New Rescue One 'CDS'™ Major Improvement in Treestand Safety By Richard L. Holdcraft, RBA, MS HHD Consulting Group, LLC
Feb 24, 2009 - 5:03:28 AM
There are two primary reasons why hunters experience serious and fatal injuries. They are unsafe firearms handling and treestands. What is the one most important piece of equipment we as hunters need for our safety? The answer is simple: a fall protection system. Not just any harness though, a RESCUE ONE 'CDS', Controlled Descent System.
The new Rescue One 'CDS' as shown by the inventor Dr. Norman Wood, is a lightweight system that is easy to put on and buckle.
As a practicing safety professional with more than thirty years of experience and someone who has taught treestand safety for many years, I want to announce to the hunting community, a unique fall protection system that will totally revolutionize safety for hunters using treestands. There is absolutely nothing like it on the market. In fact, nothing comes even close to it.
The RESCUE ONE 'CDS' will when properly used, not only completely eliminate falls from treestands that result in serious or fatal injuries but prevent deaths that are the result of Suspension Trauma. That is a bold statement, but it is a fact. With this harness system, if a hunter falls from their platform and cannot recover to it, the Rescue One Controlled Descent System will allow them to safely lower themselves to the ground without injury. I have seen this device work and have used it myself. I am so confident in this harness system that I would put my own children in it and know that they would be totally safe and not hurt should they fall.
Rescue One Back.
Rescue One 'CDS' Front, with Brake Strap employed.
The problems with most fall protection systems currently sold on the market are the inability to recover from a fall and the danger of Suspension Trauma. Many harnesses do not allow the hunter to climb back into their stand so the user, often traumatized, out of breath, heart racing because of the fall, simply hangs there. Harnesses with the decelerator tether strap will cause the person to fall way below the level of the stand, making it virtually impossible to recover to the stand, even if the user is in excellent physical shape. There is little chance to recover in either one of these situations.
Suspension Trauma occurs within minutes when the straps around the legs cut off blood flow to the heart resulting in a drop in blood pressure and restricted circulation. It can eventually result in death. Only a few manufacturers provide a suspension relief strap with their harness so the user can relieve the pressure on the legs and allow the blood to flow. The problem with those is that the strap is often located in a pouch attached to the back of the harness where it is difficult to reach. Also, the hunter has to quickly maneuver around to try to tie the strap to the lineman's loops on both sides of the harness. If the hunter drops the strap to the ground, there is no way to relieve the pressure on the legs. Without immediate rescue, the hunter will probably end up as a serious or fatal injury statistic in a hunting incident report. With the RESCUE ONE 'CDS' the Suspension Relief Strap is easily reached and already connected at one end so it is quickly attached to the opposite D-ring without a worry of dropping it. Once the hunter has regained their composure, they can attempt to return to their stand, or if that is unlikely, pull the lanyard on the shoulder to control their descent to the ground. The result is No Injuries, No Suspension Trauma, No fatality.
With the Rescue One if you fall and are unable to regain your footing either on the stand or steps you simply grasp the Brake Strap, pull down to release the pin and then relax tension on the strap to begin a controlled descent to the ground. You are able to stop yourself at any point by pulling down on the strap.
At mid-point in your descent. Easy, controlled, able to stop your descent at any moment.
Safely on the ground with Rescue One.
The design and construction of the RESCUE ONE CDS exceeds Treestand Manufacturers Association specifications and the American National Standards Institute Z-359-2007. It exceeds harnesses approved for use by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The RESCUE ONE CDS will absorb an impact load that exceeds all of these standards. There is nothing else like it available.
The harness is very easy to put on. It incorporates a spreader panel in the back to keep the shoulder straps aligned at all times. There are no loose straps to confuse you. All hardware is OSHA approved Quick Connect Adjuster buckle through the buckle design for comfort or dual lock metal buckles for safety and security. There are no seat belt type buckles or plastic buckles that can unexpectedly pop open, or for straps to slip through like other models on the market today. It is impossible for the straps to come loose. If you should fall out of your treestand, you simply pull on the lanyard on your shoulder and gently ease yourself down to the ground. No other fall arrest system can assure your safety like the RESCUE ONE 'CDS'.
Think about; the cost of a 30-day stay in the hospital after a fall from a treestand can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you survive the fall, you still have months of rehabilitation or a permanent disability. A funeral can cost 30 to 40 thousand dollars. Compare those costs to the cost of this harness? The answer is pretty obvious. You will be glad that you made this investment.
As a safety professional and a treestand safety expert, RESCUE ONE 'CDS' is the only fall arrest system that I recommend.
RESCUE ONE 'CDS' is available from Dr. Norm Wood at www.mountaineer-sports.com. Mountaineer Sports LLC, Route 1, Box 260, Keyser, WV 26726, 304-298-4343. Discounts are available for Hunter Education Instructors who teach treestand safety. You must provide a photocopy of your current Hunter Education credentials and be in good standing. Please contact Mountaineer Sports LLC for more details on pricing and how to order.
Tell them Dick, the Treestand Safety guy sent you.
