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Senior Instructor Lead Instructors Assistant Instructors
Left, Len at Arapiles in 2003 Team Skills Rescue Workshop. Right, Len standing above Utah's Escalante River canyon in 2002 Canyon Rescue Workshop which he helped instruct In 1998 Len was awarded the prestigious Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship. This opportunity enabled Len to study technical rescue with emergency organizations in Canada, United States, Sweden, United Kingdom and Singapore for six months. Utilizing his knowledge gained locally and internationally Len has set up a training company (Fire & Rescue Australia). Fire & Rescue Australia specializes in teaching ongoing training to corporations, emergency services members and individuals. Participants frequently describe Len's courses as "the most intensive, enjoyable learning experience in Australia for rescuers". Len is privileged to be working with Ropes that Rescue and hopes he may be able learn from Reed and other members and to share his knowledge with rescuers all over the world.
Kevin Frye, with wife, Shannon, sons Connor and Kaelen enjoying the mountains above there home in California. Right, Kevin and dog/pet, "Tiller" in recent training
Kevin, an excellent cook in his own right, whips up a tasty peach cobbler for students at the Outward Bound kitchen on Hurricane Island for the Minimalist Mountain Rescue Workshop Maine, 2004.
Left, Doug atop the Seattle Space Needle in 2004 assisting in the Marysville Fire Team Skills Rescue Workshop program Doug was hired with the city of Wenatchee, Washington as a Firefighter in 1995. Having had exposure to many rescue disciplines, he chose to make technical rope rescue his specialty. After beginning his instructor training with Ropes That Rescue in 1997, he returned to the Wenatchee Fire Department and created their current rope rescue program. Left, Doug on some of the harder routes of Smith Rocks, Oregon Doug has logged over 900 hours of instruction in the art of rope rescue. His background has allowed him to interact with all types of students ranging from professional firefighters to people in industry. Aside from his time spent teaching; he has gained experience through his involvement with his local mountain rescue group. Right, Instructor, Doug Clark, with wife, Mandy, and Zoe In his free time Doug enjoys many outdoor activities including canoeing, mountain biking, and hiking with his wife, Mandy, and their Australian Shepherd, Zoe. Doug and Mandy just recently welcomed a brand new baby daughter to the household! Her name is Mya Isabella Clark. We're still waiting for pics! Eric Ulner, Assistant Instructor Eric entered the vertical world during high school in 1977, learning rock climbing on the sandstone cliffs of Southern Illinois. Since then, climbing has been a constant. He has opened over 150 new climbing routes in Southern Illinois, and has climbed in areas across the United States. The Ulner family from left to right: Eric, Lukas (7) and Kathy
He is the author of three editions of Vertical Heartland: A Rock Climber's Guide to Southern Illinois, having finished the latest in early 2005. He is a licensed Emergency Medical Technician- Intermediate level- with ambulance experience at Jackson County in Illinois since 1994. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Away from work, Eric enjoys climbing with Kathy and their son, Lukas, and his other passions of Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, and in-line skating. Eric climbing "Bolted One" at Jackson Falls in southern illinois (Click to Enlarge) VERTICAL HEARTLAND Dave Van Holstyn, Assistant Instructor
Above left, Dave Van Holstyn helps practitioners in 2006 Indianapolis Industrial Rescue Workshop above water filled spillway Scott Bye , Assistant Instructor
F I teach for several reasons. On a professional level teaching helps me perform my duties to a high standard of excellence. The depth of knowledge and intense familiarity of the theories and tools constantly forces me to study, practice and effectively present information to a wide variety of students. On a personal level I teach to pass on knowledge. I often feel as though I am standing on the shoulders of giants since the great majority of my knowledge comes from the experience and work of many practitioners who have gone before me. Each person who took the time to teach me has, in their own way, shaped my knowledge and skills. Having been generously taught and encouraged by others I feel an obligation to do the same. As in all of life what more worthwhile undertaking is there than helping others reach their potential?
