TIFTON — Members of Tift County Fire Rescue underwent testing for national certification for rope rescue technician on Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Ken Gallagher said that TCFR has tested a total of five paramedics and 13 firefighters for the certification.

One of the exercises they were tested on was called a pick-off.

“It’s if a worker on an elevated platform falls, we have to lower one of our rescuers down to the patient and get them off of their (rope) system and either lower them to the ground or in some cases bring them back up,” Gallagher said. “It’s highly technical training and in this area it’s mostly for an industrial type setting.”

In addition to the national certification, this rope rescue class will eventually allow the participants to be part of the Georgia Search of Rescue Task Force 2.

Jeff Thibodeau, special operations captain with the Valdosta Fire Department and GSAR Task Force 2 coordinator, said that this is just one of four classes members need to be on GSAR.

“GSAR is one of eight Georgia Search and Rescue units that we have throughout the state of Georgia,” Thibodeau said. “They’re scattered throughout the state for any kind of natural disaster or terrorist attack or anything like that.”

After rope rescue, the next trainings will be confined spaces, trench rescue and structural collapse. Thibodeau said that after those 300 hours of training participants will be certified to be on the GSAR team.

Follow Eve Guevara on Twitter @EveGuevaraTTG.