By Mark Puente
Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
Copyright 2006 Plain Dealer Publishing Co.
A summer of flooded homes and roads has raised concerns about whether safety forces are prepared to rescue people from swiftly moving waters.
Swift-water training recently has been provided only through private companies, and the cost of classes and equipment is beyond the reach of many small departments.
The concerns grew when Wellington volunteer firefighter Al “Buz” Anderson died in June while trying to rescue two teenagers from a submerged vehicle. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is investigating the death at the village’s request.
Last summer, an elderly Lorain couple died during a downpour when their car was trapped in a flooded railroad underpass.
Lorain Fire Capt. Roy Cochran said firefighters risked their lives trying to save the couple without the proper equipment and training. The tragedy convinced city leaders of the need for a water-rescue team, he said.
State officials are stressing the need for centralized training and regional approaches.
The Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the Fire Chiefs’ Association, the Department of Natural Resources and the state Fire Academy are developing a training program for first responders around the state.
The first class is planned for early next year. Thirty-four instructors were trained in June to teach hundreds of firefighters, police officers and other first responders.
The instructors trained for about 40 hours and passed a series of grueling swimming tests to become certified, said Paul Moledor, assistant fire chief in Cuyahoga Falls, who heads the state Water Technical Advisory Committee.
The committee divided the state into eight regions. The goal is to have swift-water teams in each region for mutual-aid calls.
The arrangement would take the financial burden off small departments. The equipment alone for a swift-water team costs about $200,000, Moledor said.
“It’s impossible for the rural areas,” said Elyria Assistant Fire Chief Ron Brlas, a state committee member.
Until 1999, the Division of Watercraft had given swift-water training to about 300 people over 25 years. The program ended because it was a financial burden for the division, said Eric Reed, its search and rescue coordinator.
The Division of Watercraft has 85 swift-water rescuers stationed statewide, but they cannot be sent out unless a state of emergency is declared, Reed said.
Beyond that, no one knows how many local rescue personnel are trained.
James McDonald, Perry Joint Fire District chief, said 73 departments sent 263 firefighters and 33 swift-water rescue boats to Lake County during the recent flooding.
Moledor said smaller departments do not need an entire swift-water team. Communities can pool their resources to minimize costs, he said.
Hinckley, in Medina County, is a typical small department. Fire Chief Bill Horton said his 30 volunteer firefighters have limited water-rescue training and depend on other departments. “Entering the water is the last thing we do,” he said.
Elyria has eight swift-water technicians, trained by the state. All eight have cross-trained as rescue divers. Since the death in Wellington, the Elyria team has decided to respond to any emergency in the county, Brlas said.
Elyria Lt. Rick Thrasher, a certified swift-water instructor, said firefighters can do only so much to protect the public. People do not realize how fast water can kill, he said. “People are not educated,” he said. “They’re not getting it.”