Lumberton Rescue and EMS Lt. Roger Taylor, left, LREMS board member Lee Hester, Robeson Community College instructor Shane Seagroves and Red Springs Fire Department Chief John Ammons study sonar images during a recent three-day training session that focused on rescuing drowning victims.
First responders from Deep Branch Fire and Rescue, Lumberton Rescue and EMS, Red Springs Fire Department, and Bladen County Water Rescue participated in water rescue training that focused on locating drowning victims during a recent three-day training session.
LUMBERTON — Area first responders are now even better prepared to respond to an emergency now that summer is here in full force and people are going to rivers and lakes in the region to find relief from the heat.
Thirty-six first responders from Robeson and Bladen counties recently took a dive into water rescue training that focused on locating drowning victims, said Robert Ivey, commander of Lumberton Rescue and EMS. Personnel from Deep Branch Fire and Rescue, Lumberton Rescue and EMS, and Red Springs Fire Department engaged in classroom activity at the Robeson Community College Emergency Services Training Center before traveling to Singletary Lake in Bladen County to simulate a drowning rescue. Participants used a sonar system, drone and diver training to track various objects in the lake.
Bladen County Water Rescue also participated in the training course offered July 24-26 by Robeson Community College. The $4,000 training course was paid for by the college.
“This training with the multiple departments was established to have the emergency teams to understand each other’s capabilities and utilize the multiple resources together,” Ivey said. “…This training focused on proper procedures and safety while coordinating a water based search.”
In the event of an emergency, like Hurricane Isaias, teams in Robeson and surrounding counties will be able to better “pool resources” together and save lives because of training and preparation, he said.
“We did things in (Hurricane) Matthew. We did things in (Hurricane) Florence. We were prepared to do them in the last 24 hours,” Ivey said Tuesday.
Robeson County also has a swift water rescue team consisting of personnel from Deep Branch Fire Department, Parkton Fire/Rescue, and Lumberton Rescue and EMS to better respond to each part of the county in the event of a disaster.
“This is just a byproduct of swift water training,” Ivey said of the July water rescue course.
By bringing multiple departments together, first responders also can save time and money on rescue equipment and divers, he said. As a result, one department will not be forced to bear the financial burden of the rescue efforts.
“Multi-jurisdictional training has been identified as a best practice because drowning victim location is a highly resource-intensive response,” he said. “The teams want to locate the victim as soon as possible for the best medical outcome.”
Participating first responders were grateful for the training and asked for more courses in the future, Ivey said.
“The more interest we have, the more we can offer,” Ivey said of courses.
Ivey offered the following water safety tips:
— Swim where a lifeguard is on duty.
— Always swim with a buddy.
— Never leave a young child unattended near water.
— Young or inexperienced swimmers should have a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket on when in or near water.
— Always wear a life jacket while boating.
— Maintain constant supervision of those swimming by a responsible adult.
— Have a throwable flotation device available for a distressed swimmer.
— Do not mix swimming and alcohol or drugs.
— Learn CPR.
— Learn how to swim.
For more safety information, call Lumberton Rescue and EMS, Inc. at 910-738-7172 or visit www.lumbertonrescue.org.
