Courageous Kids Climbing Hosts Successful Rope Rescue in ID

Courageous Kids Climbing organized an intense hands-on rope rescue training class to give back to first responders for their support of children with special needs through inclusive activities.

On Oct. 4, 36 first responders from across Idaho attended the one-day Introduction to Rope Rescue training at the Meadows Valley Emergency Services Building in New Meadows. It hosted by the Meadows Valley Fire Department.

“Most of our free rock wall climbing opportunities for people with special needs are supported by first responders," said Jeff Riechmann, executive director of Courageous Kids Climbing. "Because of the outstanding support that we receive from first responders throughout the western U.S., we want to give back to first responders. This desire to give back has resulted in the Introduction to Rope Rescue training opportunity.”

The classroom portion of the training reveiwed the equipment used in rope rescue situations, showed students how to tie the needed knots and how to rig and carry a Stokes basket stretcher with a patient.

In the afternoon, students moved to J.L. Morgan Quarry near New Meadows where they applied the lessons from classroom to real-life scanrios. They were able to to rappel off a vertical rock face, carry a Stokes basket down the steep rock face and then return the Stokes basket to the top.

The training was led by Brian Adams of the Grangeville Mountain Rescue Unit. Adams and members of the unit created a safe learning experience for all the participants.

This was the third year that the event has been held and interest in the program continues to grow, Reichmann said. 

“The intent of the training is not to make all of the participants rope rescue technicians, but to provide enough knowledge and hands on experience that they can support a rope rescue team during a real-world rescue incident," Reichmann added. 

After retiring from the fire service in 2005, Riechmann moved to Idaho and took up the hobby of rock climbing. He got close with the owner of a climbing gym in the area and had discussions on how the fire department was big on giving back to community. From that conversation, Courageous Kids Climbing was created. 

"I got to thinking that in 28 years on the job, I never heard or saw a kid with special needs check out our fire truck,"Riechmann recalled. "I decided that we needed to include firefighters in our events as well as other first responders. Now, it's an opportunity for the first responders to learn how to work with the kids, and for the kids to learn to not be afraid of people in uniform."

It's not only an event to expose children with special needs to fire apparatus and those in uniform, but serves as a training opporutnity for rope teams within fire departments. To maintain rope team qualifications, first responders can attend a Coreagous Kids Climbing event and put two hours towards their annual training requirements. 

Riechmann recalls a story from one where an attendee with special needs was scared to get within 50 feet of any apparatus. One of the fire captains was able to buddy up with the attendee and eventually got him to sit in each of the apparatus.

"We take kids that are nonverbal, and we teach them sign language. We teach them how to say help in sign language, and then we have kid go over and teach the first responders," said Riechmann. 

After last year’s training event, the Meadows Valley Fire Department was called out to rescue a woman whose vehicle went over the side of a rural road. Many of the participants in the rope rescue class responded to the rescue and were able to use their new skills to rescue the woman.

“Hearing stories of how the first responders who have attended one of our programs was able to put those skills to use just emphasizes the importance of this training,” added Riechmann.

The effort to provide free training opportunities for first responders continues when Courageous Kids Climbing will coordinate a program called “Autism In The Wild,” which will enhance the skills of first responders called to incidents involving people with autism. This training program will be led by instructors from the Isaac Foundation of Spokane, WA, and will be held in Weiser, ID, on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.

For more information on any of the above mentioned activities, please contact Riechmann at [email protected] or vist Courageous Kids Climbing on Facebook.