Fire District 3 Rescue Team Honored
Jackson County firefighters received a Unit Citation for their role in a complex high-angle rescue near Prospect
Firefighters and rescue partners used technical rope systems during a high-angle rescue near Prospect in early October 2025. Photo courtesy Jackson County Fire District 3.
Members of Jackson County Fire District 3’s Technical Rescue Team have been honored by the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association for their role in a difficult high-angle rope rescue near Prospect last fall.
The team received a Unit Citation this week recognizing the rescue, which took place in early October 2025 and involved a victim located hundreds of feet down a cliff.
According to Jackson County Fire District 3, members of its Technical Rescue Team helped lead the operation, working alongside Prospect Rural Fire Protection District, Mercy Flights and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue.
The Fire District 3 members recognized included Captains Ben Kennedy and Don Manning, Engineer Andy Cardinal, and Firefighters Garrett Byrd, Jared Nichols, Collin Lee and Jacob Reginato.
During the rescue, Captain Manning and Firefighter Lee descended roughly 350 feet down the cliff to reach the victim. Crews then used a Stokes basket and mechanical advantage rope system to recover the person alive.
The operation also included technical support from partner agencies, including the use of a drone to help locate the victim and emergency medical care following the rescue.
High-angle rescues are among the most technical and physically demanding emergency responses. They often require specialized rope systems, coordinated communication, patient packaging, and careful movement over steep or unstable terrain.
For the crews involved, the citation recognizes not only the successful outcome, but also the teamwork required to bring multiple agencies together during a dangerous and complex incident.
“Well done to all those involved in this rescue,” Jackson County Fire District 3 said in its announcement.
The recognition highlights the regional role of technical rescue teams across Southern Oregon, where steep terrain, remote recreation areas and rural access challenges can quickly turn an emergency into a specialized rescue response.
For the victim, the work of those responders meant being found, reached and brought back to safety.
For the firefighters and rescue partners involved, it now also means statewide recognition for a life-saving operation carried out when every foot of rope, every decision and every agency on scene mattered.
Cover image: Members of Jackson County Fire District 3’s Technical Rescue Team were honored by the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association for their role in a complex high-angle rescue near Prospect. Photo courtesy Jackson County Fire District 3.
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