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LBFD Urban Search and Rescue Team Conducts Inflatable Rescue Boat Training In Preperation Of Potential Hurricane and Flooding Incidents
By frhayes | July 29, 2009
On Monday, July 27th and Tuesday, July 28th Members of the Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) Urban Search and Rescue Team (US&R) participated in Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) training off of the shoreline of Fire Station Six, near the Queen Mary. This training is also scheduled during the Month of August that will provide for all three shifts attendance.
The drill activities were comprised of; low speed approaches centered on a buoy that was meant to simulate moving towards a stationary object, such as roof tops or trees were victims involved in a flooding situation might be located, requiring rescue. J-turns were also practiced; this maneuver would be utilized when rescue boats would be required to navigate into and through swift moving water. The finial primary and most dangerous operation that was conducted involved victim pick-ups in the water. During any type of water rescue this procedure has no room for error, there might be only one opportunity to facilitate a rescue before the victim is lost.
This training was in preparation of the upcoming hurricane and rainy season where these personnel and equipment might be called upon. In August of last year the LBFD received an emergency request from the State of California, Office of Emergency Services (OES) asking us to respond our Swift Water Rescue Task Force 12 to the State of Louisiana, in response to anticipated damages, and possible rescues required due to Hurricane Gustav, and subsequent Hurricanes. This team comprised of 7 Firefighters and 7 Lifeguards operated in this area walking through knee-deep water and utilizing their IRB’s to conduct searches and perform rescues for approximately 3 weeks.
All of the personnel involved with these activities are part of the US&R team a group of highly trained individuals, which are prepared to take on the challenge of complex and technical rescue operations. The equipment utilized is all part of the cache that has been obtained through multiple different grant funds that the LBFD has been able to acquire. This combination of trained individuals and state of the art equipment form one of the very few Swift Water Task Forces in the Nation, and provides for the opportunity to better protect the citizens of Long Beach as well as those in need in different parts of the country.
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