October 01, 2007
Monday

Ketchikan, Alaska - A newly formed Confined Space Rescue Team has been formed for the Ketchikan area.

Scott R. Davis, Chief of the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department said the department recently sponsored a confined space rescue course bringing together instructors from Oregon and Arizona to form the first ever certified confined space rescue team for the Ketchikan Area as a Fire Department response agency. Greg Arbizo traveled from Arizona to head up the training program said Davis.

The week long course concluded on September 30, 2007 with 11 students in attendance receiving over 36 hours of technical rescue training. Each member in attendance must receive nearly 100 hours of training to become certified in Confined Space Rescue said Chief Davis.

Davis said members received instructional training in both classroom and in the field. Pre-incident planning was conducted both Saturday and Sunday with a visit to the Fawn Mt. Water facility and the Alaska Shipyard and Dry-dock. In addition, Fire Station 2 was utilized for high angle and rescue procedures.

The South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department in coordination with the Alaska Shipyard and Dry-dock will be training next month with practical exercise and rescue from the shipyard facility. Kim Hodne with Alaska Shipyard and Dry-dock and the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department will schedule the training dates.

This specialized rescue team for the community of Ketchikan is a long term goal for the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department. Chief Davis said members have expressed their desire to provide a specialized service to the community that the other fire departments don't currently offer.

While this specialized team is certified to conduct a rescue from any confined space, its primary mission is to provide those rescues to incidents that would not normally have a rescue team on standby such as storm drains, trenches collapses and the like said Chief Davis.

Chief Davis said, "South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department wishes to extend a thank you to the STSA board of directors, Alaska Shipyard and Dry-dock, Ketchikan Fire Department, KGB Public Works and the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary for making this program a huge success!"

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Ketchikan, Alaska