SPFD Brushes Up on Rescue Skills
Left, firefighters work to secure the “victim” during rescue training Wednesday at Iverson Park. (City-Times photo)
By Brandi Makuski
Stevens Point firefighters Tuesday took advantage of the spring weather and practiced “angle slope rescue” using the slope of the sled hills at Iverson Park. Fire Chief Tracey Kujawa said the department plans to do some type of field or classroom training daily throughout the summer, but it depends greatly on the number of emergency calls that come in.
“Depending on the kind of call it is, and where we have other crews, we may have to just leave equipment (on training grounds) and go, come back for it later,” she said. “But we try to get the training in where ever we possibly can.”
Crews also plan to brush up on confined space, trench and collapse rescue, she said. The department received a $15k grant in summer 2012 which was used to purchase pneumatic trench rescue equipment. Kujawa said the department will train with the new equipment closer to the fall.
“We’ve had a lot of turnover in the past year or so, we’ve got a lot of new guys so we’ve got a lot to learn as a team,” she added.
Captain Dennis Zvara, who has been a department trainer on rescue scenarios for nearly 15 years said the department practices scenarios separately from patient care.
“We’re looking to combine the two, patient care scenario with confined space rescue, hopefully in six months,” Zvara said as he watched a rescue crew practice belay- a climbing technique using ropes to safely ascend or descend- down the hill.
“Eventually we want to do a full scenario, like with a mannequin hanging from the water tower,” he added.
Crews used a dummy victim to train on the logistics of the rescue itself, which included rappelling, proper understanding of the rope and pulley system and learning to properly communicate with each other while safely navigating down the hill.
“We don’t simulate specific injuries but rather specific scenarios,” Kujawa said. “People in confined spaces, people trapped in a silo, people hanging from a tree stand, window washers from Sentry or Noel who could get stuck and their rope (safety line) goes bad. Your team needs to depend on you and vice versa, so the training is essential.”
“Our safety has to come first,” said Captain Jeff Davis, adding crews can be called upon to rescue people in very unique situations, so rappelling from various heights is a required skill.
“Of course I get scared,” said Davis of rappelling. “But I’m got a job to do. We didn’t put these people in the situation but it’s our job to get them out. You have to double check, triple check every knot. You’ve got to trust the guys you’re working with, you’ve got to trust your equipment. ”