Remembering Mr. Bud Calkin of Skedco, Inc.
Roco Rescue joins with thousands of emergency responders across the nation and around the globe in mourning the loss of Mr. Bud Calkin, founder of Skedco, Inc.
Rescue Talk™
Mission Driven, Safety Focused Content
Are You Prepared for a Trench Emergency at Your Facility?
Working in and around trenches is a routine part of life in many industries. Industrial maintenance projects, utility work, construction activities, and municipal water or sewer repairs all rely heavily on excavation work. Because trenching occurs so frequently, it can begin to feel like just another part of the job. When that familiarity sets in,...
Real Rescue: In the Shadow of the Roco Training Center
It’s not often you get called for a rescue right next door, but this is literally what happened for firefighters assigned to Baton Rouge Fire Department Rescues #1 and #2. They were just finishing up a training session at FD Headquarters when a call came in for a medical emergency/rescue directly across the street. And...
The 4 Phases of Rescue
Spend a few minutes watching a rescue team work through a scenario and you’ll start to notice a pattern. Tripods go up, someone pulls the SKED out of the bag, and a haul system starts taking shape. Before long there’s a little mountain of equipment building up around the entry point. It looks busy. It...
Incident Report – A Solemn Reminder
Massachusetts-based construction contractor assessed $4.6M in proposed penalties. OSHA has cited a water and sewer line construction contractor for willfully and repeatedly exposing workers to trench hazards. Proposed penalties of $4.6M were assessed against the company in a trench collapse in 2025 that claimed the life of an employee and seriously injured another at a...
Two Killed, Two Injured in Alaskan Confined Space Incident
Two crew members were killed and two others injured during a confined space incident aboard a barge in southeast Alaska. According to the Coast Guard, the crew entered a confined space and lost contact with others on the tug. Initial information from family indicates methane gas may have been present, though details are still under...
Roco Safety Tip: Continuous Air Monitoring
Between 2011 and 2018, 1,030 workers died in confined spaces in the United States alone. More than 60% of those deaths were tied to hazardous atmospheres. In many cases, the air either wasn’t properly monitored, or it changed after entry. A space can meet acceptable entry conditions at the start of the shift and still...
5-Ways to Improve your After-Action Reviews
Not every rescue ends the same way. Sometimes the patient walks away, sometimes they’re packaged and transported, and unfortunately, sometimes the outcome is a recovery operation instead of a rescue. At the end of the operation, everyone stands around catching their breath, replaying moments in their head.
Roco Rescue Challenge 2025!
This year’s Roco Rescue Challenge was one for the books. For those unfamiliar, Roco Rescue Challenge is our annual event, going on its 33rd year, where industrial rescue teams from across the country put their skills to the test in a series of realistic rescue scenarios, individual, and team performance evaluations. It’s part training event, part competition, and all about sharpening skills, building camaraderie, and celebrating the rescue community.
Roco Rescue’s Compliance Tools!
If you’re building a confined space program, stepping into a role that oversees confined space work, or reviewing a program you’ve managed for years, this is a useful place to start. Our Roco Rescue Compliance Tools page brings together key confined space regulations with clear explanations focused on rescue and the provisions that support it....
