Copyright© 2004 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.

"25 years ago... I was told that a carabiner with a brake bar was no longer considered safe for rope rescue and that I should get a Russ Anderson Figure 8 Descender. Such a rescue specific item was not available at climbing shops and I learned that several had to be ordered at a time. This looked like a business opportunity, so I bought six with the intention of selling the other five." Russ' oversized Figure 8's were machined out of plate aluminum and worked for lowering systems. The rope we used was a nylon 7/16-inch, three-strand laid rope called Goldline. Most of our gear was recreational climbing or caving equipment. Carabiners were only aluminum and rock climbing harnesses were considered state of the art. There have been many changes in the last 25 years. Rescue specific products were introduced, and NFPA Standard 1983 was developed to provide consistency in testing and labeling. Today we've started to see descenders that automatically stop and lock themselves, harnesses made from high tech materials for comfort and strength, carabiners with a variety of safety locking systems, and specialized communication equipment to meet the changing needs of our rescuers."
--James A. Frank, President, CMC Rescue, Inc.