Thursday, October 30, 1997
Fire academy cadets learn trench rescue techniques
By TANYA EISERER / Abilene Reporter-News
Abilene fire cadets worked fast and furious to rescue an entombed
construction worker from a six-foot deep trench Wednesday afternoon.
The rescue of the construction worker -- actually a 160-plus
pound dummy -- was part of a simulation trench rescue held at
the fire training field on East Lake Road.
"Keep in mind as firefighters that you are going to have
to be ready for any situation that comes along," firefighter
Daryl Green, an instructor, told the cadets.
The exercise, part of a 42-hour rescue class, teaches cadets
how to protect themselves while removing a trapped person, Green
said.
In a trench rescue situation, firefighters have to consider
the many obstacles, including ensuring the victim has enough air,
the possibility of encountering electrical lines, the amount of
dirt involved and weather conditions.
"If you've got dirt up to your chest, you've got pushing
in on your chest which is going to make it difficult to breath,"
Green said. "If he's not completely covered, you've got to
take steps to make sure that doesn't happen."
Shoring up
Fire cadets, in their 14th week of training, first shored up
the the trench's walls with plywood and piping connected to a
hydraulic pump. They then placed sheets of plywood and lumber
around the trench to distribute the weight, Green said.
"Those boards make it possible for us to get in there
without putting our weight down one area," he said.
The ten cadets, including one from Cisco, were instructed to
avoid working on the side where the dirt piles were located for
fear of causing another cave-in.
"That is our non-working area, but we have to have people
over there to ensure safety," Green said.
Each person, before descending into the 36-inch trench, was
connected to a rope.
"If something should happen to them, hopefully we can
pull them out before it gets deep enough to cover them up,"
Green said.
Cadets were also strongly reminded not to step outside of the
shoring area, lest they become victims themselves.
"You never get out of the shore area," said firefighter
Ronald Smith, an instructor. "If there's not enough room
for them in the shored area, they're not going in.
"If you get into that situation, it may mean you need
to stop and put some more shoring up."
One fire cadet, called a safety man, was charged with making
sure procedures were followed.
Into the hole
Cadets Jeffery Waggoner and Tye Brooks, outfitted in breathing
apparatus equipment, descended into the hole, removed soil from
the victim and sent up buckets filled with dirt.
"Don't waste your air," Capt. Jerry Medley yelled
to Waggoner and Brooks. "Do it by hand. Do it by shovel.
Do whatever takes."
Once the dirt was cleared away, a two-man rescue team descended
into the trench to bring the victim out. Though it was a only
a simulation, the cadets had a sense of urgency.
Medley instructed the rescue crew that in a real-life situations
they might have perform basic emergency medical care, including
putting splints on arms or legs.
Working in a confining space, Cadets Gaite Taylor and Timothy
Carroll, the rescue team, maneuvered a basket into place and carefully
placed the victim on it.
The cadets, finding it difficult to stay within the shoring
area, then tied him in the basket to keep him from falling out
and slid him up the ladder and out of the trench.
"It's a bit hot, a bit cramped and a bit awkward,"
Carroll said after the drill. "It felt like it was going
pretty slow and pretty poorly. He was clear (off the dirt), but
it was (tough) maneuvering him out of there.
Medley, however, thought the simulation went well.
"But we're going break everything down and do it again,"
Medley said.
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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