Scenario Exercise - Apex Rescue Publications

Your Task

For this final activity, you will step into the role of an awareness-level responder arriving first on a tower rescue incident. Using the Tower Rescue Incident Command Form from the Exercise Files, you will size-up the scene, capture critical information, and prepare to brief incoming operations and technician-level resources (Ensure you access and download this document prior to starting). This form will guide your observations and help you organize what you see, hear, and decide at each stage of the incident.

In this tabletop exercise, your primary tasks are to size-up the tower rescue so the scope of the incident is clear and the information needed for an initial incident action plan is obtained; recognize incident hazards and isolation needs so risks to rescuers, bystanders, and the victim are minimized; and recognize when technical rescue resources are required so the appropriate response system is activated and the scene is secured until those resources arrive. As you work through the scenario, document your findings on the form, identify hazards and control measures, and note the information that must be relayed to incoming operations and technician-level personnel.

We suggest you complete this activity twice. The first time, complete the activity with the current knowledge and decision-making ability. After it’s complete, review the prompts outlined below the scenario. Integrate these into your second size-up.

Scenario

At 8:30 pm on a humid July evening, your engine company is clearing from a routine alarm when dispatch tones you out for a “medical emergency at a construction site” in your first‑in area. The dispatcher provides only a street address and the note “worker ill; construction crew calling from site.” The sky is still light, but the sun is low and the day’s heat is lingering—temperature around 31 degrees celcius with little wind and high humidity. As you respond, you can already see the silhouette of a partially completed steel truss communication tower standing above the nearby buildings, a crane boom angled over the site.

En route, you review what you know: your department responds to tower incidents at the technician level, but those specialty squads are still in‑station and you have not yet requested them. You and your crew are trained to the tower rescue awareness level only, which means no climbing, no rope systems, and no direct high‑angle rescue. The company officer begins a mental checklist: confirm access points, look for power lines and RF equipment, anticipate traffic challenges, and be ready to give a clear, initial report that can be rapidly built into an Incident Action Plan once the technical rescue team is dispatched.

As you turn onto the construction access road, the full scene comes into view. The steel truss tower rises from a fenced yard, its lattice sections bolted together to about 30 meters. Two workers are visible on the tower, roughly level with a mid‑height horizontal brace at about 28 meters (92 feet). Both appear to be tied‑in and wearing helmets, harnesses, and high‑visibility vests. A mobile crane is positioned beside the tower, boom extended but currently stationary, with one worker seated in the cab. Two additional workers are on the ground inside the site fence, waving you toward a single open gate that also serves as the main vehicle access point.

Approach

On approach, slow down and visually scan for tower type, height, workers on structure, cranes, power lines, RF panels, weather, and ground hazards (traffic, equipment, unstable ground).
Park to allow future access and egress for technical rescue units, EMS, and police; avoid committing apparatus under the tower or beneath suspended loads.

Initial report / size‑up

Give a clear initial radio report: command name, confirm location, type of incident (tower medical with potential rescue), visible conditions, and number/approximate position of workers on the tower and on the ground.
Identify obvious hazards in the report: weather and heat, height, crane operations, energized equipment, RF/antenna arrays, falling‑object exposure, and any bystanders or construction traffic in the hazard zone.
State your operational mode as awareness level and that specialized tower/rope rescue resources are likely required, setting expectations early.

Assuming Command

Formally assume command on the radio, name the incident (e.g., “Tower Rescue Command”), and establish a command post in a safe, visible location with good sight lines but outside potential collapse and falling‑object zones.
Begin an organized size‑up within the incident management system: identify number of victims, last known positions, mechanism of emergency (heat illness on tower), tower configuration, access limitations, and current work operations.
Designate basic functions as staffing allows (safety, medical, liaison with site supervision) while clearly stating that no climbing or technical rescue will be initiated by awareness‑only personnel.

Updating report & upscaling the response

Upgrade the incident from “medical on construction site” to “active tower rescue potential” once you confirm a worker is incapacitated at height and unable to self‑rescue.
Request full rope rescue and tower rescue resources: specify tower type, estimated height, victim condition, access issues, and recommended staging locations to speed their arrival and setup.
Ask for additional support as needed (law enforcement for traffic and crowd control, utility/telecom reps, additional EMS, lighting) and include these needs in your radio updates.

Securing the scene

Establish hot, warm, and cold zones around the tower; deny entry under the structure, crane boom, and any potential drop zones using tape, cones, apparatus, or police support.
Control construction equipment: stop nonessential crane or hoisting operations, move vehicles out of the hot zone, and ensure no one else climbs the tower.
Monitor environmental conditions—heat, wind, lightning, visibility—and document any changes that could increase risk to rescuers or the victim.

Interviewing personnel

Quickly identify and interview the ground supervisor, signal person, or foreman to clarify: work being performed, tower design, rescue/pre‑plan availability, and any site‑specific hazards (RF, power, chemicals).
Determine victim details: name, medical history if known, symptoms and timeline, harness and tie‑off configuration, duration at height, and attempts already made to assist or rescue.
Ask about existing site rescue equipment and capabilities (rescue plan, descent devices, pre‑rigged systems, trained tower rescue personnel) and relay this information to incoming technical teams.

Initial actions for rescue (awareness level)

Establish and maintain communication with the victim if possible (radio or voice) to assess level of consciousness, complaints, and ability to self‑assist while reinforcing that a rescue plan is being developed.
Facilitate self‑rescue or assisted descent only if it can occur without new risks (e.g., victim is still capable, systems are factory‑designed for self‑evacuation, and no one from your crew must climb).
Prepare the scene for incoming technical rescuers: confirm and mark access routes, identify potential landing zones or rigging areas, secure diagrams or photos of the tower and site, and keep a concise running log using your incident command form.