Emergency service personnel from around the area met in Woonsocket on Saturday, March 27, to attend the first of several training sessions to form a regional Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). This group of volunteers will be specially trained in rescuing downed firefighters from a burning building. An RIT is usually only found in larger cities like Sioux Falls because of the number of personnel it takes to perform a firefighter rescue. However, with multiple local organizations working and training together, they hope to add an increased level of safety for both the public and firefighters. The teamwork and camaraderie being built among the organizations is an added bonus to these joint training events.

The volunteers spent Saturday brainstorming, problem solving, and modifying techniques to better adapt to small departments.  Some of the training techniques covered were firefighter mayday communications, safer ways to advance hose lines, basic floor drag, stairway drag, firefighter fall recovery, and firefighter cardiac arrest. 

Organizations participating in this training included Artesian, Town and Country, and Wessington Springs fire departments as well as Jerauld and Sanborn County ambulance. 

…See pictures in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!