This weekend, volunteers from the Alert rescue team attended the First Annual Chester County Technical Rescue Training Weekend at the West Chester Fire Training Center.  The courses offered for the weekend were  Water Rescue for the Emergency Responder, Trench Rescue I and Special Vehicle Rescue.

The Water Rescue section was instructed by WhiteCap Water Rescue Training (www.whitecaprescue.com), with 22 students that attended.  This 16 hour course included many valuable swift water rescue techniques such as planning, reviewing equipment, self-rescue and shore-based rescue.  The Instructors from WhiteCap were Todd Stahl, Alex Myers, Greg Miller and Sean McCausland.

The Special Vehicle Rescue was taught by EJR's Rescue Techs (www.rescuetechs.com) with 20 students in attendance.  This 16 hour course covered many different aspects of heavy equipment and truck rescue operations.  The instructors from Rescue Techs were Eric Rickenbach and Dave Gribble.

And, the Trench Rescue I course was taught by Martin Hannon and Todd Smith of the Bucks County Community College and Philadelphia Fire Dept.  This was a 16 hour course, as well and the students learned and practiced new techniques in the safe rescue operations in supporting the trench walls and the removal of victims.

The rescue companies that attended the weekend training were Alert, Fame No. 3 of West Chester, Kennett, Lionville, Longwood, Thorndale, Wagontown, West Bradford, West Whiteland and several Chester County Fire Training Instructors.

We would like to thank The Firestore and Belfour for providing lunch for all of the students during the weekend  and the Fame Fire Co. No. 3 for coordinating the training weekend.