Firefighters train from on high for rope rescues

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – There were 16 firefighters at the Orleans County Fire Training Tower on Saturday, practicing rope rescue operations. Firefighters rappelled about 50 feet down from the top of the training tower.

Firefighters need to deploy rope rescues when people are stuck down ravines and embankments.

Bob Freida, the Clarendon fire chief, descends down the training tower. Freida is part of a rope rescue team that includes Clarendon and Murray firefighters.

A new county-wide technical rescue team is being created from multiple departments to train and work together and share equipment.

Not all departments with rescue equipment have the same gear. The team will train on each department’s equipment to be familiar with the ropes, harnesses and other tools. Some departments also have grain rescue equipment which includes steel plates and an augur. The team members will also have wet suits for going into the water.

Dale Niehaus of the Carlton Volunteer Fire Department makes his way down the tower. He is entering into a window on the side of the tower.

Saturday was the first day of a 32-hour course that includes today and next weekend.

Participants will develop skills in rappelling and high-angle rescue systems. Topics include safety orientation, risk assessment, equipment, basic rappelling and ascending, anchoring, belaying, mechanical advantage, patient packaging, incident management, skills evaluation, and testing.

John Hightower from the Rochester Fire Department rappels down the training tower. There are three firefighters from Rochester in the class, which is mostly firefighters from Orleans County.

Karl Biedlingmaier of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Company works his way down the tower at 14064 West County House Rd.

File photo by Tom Rivers: Ray Keffer is on shore while three firefighters head out into the icy water of a quarry by the Erie Canal in Murray to go after a dog on Jan. 4, 2020. Firefighters were able to safely bring the dog to the shore. They also assisted the owner of the dog in getting up the embankment.