BUSHKILL – The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is hosting a Basic Technical Rescue Training workshop for National Park Service staff and partners this week. Each year, the National Park Service holds two week-long classes to train employees and partners in the skills needed to safely execute technical rescues.  Technical rescues involve using a system of ropes and pulleys to raise or lower rescuers and victims into or out of areas that cannot be reached on foot- including cliff faces, waterfall areas and ravines.  Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is hosting this year's class for parks in the eastern half of the country and Canyonlands National Park in Moab, Utah is hosting the class for parks in the western half of the country. 
 
According to Superintendent John J. Donahue,  Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area boasts an active search and rescue program with a highly specialized High Angle Rescue Team that provides technical rescue services not only to visitors in the park, but also to neighboring communities. “The park and the surrounding area provide an ideal location for this sort of training and it is also a great opportunity for our own rangers to improve their skills,” said Donahue.   
 
Fifty five students and thirty instructors will be participating in the workshop which will be centered at Pocono Environmental Education Center.  Field sessions will be held throughout the park and in neighboring state parks.    The class will begin by teaching students basic skills such as knot-tying and equipment use and by the end of the week students will be able to safely complete an advanced mock cliff rescue.