In the final weeks of April 2025, six Central Florida firefighters and one professional rope access technician traveled to Seville, Spain, as Team Orange County 2057 to compete in Rescue Great Day, an international rope rescue competition featuring 41 teams from around the world. The four-day event challenged teams with 12 intense rescue scenarios designed to push both individual and group skills to their limits.
While most team members had previously competed in local rescue challenges, and the 2nd GRIMP North America, this marked the first international competition for all but one of them. It was an opportunity to elevate their abilities under high-pressure conditions on a global stage.
Team Orange County’s efforts were made possible in part thanks to their first sponsor, Elevated Safety, who provided essential equipment and access to their new training facility in Orlando, Florida. This support was critical in preparing the team, allowing them to refine both individual techniques, and full-scale team scenarios.
The Scenarios
Throughout the competition, team members were tested both independently and collectively. In some scenarios, the team was split up, requiring rescuers to rely heavily on their personal rigging and rescue skills. During one particularly demanding task, a team member had to perform a vertical aid climb up a 60-foot building to reach a patient, remaining there for the duration of the scenario. In other challenges, the full team worked together to complete complex, multi-step rescues. One such scenario required the team to pass multiple knots on a tensioned highline without the aid of a Kootenay pulley. Another unique task involved constructing a fully retrievable highline, showcasing advanced technical skills.
Key Equipment
A key piece of equipment that played a major role in the competition was a titanium break-apart stretcher from Cascade Rescue, provided by Elevated Safety (teams were required to bring their own gear and transporting such essential equipment across the globe posed a logistical challenge on its own). The team also made extensive use of Harken Wingmen devices, integrating them into both stretcher operations and overall rescue systems.
Rope rescue competitions like Rescue Great Day are invaluable opportunities for teams to test their capabilities, discover new techniques, and explore innovative equipment that can enhance real-world rescue operations. We extend our sincere thanks to Elevated Safety for their unwavering support of our team and for championing rescue competitions both large and small.
Author: Ryan Allen, SPRAT Level 3, Rope Rescue Technician, Confined Space Technician, Structural Collapse Technician, Hazmat Technician, Tower Rescue Technician
Ryan is a Lead Instructor with the Elevated Safety Florida team, and a firefighter in Central Florida with Orange County Fire Rescue. Ryan is heavily involved in Orange County Fire Rescue’s Special Operations programs including its Theme Park Rescue Team, Dive Team, Squad, and Truck Program. He has competed in Rope Rescue competitions in both the United States, Japan and Spain. Ryan is one of the founders and leaders of the Central Florida Rope Rescue Challenge, a rope rescue competition which started in 2023.