Training exercises prepare local departments

The Russellville Fire Department used a routine task as an opportunity for valuable training Wednesday.

The Russellville Water Department allowed the RFD to install a communication antenna on top of a water tank located off Marion Street in Russellville.

According to Russellville Fire Chief Joe Mansell, the antenna will serve as a back-up radio communication system to the antenna located on a water tower on Grayland Street off of Wilson Avenue.

“The fire department and the police department depend on this line of communication,” Mansell said. “If something happened to the antenna on the Grayland Street water tower, having a back-up antenna would ensure that we would still have communication.”

After the Russellville Water Department gave the RFD the okay to install the antenna on the Marion Street water tank, RFD Capt. Steve Thornton thought it would be a good idea for the fire department to use the opportunity for training.

“The water department could have gotten the city to hire someone to install the antenna on top of the tank,” Mansell said, “but Steve thought it would be good for our guys to do the installation because they could practice using their rope training in the event of an emergency situation.”

According to Mansell, water department employees or workers who have to perform maintenance on top of these tanks could encounter numerous emergency situations such as heat stroke, allergic reactions or even falling and being suspended from the tank.

The fire department would be responsible for the rescue in these situations and using ropes during the rescue would be necessary.

“Our department will hoist the antenna to the top of the tower using different types of gear and ropes,” Mansell said.

“It is the same gear that we would use in a rescue situation and it gives our guys a good opportunity to practice using the equipment in a safe environment.”

Mansell said that all the members of the fire department have been through rope rescue training at the Alabama Fire College so handling the ropes is nothing new, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. 

“Each rescue situation is different, so it’s beneficial for our guys to train in an environment that’s controlled so they can take their time and really be prepared for the different types of emergency situations they could encounter when doing this kind of rescue,” Mansell said.

The RFD was assisted by John James, Regional Training Coordinator with the Alabama Fire College; Muscle Shoals Assistant Fire Chief Tim McMullins; Doug Clement and Lee Parker with the Russellville Water Department; and North Star Ambulance Service, which offered on-site medical support.

“Anytime we do a training exercise we like for outsiders to come in and make sure that everything we’re doing is completely safe,” Mansell said.

“We had three pairs of eyes checking each knot and we encouraged everyone to let us know if they saw something we could do better.

“The whole point was to be well-trained in this area, and we really appreciate the support and cooperation from all these different departments.”