First Choice Safety Solutions: Safety, Rescue, Access, Training and Gear

09/12/2026

It was a busy week at First Choice Safety Solutions, with our teams supporting some unique and highly technical work across the Northeast!

FCSS supported a multiday rope access and confined space inspection project inside a major New York City bridge, providing confined space standby rescue, rescue planning, and specialized rigging.

At the client's request, we deployed a dual-qualified rescue team trained in NFPA confined space rescue and certified as SPRAT Rope Access Technicians, bringing both disciplines together to support a challenging internal inspection operation.

Another FCSS team was deployed to provide specialized rescue capability for critical maintenance work at an advanced semiconductor technology and precision manufacturing facility—an environment where some of the world's most precise manufacturing technologies are developed and produced.

Our team established the rescue systems and provided dedicated standby coverage while personnel accessed specialized equipment to perform critical cleaning and maintenance.

Meanwhile, our training division wrapped up Week 1 of 2 with the Milford Fire Department Milford, CT in Milford, CT, conducting rope rescue refresher training and orientation on their new rescue equipment.

This follows FCSS assisting the department with the replacement and modernization of its rope rescue equipment, taking the process from equipment selection through hands-on implementation and training.

Three very different missions. One very busy week.

First Choice Safety Solutions: Safety, Rescue, Access, Training and Gear

https://www.firstchoicesafetysolutions.com/standby-rescue-services

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

FCSS is proud to be a Corporate Sponsor of MATRS!
We’re excited to support the rescue community and looking forward to seeing everyone at the Massachusetts Association of Technical Rescue Specialists: MATRS
Event!!

We will have all kinds of equipment to share and showcase from our brand partners; including Petzl, CMC: Rescue, Safety, Access, Sterling Rope, STREP System, SKYLOTEC, NRS, Rock Exotica, Marlow Ropes - Tree Work, Safety & Access and more and Courant Fire and Rescue!!

Just under 2 Weeks away!!!!!

The Executive Board is excited to offer 3 Hot Class Workshops on September 17th.

Arborist Rescue - Corvus Professional

Artificial High Directional- M Caddell/ S Jensen

Land Mapping- Mass DCR

Link for sign up in Comments (limited space)

Thursday Night Social Event @ Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton.
FREE for all MATRS MEMBERS you do not need to be associated with a team to join! Deadline to sign up for Social is September 10th

Cash Bar, Challenges, giveaways and dinner!
Come and network with our corporate sponsors, see what they have to offer.

Head to MATRS.org/events to sign up!!!

08/31/2026

08/30/2026

Does your company use—or want to begin using—industrial rope access? Let’s build a partnership.

First Choice Safety Solutions: Safety, Rescue, Access, Training and Gear works with organizations across a wide range of industries, including:

• Bridge engineering and inspection
• Building and façade inspection
• Utilities and power generation
• Electrical transmission and distribution
• Industrial painting and coating
• Entertainment and event rigging
• Telecommunications
• Construction, maintenance, and specialty access

Our goal isn’t simply to provide a class or sell you equipment. We want to become a long-term resource for your rope access program.

FCSS can support your organization with:

• SPRAT rope access training and certification
• SPRAT Level III services and program support
• Rope access and safety consulting
• Equipment selection, outfitting, and ongoing gear supply
• Rescue planning and specialized technical training

Our track record is built on long-term relationships with companies that trust us to help train their people, support their operations, and provide the equipment they need to work safely and efficiently.

Whether you have an established rope access team or are exploring how rope access could benefit your operation, we would like to talk.

Let’s build a rope access partnership.

📍 Mystic, Connecticut
🌐 "www.firstchoicesafetysolutions.com" (https://www.firstchoicesafetysolutions.com)

08/27/2026

Ready to earn, advance, or renew your SPRAT Rope Access Certification?

First Choice Safety Solutions: Safety, Rescue, Access, Training and Gear has four SPRAT Rope Access Certification courses remaining in 2026 at our purpose-built training center in Mystic, Connecticut:

September 21–25
October 5–9
November 16–20
December 14–18

All sessions accept:

• Level I candidates
• Level II and Level III upgrade candidates
• Recertification candidates

Each five-day course includes four days of hands-on training followed by a written and practical evaluation conducted by an independent SPRAT Evaluator.

