WATER RESCUE (scroll down for Ice Rescue)
Copywrited Story and Video Used With Permission From--And Gratitude To--Your News Now, Syracuse
CLAYTON, N.Y. -- It's practically the real deal. Jefferson County First Responders took to the St. Lawrence River for a unique mock emergency drill.
Thousand Islands Rescue Director of Operations Glenn Morrison said, "We've never had this opportunity to train like this before, we would respond, just like we normally would, but now we actually think we might be a little more prepared, should that situation arise."
Teams of EMS and firefighters worked to free victims from below ship decks, tackling tight spaces, cold weather, and working in unfamiliar territory.
Clayton Fireman Justin Taylor said, "It's very important to familiarize, to get the concept out because every time you go out something is going to be different."
These drills couldn't be more important for responders in Clayton and other waterfront communities.
Morrison said, "Obviously we lie right in the middle of the shipping channel, and a scenario could happen at any given moment that we could be faced with."
This training also allows emergency responders from throughout the county the opportunity to work through problems, making them better prepared for actual emergency situations.
Morrison said, "We're actually removing people at an absolute 90 degree angle, straight up some of these hatchways and stairways and that's something that we've never done before. So we've had to change our normal packaging routines, how we secure the victim."
And other logistical problems also were revealed throughout the drills.
Taylor said, "We're dealing on three different communication systems. The fire frequency, the EMS frequency, and the marine frequency, so there's not one radio that you can communicate. As you can see, I’ve got three different radios to communicate with."
Morrison said, "You always hear the same thing. Communication is an issue. Well, we're trying to tackle that issue now."
It's helping make the seaway safer for everyone who travels on it.
RJ Marine in Clayton assisted the first responders with the mock emergency drill. They donated the vessel used in the drills which costs about four hundred dollars per hour to operate.
COAST GUARD, STAR TEAM ICE RESCUE LESSONS
Area
rescuers joined forces to teach and learn about saving people
trapped on ice or in icy waters last weekend. Members of TIERS,
Wellesley Island, Dexter, Cape Vincent and Calcium fire
departments battled the cold with Jefferson County's Special
Tactics and Rescue (STAR) team and members of the U.S. Coast
Guard's Alex Bay station to learn to do's and dont's of ice
rescue. TIERS Paramedic Chancy Law conducted classroom
training on hypothermia effects and treatment, followed by
hands-on practice in safely approaching and operating on ice,
deploying and utilizing various rescue equipment and techniques.
Pictures are courtesy of BM3
Steven Perkins, USCG STA Alexandria Bay
and can be seen in their entirity
here.
Also check out the jeffersoncountystar.com
site!
Jefferson County has almost 260 miles of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River coastline and dozens of islands. Summer weekends see hundreds of recreational watercraft and scuba divers in the water in addition to ocean-going Seaway ships and crowded tour boats and ferries.
