Fire & Rescue Specialties >> Swift Water Rescue >> Improper usage
Improper usage
|
Posted 2 months ago My dept recently added to brand new jet skis to our swift water rescue team. Personally I think it is a waste of time and money. But we recently got a call of a male pt lying on a rock possibly unconcsious. Well the rescue team happened to be out. We have 2 john boats and 2 jet skis. They all responded but the jet skis. Whoever was on the jet skis appearently was playing around and ignored the call. Finally someone got a hold of the jet ski crew and they drove to the scene. When they got on scene, they horsed around some more and one of the jet ski drivers gave to much power and hit a big wake and landed on top another boat. No one was injured. The assistant chief of rescue suspended the use of the jet skis. Just goes to show that we get something new and people have to tear it up. "Hell, these are Marines. Men like them held Guadalcanal and took Iwo Jima. Bagdad ain't shit." "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." United States Marine Corps |
|
| Posted 2 months ago Many departments here are actually getting pairs of jet skis as demo's from dealers, free for their use for 9 months. They can then turn them in undamaged, and getanother pair 3 months later. They can be very useful, as seen in water rescues on the coast, with the units that drag a floating backboard behind the ski. However, since morons like the ones you spoke of ruin the chances and the likeliness of proving to the higher ups that they are useful and not just toys, they are not progressing well. There is also a thing you can add to the ski that is kind of like a snap on body, which turns it into a small boat. These can come complete with a small deck gun and other useful items. It is a U shaped hull, and the ski goes into the middle of it and then snaps in place. They are useful but appear to probably not be very rugged. I have only seen the demo DVD of them. Jeff Draper
|
|
| Posted about 1 month ago We have a john boat and a zodak love that one |
|
| Posted about 1 month ago My swift water rescue training must have been "old school", then. No jet skis, just Class 5's, ferry angles, Tyroleans, and blow-out cords. Still have my vest, too. Smart move by the Asst Chief. When life hands you lemons, cut them up.......and squeeze them in life's eye. DocBernard = Self-Appointed Firelink JunkYard Dog. I bite. |
|
| Posted about 1 month ago Our Sheriff's marine unit has 2 jet skis that are used by them on the river and on the lakes when patroling. They have come in handy when we have had a stranded person on a rock that the boats can not get to. Great in swiftwater. We have trained with them on the dive team but we do not get to use them. Too many accidents and they get turned in every late fall and we get new ones in the Spring. The funny thing is that the deputies have done more damage then the members of our dive team and we don't get to use them. |
|
| Posted about 1 month ago Some times our "toys" become just that toys instead of tools of the trade. Yes it's nice to have these things but with that comes, or should come, responsibility. That person should have lost his right drive. |
|
| Posted about 1 month ago It's sad when people don't take a piece of "equipment" seriously. But I guess it's going to happen no matter what we do. |
|
| Posted about 1 month ago Hey Froogsey, Didn't you quit the dive team a while back?????? |
|
| Posted about 1 month ago Hamming, hot-dogging, roughing equipment that we use is not a good thing. I depend on it to save my ass or more importantly, someone else's.
How do we live? Day by day sir. Day by day. |
|
| Posted about 1 month ago We have 2 Yamaha 650cc waverunners capable of doing @ 65mph that we use for water rescue, mostly ocean calls. We train the crew in safe and proper useage, always highlighting safety concerns. In the ocean there is always the temptation to try to get airborn, I used to do it myself. I cut my teeth in ocean rescue on 13ft AVON rib's w/ 40hp yamaha outboards on them, and I was violently opposed to going with waverunners when it came up to the board. The change was made against my recommendation ( thank GOD ) They are the best tool we have for quick response ocean rescue. As has been pointed out, direct supervision, especially in training, because that's where it all starts, is the key. If the crew doesn't have enough discipline to use the tools properly, by all means take them away, but don't prevent the right people from being able to make use of them. It's just like Black_Fire's line says "amateurs train until they get it right, professionals train until they cannot get it wrong" |