SUGARCREEK TWP. — Warmer weather means more people will be getting in the water soon, and the Sugarcreek Twp. Fire Department is already preparing for emergency situations that could happen to those taking a trip to a local river or lake.
On Friday afternoon the fire department participated in water rescue drills to train for the increase in water rescue calls that will take place in the coming months.
The pandemic has made it difficult to organize team drills in the past year that focus on water rescues, so team members used Friday’s training to work on their physical conditioning.
The drills are also about learning to deal with the mental stress of an unpredictable situation.
An instructor says the struggle of just putting on the water rescue gear takes practice, as some of it weighs up to 20 pounds.
“You have to make sure that you got it put on properly. You do not want water getting into the sleeves or neck area, so it takes longer than our firefighter gear,” Sugarcreek Twp. Fire Department Lt. Doug Buffenbarger said.
One of the points that instructors made is that no two water rescues are alike because weather, a downed tree, or high water can make the river conditions unpredictable from hour to hour.
The fire department’s water rescue training is better preparing their team to protect the lives of people planning to hit the water this summer.
Cox Media Group