Your $1,700 registration includes:

• SPRAT training and evaluation
• Certification fees
• Rope access equipment
• Course materials
• Experienced SPRAT Level III instructors
• Low student-to-instructor ratios

First Choice Safety Solutions is a authorized Petzl Technical Partner and Indsutrial Rope Access (SPRAT) Training Center, FCSS provides professional instruction in New England’s largest purpose-built rope access training facility.

Class sizes are intentionally limited, so reserve your place early.

Register here:
https://shop.firstchoicesafetysolutions.com/events/sprat-rope-access-certification-all-levels-mystic-ct-12/

Questions about certification levels or group registration?

Contact us at [email protected] or 1-844-343-3277.

Petzl Professional
Sterling Rope
CMC: Rescue, Safety, Access
Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians - SPRAT
The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut
Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce

08/25/2026

Ready to earn, advance, or renew your SPRAT Rope Access Certification?

First Choice Safety Solutions has four SPRAT Rope Access Certification courses remaining in 2026 at our purpose-built training center in Mystic, Connecticut:

September 21–25
October 5–9
November 16–20
December 14–18

All sessions accept:

• Level I candidates
• Level II and Level III upgrade candidates
• Recertification candidates

Each five-day course includes four days of hands-on training followed by a written and practical evaluation conducted by an independent SPRAT Evaluator.

Your $1,700 registration includes:

• SPRAT training and evaluation
• Certification fees
• Rope access equipment
• Course materials
• Experienced SPRAT Level III instructors
• Low student-to-instructor ratios

First Choice Safety Solutions is a authorized Petzl Technical Partner and Indsutrial Rope Access (SPRAT) Training Center, FCSS provides professional instruction in New England’s largest purpose-built rope access training facility.

Class sizes are intentionally limited, so reserve your place early.

Register here:
https://shop.firstchoicesafetysolutions.com/events/

Questions about certification levels or group registration?
Contact us at [email protected] or 1-844-343-3277.

Petzl Professional
Sterling Rope
CMC: Rescue, Safety, Access
Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians - SPRAT
The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut
Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce

First Choice Safety Solutions is your our solutions-based partner for workplace safety services, solution, and training. Make Work Safe!

08/21/2026

Our thoughts are with the injured worker, their family, coworkers, and the emergency responders involved in this technical rescue in Holbrook, Massachusetts.

Although the circumstances surrounding this incident remain under investigation, it is an important reminder of the challenges associated with emergencies involving manholes, dry wells, vaults, tanks, and other confined spaces.

Confined-space emergencies can require specialized personnel, equipment, rigging, atmospheric monitoring, patient packaging, and coordination among multiple agencies. That is why rescue planning must occur before work begins.

A site-specific confined-space rescue plan should consider:

• The configuration and hazards of the space
• Atmospheric monitoring and ventilation
• Fall protection and non-entry retrieval
• Communication with entrants
• Rescue-team availability and response capability
• Access, patient packaging, and removal methods

“Call 911” alone is not a complete confined-space rescue plan. Employers should identify and evaluate the designated rescue service and confirm that it can respond appropriately to the specific hazards and configuration of the space.

We share this information not to speculate about this incident, but to encourage organizations to review their confined-space procedures and rescue readiness before an emergency occurs.

If your organization needs assistance evaluating its confined-space rescue readiness, First Choice Safety Solutions: Safety, Rescue, Access, Training and Gear provides confined-space assessments, rescue-plan development, training, rescue equipment, and professional standby rescue services.

Learn more:
https://www.firstchoicesafetysolutions.com/standby-rescue-services/

News report:
https://www.wcvb.com/article/technical-rescue-underway-at-manhole-in-holbrook-massachusetts/73484796

08/20/2026

Taking access to the next level at UConn’s iconic Gampel Pavilion!

First Choice Safety Solutions: Safety, Rescue, Access, Training and Gear recently provided SPRAT Level III rope access services on the pavilion’s distinctive dome in Storrs, Connecticut.

The steep, curved structure presented a complex access challenge requiring careful planning, specialized rigging, redundant rope systems, experienced Level III supervision, and site-specific rescue readiness. Our team provided safe and efficient access to areas where scaffolding, aerial lifts, and other conventional methods would have been difficult or impractical.

Rope access allows engineers, inspectors, and other technical professionals to reach challenging locations while minimizing disruption to the facility and surrounding operations.

From complex buildings and industrial facilities to bridges and critical infrastructure, FCSS provides professional rope access solutions tailored to the structure, scope of work, and hazards of each project.

Have a difficult-to-access project? Contact FCSS to discuss how our rope access team can help you reach it safely and efficiently.

08/12/2026