PA firefighters receiving world class rescue training

“People always underestimate the weight of soil,” Tesarski told paNOW. “We’ve had a couple collapses here this morning that are 3,000 pounds. If there was somebody in there, it would be a fatality, most likely.”

(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Another type of trench rescue occurs as a result of a bootleg trench or an illegal trench. For example somebody has a leaky basement in their house, and attempts to fix it. They don’t have any shoring because they’re not even aware they should do it, and all of a sudden they’re being crushed and pinned against their house.

“It is easily one of the most dangerous rescue disciplines out there,” Tesarski noted, adding the potential for danger increases when someone attempts to save a friend and puts both their lives at risk.

So before the rescue can be performed, all the surrounding area must be properly secured. To assist the fire fighters, aluminum tubular shores are inserted and can hold a minimum 80,000 pounds of force.

Multiple wood panels also helped provide for a more secure site.

“If somebody’s trapped from their waist down, it is highly likely if they’re in there for an hour, they’re going to get crushed syndrome, their heart’s going to stop working, they could be bleeding to death, broken pelvis, broken femurs like the injuries are insanely high.”

Each beam must be properly secured. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

In addition to his full’time work as a firefighter, Tesarski also work part-time in Toronto with the air ambulance and estimated over the course of his long career, he has personally seen 40 of these types of scenarios.

Acknowledging the participating members could be home with their families, Tesarski applauded their initiative to go the extra mile and learn some critical thinking skills.

“I’m not gonna be here in a month or five years from now when this happens again.So I want to make sure they are functioning at a super high level for critical thinking.”

“This training, I dont think there’s any other city this side of the Toronto area that is doing it at this level.”

Prince Albert Battalion Chief Darcy Rusk noted Prince Albert has a lot of construction going on and the high number of excavations and so situations such as this can easily occur.

“Whether that’s just in the city municipally, or just somebody in their backyard that needs to dig down beside their foundation,” he said.

Tesarski accidents such as this actually happen a lot more than actually reported, because a lot of people get trapped and don’t call the fire department because they know they’re in big trouble. He cited four examples last year in the Toronto area where there was fatalities and those were the ones that were reported.

(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Also this weekend, there’s machine rescue. Tesarski noted the common mistake when people get caught in machinery, is a lot of people think, just put it in reverse and back it out.  

“That’s like driving over somebody with a bus and going, oh let’s get him out. We’ll drive back over him to get him out.”

Tesarsi added members will also be shown how to deal with personal entrapments like if part of a little child’s body gets caught in something or a worker gets caught in a large press.

On Monday and Tuesday, crews will be doing what’s called Heavy Vehicle Rescue and essentially lifting things like train cars.

“If you get a car underneath the back of a transport truck, we don’t know what’s in that truck. We may need to lift it to get the patients out.”

Tesarki noted they have bags of air that are capable of lifting up a train car.

While most of the training will be happening at the municipal grounds, there will also be some work being done at the Lakeland Towing compound.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Blue Sky: @nigelmaxwell.bsky.social

by Nigel Maxwell

PA firefighters receiving world class rescue training

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