapse Technician course taught be Spec Rescue at Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee. This high level technician course meets and exceeds the NFPA 1670 and 1006 standards, and is based on the exact course outline of the FEMA US&R course taught to the national task forces. This is THE course for the serious rescue technician. At the conclusion of this course the student are capable of hazard recognition, equipment use, and techniques necessary to operate safely and effectively at structural collapse incidents involving the collapse or failure of concrete tilt-up, reinforced concrete, and steel construction. They learned the process for search operations intended to locate victims trapped inside and beneath collapse debris as well as procedures for accessing and extricating victims trapped beneath collapse debris. The course was a combination of hands on activities, field work, lectures, case studies and group work. The course requires 8 days, 80 hours total.