About this ebook
CMC has been an innovator in the emergency services industry for over 40 years. In 1978 Jim Frank endeavored to make rescue safer and more efficient by founding California Mountain Company (later CMC Rescue, now CMC), a company that sourced and supplied specialized life safety equipment to the rescue community.
Today, CMC is a globally recognized, employee-owned company that proudly manufactures many products in our ISO-certified Santa Barbara facility, and provides specialized education and training for rescue and rope access professionals.
CMC recommends that all rope technicians seek qualified, hands-on instruction from a trusted source. The CMC School provides this type of training with a focus on learning-by-doing. Open enrollment and custom courses are available worldwide. For more information on CMC or the CMC School, visit cmcpro.com.
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About the author
James A. Frank is the founder of CMC Rescue. Inc. He is involved in engineering, publications, and the education programs. As a team leader with Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue, he has over 45 years of experience with searches, technical rescue, and swiftwater rescues. Jim is a Technical Support member of the California Rescue Dog Association and a former backcountry ski patroller.
Now “retired”, Jim served on the NFPA Technical Rescue Committee, the NFPA Technical Committee on Special Operations Clothing and Equipment, and ANSI/ASSE Z359 Committee on Fall Protection. One of the founding members of the Society for Rope Access Technicians, Jim chaired the Safe Practices committee during its first revision. He is also a member of ASTM F32 on Search & Rescue.
John McKently served as Director of the CMC School for many years. John started with CMC as an instructor in 1995 and full-time as the Director in 1996. John is also a long-time instructor for the Direction & Control of the Search Function, a California Office of Emergency Services search management course, including the winter operations session.
John has over 46 years of technical rescues and search operations with Montrose Search & Rescue, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s team. He is also a member of the specialized rescue unit for abandoned mines.
John has served on the board of directors for NASAR, and as a member of the FEMA standards committee. He has been a member of several ASTM and NFPA committees for many years.
Wayne Chapman started with CMC Rescue, Inc. as a part-time instructor in 1993 and in 2020 became the Director of the CMC School. Wayne was employed for over 30 years with the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in Southern California serving in various capacities during his tenure with the OCFA including Firefighter, Paramedic, USAR Truck Firefighter, Heavy Rescue Captain, Truck Captain and Helicopter Crew Chief.
Wayne was also a member of FEMA’s California Task Force 5 since its inception in 1993. He spent the majority of his time with the Task Force as the Section Coordinator for the Heavy Equipment and Rigging Specialists. During his time with CATF-5 he was an N.C.C.C.O certified Level I and II rigger and a recognized rigging subject matter expert with FEMA. He assisted with the development of California State Fire Training's Confined Space Rescue Technician and Rope Rescue Technician Programs. He was also a member of the California OES Regional Task Force Working Group, a non-voting member of the FEMA Rescue sub-group, and is a member of the ASTM Committee F-32 on Search & Rescue. Wayne also sits on the Board of Directors for ITRA. In 2018 Wayne retired from the Fire Service and joined CMC full-time as the Assistant School Director. Wayne teaches rope rescue, confined space rescue and other specialty rescue courses across the United States as well as internationally.
LeRoy Harbach began his rope rescue experience in the military and joined CMC as a part-time instructor in 1999. He was hired as a full-time instructor in 2008 following a 26-year career in the fire service with assignments including training officer and battalion chief. In 2009, CMC promoted LeRoy to Senior Instructor.
LeRoy has written several training programs for fire service and industrial technical rescue teams including rope rescue, confined space, trench rescue and structural collapse. He teaches open enrollment and contract classes for public agencies, government organizations and private industry across the United States and internationally.
Cedric Smith worked with CMC Rescue, Inc. from 2003 to 2020. Cedric was a member of CMC’s engineering team, he was engaged in product development and facilitates certification of rescue equipment and specializes in equipment for air operations. Cedric represented CMC on ASTM F32 Committee on Search & Rescue and both the NFPA Technical Rescue Committee and NFPA Technical Committee on Special Operations Clothing and Equipment. He has been a frequent presenter at the International Technical Rescue Symposium (ITRS).
Cedric first joined search & rescue in Canada in 1995. He joined Santa Barbara Search & Rescue in mid-2003. He is an Incident Commander for the team, has held the Training Officer Position and now serves as the chair of the team’s Incident Commander Committee.
