Firefighters Trained for Seasonal Water Rescues at the Grants Pass Family YMCA
Firefighters from Rural Metro and Jackson County Fire District #1 took to the calm water at the Grants Pass Family YMCA last weekend to refresh the skills they might need in much different water this summer.
Joining the training session were 10 lifeguards from the Y.
Under the guidance of two of Rural Metro's fire professionals, an internationally known rescue instructor and a retired US Coast Guard rescue swimmer, tasks included flipping an overturned raft, contact rescues of a panicked and combative victim, and the extraction of an unconscious or injured victim using a backboard.
Warmer weather is coming soon and so will the urge to swim in deceptively cold and swift water -- especially in the Rogue River. Every year, tragedy strikes those who are not prepared, sometimes with fatal consequences.
As an "all-hazard" service provider, Rural Metro's mission is to be as prepared as possible for when the call for help is made.
Posted on 4/18/24 6:28AM by Sam Marsh
