Rye FD and PD will hold a swift water rescue demonstration this Saturday, May 4th at 8:30am at the City of Rye Boat Basin (650 Milton Road) to showcase the departments’ proficiency in water rescue operations. There will be limited public viewing of the demonstration but the marina boaters will not have access to the area during the drill.
The event is expected to last for one hour. The staged rescues will take place on the main dock, water, and the boat ramp. As a precaution, power will be cut to the immediate area in the Marina during the demonstration.
The Police and Fire Departments have embarked on a multi-year initiative aimed at enhancing staff capabilities in water rescues. Extensive training sessions conducted at the State Preparedness Training Center have equipped the departments with the expertise necessary to navigate challenging rescues effectively (see MyRye.com: Rye First Responders Learn to Navigate Swift Water).
The City anticipates the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control awarding Level 3 Accreditation by August of this year. Rye PD and FD say the true measure of a rescuer’s skill lies not in their ability to enter the water, but in their capacity to assess, strategize, and deploy interventions wisely, making water entry the last resort.
The upcoming demonstration will feature three distinct phases:
Phase One: Two skilled rescuers will demonstrate techniques for retrieving a victim from the water by employing methods such as engagement, reaching, or utilizing a line from the dock.
Phase Two: Rescuers will showcase their proficiency in line throwing across water bodies, securing the line, and deploying an inflatable raft to safely transport the victim to shore.
Phase Three: Following the successful rescue operation, the focus will shift to the safe extraction of the rescuers from the site, ensuring that all personnel are removed from the area without incident.
