Team members simulate a rescue
On March 26, 2013, a five-day intensive, closed-door training session for the Yanqi Town Xizhazha Great Wall (Jiankou section) civilian rescue team came to an end. This grassroots rescue team was formed by Yanqi Town to respond to emergencies caused by people climbing the Jiankou section of the Great Wall, aiming to provide a way to save lives by securing precious seconds.
The Jiankou section of the Great Wall is located in Xizhazha Village, Yanqi Town. It is an ancient section of the Great Wall built during the Ming Dynasty that remains undeveloped. Many adventure seekers are drawn to it, but due to its treacherous terrain, those unfamiliar with the area often suffer life-threatening accidents such as falls and cliff drops when climbing. While Yanqi Town promotes the message that “climbing undeveloped sections of the Great Wall is prohibited,” it also established a civilian rescue team composed of 11 villagers from Xizhazha Village to buy these adventurers precious time in life-threatening situations. These individuals are all in good health and familiar with the local terrain, enabling them to quickly and accurately locate accident sites and safely guide rescuers. To ensure these 11 rescue team members have a solid grasp of emergency response knowledge, intensive, closed-door training began on March 22, covering essential skills such as basic capabilities, CPR, injury assessment, wilderness survival, physical training, casualty transport, bleeding control and bandaging, disaster-specific escape techniques, knot-tying, and the use of first aid kits. Rescue simulations were also conducted afterward to prepare these grassroots rescuers to handle emergencies effectively and save critical time.
Through the training, these native farmers have become capable of taking on the responsibility of saving lives and buying precious time. Yang Chunsheng, one of the participants, said excitedly: “These five days of training have taught us a lot of professional knowledge. Before, we could only guide people and find those in need, but even if we saw an injured person, we didn’t know how to help. Now, after this intensive, closed training, we feel confident and can apply what we’ve learned to save lives in emergencies.”