Tight spaces call for special equipment.
Last week, members of the Hugo Volunteer Fire Department worked with a new breathing apparatus meant for confined-space rescues. Getting a person out of a small area is a bit of a departure from usual firefighting skills.
“I was reading an article the other day — most grain bins, about the quickest they can do is about a three-hour set-up for a rescue,” said Fleming Taylor, a state rescue instructor and a member of the Hugo VFD. “And we’ve got a lot of grain bins in this area.”
Hugo VFD Chief Johnny Craft said a number of members of the department are already certified for part of what would go into that task.
“Fire departments are always asked to come in and do these specialty rescues,” Craft said. “The only difference in that and what we’re trying to do is, we’ve got guys and ladies — most of them have been to the mountains for their two- or three-year classes of rappelling off mountains and cliffs.
“High-angle, confined spaces are what we’re learning to specialize in.”
Black tubes — 300 feet long and not unlike garden hoses — hook up to an air-pumping station, while the other plugs into a small air tank with a mask and harness.
“It’s just like when divers used to have an air pump on the boat — same thing on this. You just keep air going to them,”
He later added, “You have to go out to train to do this. Because if you don’t, and the real thing happens, your rescuer may be the one who needs to be rescued.”
Hugo VFD was able to buy the equipment after receiving a $20,000 state rescue grant. The department is working toward being rated as “heavy rescue” by the N.C. Association of Rescue and
“We’re medium rescue with specialties,” Craft said. “Specialties are what we have to qualify for, and then we’re going for the heavy rescue.”