GOLDENS BRIDGE, N.Y. - Local fire departments are sometimes called to provide mutual aid response at structure and brush fires, motor vehicle accidents, and water rescues – which is why they often collaborate in training exercises that simulate these and other emergencies. The Golden’s Bridge Fire Department, with its Marine 25 Unit and supporting shoreline crews, recently held mutual aid emergency water rescue drills on a local waterway with the marine units of the Croton Falls, Somers and Yorktown Fire Departments.
The abundance of lakes and ponds and the vast reservoir system in Northern Westchester make emergency water rescue an important part of firefighter training for local volunteer fire departments, according to Golden’s Bridge Fire Chief Albert Melillo.
He said the marine units executed a number of coordinated operations during the mutual aid drills that included vessel launch and maneuvers, rescue strategies and protocols, and radio communication practices. The Yorktown Fire Department also has a dive team. Firefighters of each department’s marine unit responded to “victims” in distress, utilizing various techniques and specialized equipment commonly deployed in emergency water rescue, the Golden’s Bridge fire chief said.
“Depending on the complexity of the rescue and the physical capacity of the person in distress, there are any number of rescue methods and types of equipment that we deploy. Sometimes a response calls for an immediate extraction, in which case we enter the water and pull the victim into our rescue vessel,” Melillo explained. “In some situations, we will toss a buoyant throw bag or rescue ring that the victim will grasp as we tow them back to the shore. We also use floating throwlines that help extend our reach to stabilize the victim before our vessels get closer.”
“Summer might be waning, but people continue recreational boating and fishing on local waterways and reservoirs through the fall season. Sometimes a person accidentally goes overboard, a rowboat capsizes or takes in water because the weight limit is exceeded, or someone is having a medical episode. Marine units and supporting shoreline crews are prepared for all emergency scenarios,” added Melillo, who noted that, thankfully, there haven’t been any emergency calls on waterways this summer in the Goldens Bridge area.
Emergency water rescue requires effective communication and swift efficient action during mutual aid response, according to the fire chief. “Mutual aid drills emphasize the importance of teamwork. The familiarity of working together helps everyone understand their roles so that in an actual emergency, we react instinctively, execute a coordinated response, and achieve the best possible outcome,” Melillo said.
The Golden’s Bridge Fire Department offered safety advice for those who will be boating and fishing on local lakes and the reservoir system during these final weeks of summer and through the autumn season:
• Always go out in pairs for any water activity, and always carry your cell phone in an airtight plastic bag or waterproof pouch in case of an emergency.
• Always wear a life jacket.
• Never consume alcoholic beverages on the water.
• Be mindful of the weight capacity of your vessel to prevent capsizing.
• Never venture onto the water in stormy weather, especially when thundering and lightning.
For information on how to become a volunteer firefighter with the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department, visit www.goldensbridgefd.org, or call 914-232-1769.
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