Left, Greg at the recent 2007 Bell Rock to Courthouse Butte highline. Right, Greg and Clara at home in Seattle, WA Beyond my career I have many interests and hobbies - especially if they are "gear intensive" pursuits. However, perhaps my most meaningful interest is my dog, Clara. She is a black Labrador Retriever. Because of her endless energy she and I spend hours hiking and playing outdoors. And she’s never met a tennis ball or a swimming hole she didn't like. It’s been said that dogs have so many friends because they wag their tail instead of their tongue. I agree. I also love reading and I read widely. Non-fiction has been the majority of my reading during the last few years. Topics such as travel, science, philosophy, theology and food are always near the top of the stack. Memoir, too, has taken a prominent role in my reading. Surprisingly more than I ever thought it would. The range of human experience constantly fascinates me, even more so when the person is not famous or prominent. And, of course, I always appreciate the craftsmanship of a well-written novel. A few authors that have influenced me include: C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel, Hank Hannegraff and John Maxwell. Left, Greg attends a litter on the 750' high Forest Hill Bridge, America's 3rd highest, in a Team Skills Rescue Workshop in 2006. Right, Clara looking rather intent on retrieving a ball!
I also thoroughly enjoy food of all kinds. So the restaurant, of course, is not far behind indoor plumbing on my list of greatest inventions. And I am fortunate to live in Seattle where the variety of restaurants and the freshness of local ingredients make eating out adventurous and exciting. (Not to mention we have some of the world's best vineyards in our backyard.) And I always enjoy the ritual of cooking at home. Certainly the gear guy in me is pleased with the way a properly sharpened knife performs on a walnut cutting board and the way a pair of perfectly balanced tongs feels in my hand as I flip a rib eye on the grill. But the best part is inviting a few friends over, playing music, drinking good wine and engaging in long discussions of religion and politics.
I have been a firefighter for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District since 2005. Prior to the fire service, I was a microbiologist and quality control lab technician for a well-known brewery. I did work in infectious disease research during college, and I also spent a month one summer living in a remote field station in Mexico learning to do bird population studies. I have a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. I am an amateur photographer and I love to mountain bike. I also love to watch my two dogs wrestle with each other and run around at the park. Skipper and Ginger are my Australian shepherds, and we live in Chico, California. When I began my career in the fire service (just a few years ago), I was immediately fascinated by the discipline of technical rope rescue. In the past two years I have been involved with rope rescue training for the recruit academy at Metro Fire as well as high angle rescue training for some of our truck companies. I am drawn to the simplicity involved in building and operating what may appear to be complex systems. Left, Becky on the Forest Hill Bridge during 2007 Personal Skills Rescue Workshop. Right, Becky with Skipper and Ginger in the wilderness of the Northwest. I Left, Becky prepares to take a long ride on a huge 500 kv power line during a tower rescue course Reed Thorne (right in photo) was teaching for a utility in Sacramento, CA in 2008. Reed Thorne, VP RTR, Senior Instructor Reed Thorne has been involved in the teaching of techniques relative to the 'vertical realm' since the early 1970's. In Southern California, his first activities dealing with rope were with the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter (Orange County Group)
In 1989, Reed was also instrumental in the preliminary testing of belay techniques alongside John Dill of Yosemite SAR and Arnor Larson of the British Columbia Council of Technical Rescue in BC, Canada. These tests still remain some of the most extensive ever attempted by a volunteer team of lay-researchers, the results of which were published in Response magazine in the highly acclaimed 1990 article "Are You Really On Belay?" by John Dill. Many of Reed's hand-drawn illustrations accompanied this article.
Open Training | Contract Services | Linemen Training | Rope Access | Rope & Equipment | Instructors Copyright Ropes That Rescue Limited. All photos on this site from Ropes That Rescue, Ltd. collection unless noted otherwise |
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Rescue in Virginia. Continuing his fire service education, he attended many fire and technical rescue courses and obtained an Associate Instructor certificate from the Virginia Dept. of Fire Programs. Kevin instructed as an apprentice in many fire and rope classes for PWC and the State of Virginia.
