This June, the RK Rescue Support Foundation has held a training session at the Skyliner, focusing on techniques for transporting patients down the staircase using advanced rope techniques. The goal of the exercise was to improve the skills of rescuers and compare different transport options during evacuation. As one of the tallest buildings in Poland, the Skyliner owned by Karimpol Polska was a perfect venue for the training.
During the training, a patient in a lying position, with monitoring strapped on, was safely lowered from the 43rd floor of the Skyliner to the ground, maintaining a constant horizontal position. This was quite a challenge as the difference in height between the floor at level -5 and the floor at level +43 of the office building at Daszyńskiego Roundabout is around 180 metres. Thanks to the use of special rope techniques, the transport went smoothly and steadily, minimising the physical effort of the rescuers and eliminating the risk of injury.
Seven experienced rescuers took part in the exercise, along with two extras who played the role of the patient. Two transport variants were practised: along the entire length of the staircase from one position, and with the patient being transferred to intermediate positions. The exercise involved situations in which the evacuation of a patient from a building is carried out solely by means of staircases. It did not cover fire hazards, and focused on cases of trauma or sudden illness where simpler methods of transport are not viable. There are medical emergencies where the patient‘s condition does not allow the stretcher to be angled while it cannot fit through the staircase horizontally, or the patient needs to be transported in a special cardiac chair due to the risk of a drop in blood pressure. In such cases, it is necessary to keep the patient in a horizontal position during transport. Carrying the patient down the stairs involves a huge human effort as several rescuers have to keep the patient horizontal. In addition, the patient’s weight, the stretcher, the monitors, and other factors must be factored in. Navigating a staircase that is too narrow or steep can also be problematic, although this was not a problem in the Skyliner exercise.
“Transporting a patient down the staircase, especially from a great height, involves a huge effort. By using rope techniques, a small team of rescuers can perform the task efficiently regardless of the patient’s weight. Active paramedics, firefighters, and cave rescuers took part in the exercise. This valuable experience will certainly improve the quality of their professional practice,” said Michał Janas, President of the RK Rescue Support Foundation.
The RK Rescue Support Foundation regularly holds refresher and coordination classes, which take place several times a year both indoors and in mountainous terrain. Such training has now been held for the first time in an office building in the centre of Warsaw.
“We are delighted to make our building available to the Foundation to train rescuers in life and health-saving exercises. We are certain that the experience and skills gained will contribute to improved efficiency and safety when transporting patients in staircases where other methods are unavailable or inadequate. Such exercises are important for us, too. We train people in many areas because we want our tenants to feel safe in the Skyliner,” said Szymon Zduńczyk, Executive Director at Karimpol Polska.
Training in transporting patients down the staircase is not the first joint activity of the RK Rescue Support Foundation and the owner of the office building at Daszyńskiego Roundabout. Last April, a charity staircase run, the Skyliner Everest Run, was held here.
About the RK Rescue Support Foundation
The RK Rescue Support Foundation is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the development of rescue services and the provision of emergency assistance. The Foundation is committed to training, improving skills, and promoting innovative rescue solutions. Its goal is to provide effective and safe medical assistance to those in need. The mission of supporting the emergency response and education system is pursued by an internal Medical Support Group. The Foundation brings together doctors, paramedics, nurses, qualified first aiders, psychologists, medical students, and anyone who is willing to devote a little of their time. For more information, visit https://fundacjark.org/
About the Skyliner
The Skyliner offers 49,000 sq.m of leasable space on 42 floors. Some of the space hosts retail and service units, restaurants, and a five-storey underground car park. At 165 m high is the two-storey Skybar with extraordinary views of the Warsaw skyline. With 16 metres high, the Skyliner has the highest office lobby in Poland. The building is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including 21 high-speed lifts (up to 7 m/s) with a smart, contactless service system, and the SkylinerApp building application, which replaces traditional access control cards and offers the possibility to book desks, rooms, and parking spaces remotely. The Skyliner holds a BREEAM Excellent certificate and is powered by 100 percent renewable energy. It is certified by innogy Polska S.A. of the E.ON Group as purchaser of guarantees of origin for RES electricity.
Designed by the architectural studio APA Wojciechowski, the complex will soon gain more ground. The studio’s team has designed its second stage, the Skyliner II tower. The 130-metre-high office building will be erected at Daszyńskiego Roundabout in Warsaw’s Wola district right next to the first stage of the investment. The second phase of the project is scheduled to start this autumn. Warsaw’s new Skyliner II office building will have 24,000 sq.m of space on 28 floors. Most of the floor space (23,000 sq.m) will be offices. Retail and service units will occupy nearly 1,000 sq.m. The building’s architecture will reflect the first phase of the Skyliner complex, filling the rest of the plot. The Karimpol Group’s two skyscrapers will be connected by a shared podium. In the second phase of the project, it will comprise a fully glazed foyer with an open, illuminated, two-storey lobby and mezzanine. As in the first phase, a prominent staircase will lead to the foyer. The interior will be filled with lush natural vegetation. In total, the publicly accessible podium of the complex will comprise 4,500 sq.m of dedicated commercial space available to both tenants and local residents. The complex at 67 Prosta Street will offer a total 73,000 sq.m of leasable space.