Tactical Rappel Master Course

ITRA Qualification Course - 3 Year Certification

Dates: June 10 through June 14 2024

Location: Sioux Falls Public Safety Campus 4300 E 60th St N Sioux Falls SD 57104

The DAV Tactical Rappel Master (TRM) is a 48 hour course delivered in 5 days designed to give law enforcement officers an alternative safe solution to many situations, and develop true vertical mobility in a tactical situation, that is, an incident that involves a human antagonist, armed or unarmed.  This is an advanced level 1 course, and will also address inspections and methodology needed to safely conduct basic rope training for police departments. Course will be held at the Sioux Falls Public Safety Campus 4300 E 60th St N Sioux Falls SD 57104.

Target Audience: Special Operations police and military units tasked with direct action operations to access areas by a vertical medium (urban or wilderness) to effect an arrest, conduct hostage rescue, rescue/transport downed operators, set up over watches or containment, board vessels, or infiltrate criminal facilities.

Prerequisites: There is no specific course pre-requisite, but operators attending this advanced level 1+ course should already have basic knowledge of a few knots, donning a harness, basic rappelling (and tie off) and basic familiarity to ascend a rope. (Not a screen-out but highly recommended.) An entry packet with a required knot list and a description of the entry skills test will be sent upon registration.  Packet will include links to training videos that demonstrate all entry tests.   Operators will be expected to report with all duty gear, entry gear anticipated for vertical access, their duty handgun and/or SBR, 100 rounds of ammunition, and range safety PPE. Night vision devices are recommended for the night operations exercises.

Qualifications/Certifications/Records: Course will culminate in a physical skills assessment that will include assessments of learning objectives from the International Technical Rescue Association tactical division.  This is a 3 year Rappel Master qualification (certification) that is recorded in the ITRA  / ITM database and is referable by any agency seeking verification.  Registration into ITRA database is included with course fee. Each student will have a profile established on ITM (if permitted by agency policy). To maintain the qualification, the assessment performance test will have to be repeated every 3 years. https://itra.international/ 

Course Description:  This is an intensive course designed specifically for law enforcement operators to develop true vertical mobility on rope as a single responder and to manage team-based operations. Use of force considerations, actions on contact, tactical medical, and agency policy considerations are integrated throughout. Course is roughly 48 contact hours in 5 days, as it will include slightly extended days and a night operations session after dinner Wednesday.  Let DAV know if that is an issue with time rules / OT / union agreements, etc.  We’ll adapt accordingly and can revise as needed.  

Any operator on rope MUST be capable of 2 way travel…UP and down…on demand…no exceptions…independent of top side operators, or they are a liability waiting to happen and create an even more egregious situation. Rope in some situations may not reach the ground.  Access to the top may not be possible, thus we teach remote rigging / urban climbing over structures and suspended tie ins in trees, bridges, etc. Operators need to be able to perform these skills in the dark, snow, rain, or shine, equipped with full entry gear, and have a plan for extrication if something goes wrong, or a civilian needs to be extricated. A tactical team with any claim of “vertical capability” must be independently capable of managing the entire operation from risk assessment, site access, anchor planning, rigging, & inspection, and have operators fluent on rope…not dependent of top-based systems run by non-tactical personnel.  

TRM is based on single rope techniques (SRT) and Small Party Assisted Rescue (SPAR) tactics used by the most proficient SRT practitioners in the world…cavers and arborists. These are light-weight / go-fast rope professionals that go anywhere, and can do the most with the least amount of gear. The TRM course synthesizes tactical rope operations with these concepts. Our instructors are accomplished practitioners of all three industries. Course is designed for a small unit of 2 to 4 operators working as a team.

There are several role player supported Reality Based Training (RBT) drills embedded in the course to give mission context to the training, and build true confidence in operators so that they KNOW they can succeed and win when the time comes, not just hope that they can.  To that end we integrate full mission gear into training, live fire familiarization drills, night operations, confined space (perhaps water) to build unconscious competence. 

Course Includes: 48 hours contact, ITRA assessment, student manual, course patch, Rappel Master patch, ITRA member registration fee, dinner of night operations, and basic cordage (tubular webbing, prusik cord.)   Gear can be signed out to operators for the course.  (Please advise in advance)

Pre-Course Documents: Upon completing registration, we will provide you with pre-course equipment check list, knot list, pre-course reading, and video of entry test / scoring criteria.

Rough List of Topics to be Covered (May be adjusted based on student/agency needs): 

• Integrating entry kit with vertical kit
• Vertical rope missions and planning
• Building side / floor identification / numbering
• Use of force considerations / liability management 
• Safety / Briefings / Commands /
• Suspension trauma  / medical 
• Operational Planning for tactical rope missions
• Equipment use and selection
• Rope characteristics and selection
• Rigging theory (angles, fall factors, etc.)
• Various anchors (industrial, trees, vehicles, artificial pro, human, multi-node load sharing / distributing, stemples, improvised, etc)
• Remote rigging (shooting lines over structures, trees, etc.)
• Basic simple and compound haul systems and progress captures
• Top based lower and raise system
• SRT anchors and edge mitigations 
• Contingency anchors
• Belay techniques
• Rappelling with different devices / tie off / proving descenders / self-belay / using leg bags
• Clear a jammed descender
• Rope climbing systems / down climbing
• Changeovers
• Knot passes
• Line changes
• Difficult edges / edge transitions (under-cut edges, helicopter skids, bridges, etc.)
• Bail outs / roll outs
• Inverting on rope / observation / hang test
• Moving as team on rappel / cover  / entries at window or balcony
• Climbing tandem (2 operators at same time)
• 2 person rappel / rescue
• Basic pick offs
• Night operations / rigging / rappel / NVD’s
• Extrication scenarios (day and night)
• Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) 
• Basic live fire familiarization with vertical kit and on rope.  
• Confined space / SCBA familiarization (optional)
• Basic Communication and command tactics 

Equipment:  All ropes and vertical gear CAN be provided by Direct Action Vertical, but we encourage participants to try using the gear issued to them by their department.  There ARE some restrictions on gear (certain rappel devices like ATC, etc. not allowed), which will be covered in the pre-course checklist.  While heavy SPRAT / NFPA gear and harnesses are allowed, we strongly recommend lightweight caver style tactical harnesses that mesh well with assault gear. Speed in donning and vertical movement is safety in the tactical realm, which is why your rope course assessments are timed. You are already carrying a lot of extra mission gear for entry. Operators will be expected to report with all duty gear, entry gear anticipated for vertical access, their duty handgun and/or SBR, 100 rounds of ammunition, and range safety PPE.

Attire:  Field duty / tactical uniform / camouflage. Sturdy boots. Inclement weather gear.

Firearms Safety:  Weapons will be cleared by firearms instructors each morning, after lunch, and each time you return to the training area.  If you have a chamber flag for your weapon, please bring it.  

Any questions, special needs, or concerns, please contact Eddy Cartaya ([email protected]) or at 541-213-6257.

Local Point of Contact (course host): Captain Jeff Garden, SFPD, 605-978-6572, [email protected]