Rescue Situation Simulated in Quincy Quarries

For any technical rescue situation, two things are paramount to success – teamwork and safety.

For these reasons, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Field Services Department has been conducting weekly training for several months, and this past week the team tackled rappelling at a historic site just on the outskirts of Boston.

The Quincy Quarries, once the most prominent source of granite in the country and even providing stone for the Bunker Hill Monument, offers the perfect terrain and surroundings for training; with uneven hiking trails, thick woods and plenty of rock faces for rappelling.

Once the team hiked into the woods carrying heavy equipment, it was time to put teamwork and safety to the test.

Before scaling the 35-foot rock face, ARL’s most experienced Field Services agent led the team in an extensive session of getting familiar with climbing gear, knowing what individual responsibilities would be for every climbing line, learning to work in unison, and participating in a 35-foot confidence rappel.

Once this was completed, the team simulated a rescue situation where participation from every team member was essential.

The exercise involved hauling a team member (in this case an 80-pound dog mannequin named Fetch) from the quarry floor back to the top. One team member manned the belay line, another on the haul line, and two members on a pulley system to bring the mannequin up quickly.

While team members were excited to experience rappelling, everyone involved understood that in a real-world situation, the rescuer scaling down would be hauling a carrier, equipment and a distressed or injured animal.

In order to get the rescuer back to safety and the animal the help it needs, teamwork is crucial to ensuring a successful rescue.

With this exercise successfully completed, Field Services will continue its training to be able to assist in endless scenarios where technical rescue skills can mean the difference between life and death for an animal in need.

ARL Field Services

ARL Field Services provides technical and non-technical rescue operations for injured or lost domestic animals, livestock, and raptors (turkey vultures, osprey, hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls).

ARL Field Services also assists governmental agencies with equipment and training; and plays an essential role in assisting ARL Law Enforcement in cases of animal cruelty, neglect, and abuse.

If you need assistance, call (617) 426-9170 to reach ARL Field Services dispatch, which operates from 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM Tuesday-Saturday.