Development of a Multi-Criteria Numerical Model for the Evaluation of Rope Rescue Methods: A Pilot Methodological Case Study

Rescue operations in abandoned and structurally compromised buildings represent a specific type of technical intervention in which the rapid evacuation of injured persons must be ensured while maintaining a high level of rescuer safety. The selection of an appropriate rope rescue method is influenced by multiple technical, organizational, and time-related factors, whose comprehensive assessment requires a systematic multi-criteria evaluation approach. The aim of this study was to develop a numerical model and to demonstrate its calculation procedure and internal applicability using data obtained from a case-specific full-scale rescue exercise. The proposed model is based on experimental data obtained during a full-scale rescue exercise conducted by members of the Fire and Rescue Service of the Slovak Republic, in which two casualty evacuation techniques—the Arizona Vortex Rescue System and the Improvised Rope Traverse System—were evaluated within the same predefined exercise scenario. Each method was performed once by the same five-member rescue team. The evaluation combined measured operational parameters, expert assessment of qualitative criteria, multi-criteria analysis, and criterion weighting using the Fuller pairwise comparison method. Because each rescue method was represented by a single trial, the observations do not permit an assessment of experimental repeatability or general comparative effectiveness. Based on the proposed mathematical procedure, a composite indicator, the Rescue Method Performance Index (RMPI), was developed to integrate all evaluated criteria into a single performance measure enabling the quantitative comparison of the evaluated rescue methods. The pilot study did not include dedicated safety-risk indicators, such as rescuer fall risk or system-stability risk, and future research should incorporate such parameters to extend the operational applicability of the proposed model. Within the evaluated exercise, the Arizona Vortex Rescue System yielded an RMPI of 0.880, whereas the Improvised Rope Traverse System yielded an RMPI of 0.790. The experimental comparison further showed that the AVRS achieved a shorter rope-rescue operation time and more favourable operational-complexity and casualty-transport comfort ratings, whereas the IRTS demonstrated simpler deployment under the evaluated conditions. These case-specific values illustrate the application of the model and do not establish the general superiority of either rescue method. The proposed approach provides a methodological framework for the evaluation of rope rescue methods and establishes a basis for future validation through replicated full-scale exercises under different types of technical rescue operations.