During the training course, the participants had to complete numerous challenging exercises on airborne height rescue with a helicopter. These are essential to train the safe and efficient interaction of pilots, winch operators and air rescuers during operations. As part of the training, six colleagues from the Wiesbaden professional fire department were also finally qualified to work with a helicopter.

The first cross-state helicopter exercise was held on Wednesday, March 26, in which the SRHT unit of the Wiesbaden fire department and the PFLST Hessen were joined by the SRHT unit of the Koblenz fire department and the Rhineland-Palatinate police helicopter squadron. As part of the exercise, the setting down and picking up of people with the helicopter's winch was practiced. In addition, two dog handlers from the West Hesse police headquarters and their service dogs were winched down from the helicopter for the first time in this exercise.

On the second day, the so-called cap rope rescue was on the program. This involved simulating a rock rescue scenario in which a climber who had had an accident had to be rescued safely from a rock formation that was difficult to access. This demanding operation requires the utmost precision and regular training from everyone involved.

Another highlight followed on the third day with an exercise on the cable car to the Niederwalddenkmal in Rüdesheim. For the first time, the units were able to carry out a large-scale exercise on this cable car. Air rescuers were able to bring a large number of trapped passengers to safety from the cable car gondolas with the help of a helicopter and cable winch.

The last day of the training was used for a challenging exercise on a Wilbert crane in Waldlaubersheim. Here, the emergency services practiced rescuing people from a crane, a particularly challenging task for the Hesse police aviation squadron and the air rescuers from the Wiesbaden professional fire department.

For six members of the SRHT unit, the multi-day training course was also the final stage in their training as air rescuers. After intensive training, all six will be available for airborne rescue operations in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate in the future.

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