In 1981, Eric concurrently began a 12-year tenure as a Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido instructor at Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri State Universities, and at private schools. It was this precision-coordination teaching that laid a foundation for Eric to effectively communicate technical rope and climbing skills. Since 1993, Eric has owned and operated the 
Grand Rapids (MI) Fire Department. He is currently assigned to Ladder Co. #1, one of the department’s technical rescue companies. His fire service career started in 1987 as a paid-on-call firefighter in Walker, MI. He began his formal technical rescue training in 1993 as a charter member of the department’s confined space rescue team but his exposure to working at heights started in the late 70’s while doing work on communications towers. Dave is also a team leader for the West Michigan Regional collapse rescue team. As a FEMA certified collapse instructor and state certified instructor, he teaches courses in all aspects of technical rescue but rope rescue remains his specialty. He has conducted countless classes, not only for fire departments in Michigan, but also for industrial rescuers in a dozen states and Canada. Dave has made several presentations at the national Fire Department Instructors Conference and is also one of their Hands-On Instructors. In addition to confined space and collapse rescue Dave was involved in the development of programs on firefighter survival, rapid intervention teams and industrial extrication. Dave has been married to Joanne for 24 years, they live in Grand Rapids with their children, Mark 21, Beth 16 and Renee 20. In his spare time Dave enjoys hiking and stock car racing. 
Scott began his career in the vertical realm in 1978. With a pair of sneakers and a “swami” belt, he began the journey of rock climbing that has taken him to many different climbing areas of the world. Scott has climbed locally for many years in the Lake Tahoe basin and in Yosemite, climbing many of the classic long free and aid routes on the immense granite cliffs of Yosemite, namely, El Capitan’s Salathe wall and the world renowned free climb, Astroman on Washington’s column. Scott has climbed at Mt. Arapiles; Australia, Siruana; Spain, Verdon Gorge; France, Pembroke; England and Squamish; Canada, et al. “Traveling around to different countries of the world, helps me retain an appreciation for everything we have and all that the U.S. has to offer, yet I learn something new, every time I travel abroad”.
Scott is currently employed with the Roseville Fire Department and is a Captain on Truck 1 on the “B” shift. He has been in the fire service for over 19 years, first starting as a Volunteer Firefighter in Placerville, Ca., then becoming a full-time career Firefighter in 1988. He then took a job with Roseville in 1990. Since then, he had promoted to Engineer in 1993 and then to Captain in 1997. Scott became a Haz-Mat Specialist in 1993 and became California State Rescue systems I & II, Confined Space, Trench Rescue, and Shallow Water Dive Rescue certified. He is also in the process of joining the CATF-7 FEMA USAR team. Scott is in charge of all Technical Rope Rescue work and training at Roseville Fire Dept.
ew subjects in the fire service pique my interest or motivation like the discipline of rope rescue. What first appeared to me as a simple rope system has become far more. Through practice and learning I continue to discover and appreciate the scientific beauty of a well-rigged rope system. From the intricate systems we often practice to the simple design and efficiency of a classic set-up, rope rigging truly is an art. I am excited and honored to be asked to teach with Ropes That Rescue.
I am a member of the Seattle Fire Department and work on the Technical Rescue Team, which is specially trained for emergencies such as structural collapse, heavy extrication, trench collapse, high angle, confined space and dive rescue. Before beginning my career in the fire service I worked in building construction. As a third-generation carpenter I’ve been swinging a hammer off and on for many years. At the advice of a mentor, I began attending college classes a few years after graduating high school. In short order I developed a thirst for knowledge and learning and continued on with my studies eventually graduating from Seattle Pacific University in 2003 with majors in Political Science and English.Clara
My father encouraged a love music in me. As a teenager I used spend time working with him in his shop. There I discovered in his collection a jazz album - cassette tape actually - entitled The Road To You by the Pat Metheney Group. Until I heard that album I thought of music as a three-minute song here and there. But as I played The Road To You over and over I discovered how each song, though unique on its own, flowed naturally into the next creating a complete and thoughtful presentation. That's when an album became an album in its entirety and music became much more alive for me than a mere pop song. That album in particular, with its Brazilian-inspired percussion and beautiful guitar work, became a sort of bookmark for me, a connection to the past that evokes memories of the smell of sawdust and time spent with my dad. I played that tape until it broke. And from that time until today the music of Pat Metheney constantly excites and inspires me. By the way, Reed Thorne is a huge fan of Pat Metheny as well.
I once read somewhere that “the biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams”, and I’ve always said I love a good adventure.
