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Mark Anderson July 7, 2006 I spoke with Dana at Cascade Toboggan today. He is sending us a new saddle that is factory fit for the wider litter that we've received. He is also appreciative of our feedback regarding the tensioning system. They will replace the fastex hardware with something like¬Ýa triangular screw link. This way, if the person assembling the system forgets to maintain tension on the strap and the hardware gets sucked into the ratchet, it won't be destroyed. I also suggested that they look into using wider hardware that physically can't get sucked into the ratchet. At that point, it will probably be as firefighter-proof as possible. I wasn't present when the tensioning straps were damaged. It's only a matter of using the proper technique when tensioning the system, and we can avoid further problems. Once you do it (properly), it should be a skill that is easily retained. I will have the instructions laminated and stored with the system. We can also print up some stick-on labels with assembly tips to attach to the saddle. Dana indicated that he would ship the new saddle to us promptly, so that we would receive it prior to this weekend's training. He is interested in any other feedback that we, Seattle Mountain Rescue or KC SAR have on the system. I'll also touch bases with SFD and Eastside Fire to see if they have anything to add. While it has taken us a while to work through this process, I have been very impressed and satisfied with Cascade Toboggan's commitment to quality customer service. I think that having a standardized trail evacuation system from Seattle to Snoqualmie Pass has already started to show it's benefits. |