| Tonight firefighters sharpened their skills in some cooler conditions. With the summer well in swing and area pools and lakes booming, firefighters took on a little different type of training. The focus on the training was water rescue emergencies. The St. Stephens Fire Department responds to medical emergencies, and sometimes these emergencies are water related. This could be at a pool, lake, pond, etc. Our firefighters must be trained to adapt to whatever situation they may encounter. Tonight we utilized a local pool to practice retrieving and removing victims from the water. Our patients ranged from full sized adults to small children and their injuries varied from neck and back injuries to full cardiac arrest. The main objective to the training was the proper methods to retrieve a victim and the best ways to get that victim to shore where emergency medical care can be provided. Tools utilized during the training were floating back boards, personal flotation devices, rope throw bags, and rescue buoys. The St. Stephens Fire Department would like to thank Kool Park Pool for allowing us to utilize this wonderful facility for our training. |
