Six members from the Greenfield Fire Territory went through swift-water rescue training last week in South Bend at a state-of-the-art water rescue facility with the South Bend Fire Department.
GREENFIELD — The rapidly moving river water pounding on Greenfield Fire Territory firefighter Nick Mellene’s face was so intense at times he actually felt like he was drowning.
The training was all part of a swift-water rescue skills session in South Bend at one of the top water rescue training facilities in the nation. Local firefighters say that’s where they tackled some of the most intense and grueling work they’ve ever experienced.
“It’s a very physical, rough course,” Mellene said. “During one of the training sessions you get thrown into a situation where there is rapid water coming into your mouth the whole time and when you get done, you’re still spitting up water.”
In addition to Mellene learning rapid water rescue skills, GFT firefighters Andrew Heller, James Burns, AJ Lewman, Aaron Graham and Isaiah Faust all put in the same hard work.
It took officials from the GFT some time to get into the swift water rescue training center known as the Indiana River Rescue School (IRRS) due to demand to attend the training sessions. However, GFT chief Brian Lott said the skills learned during the week long work were well worth the wait.
“They have one of the best and really only rapid water training facilities in this country,” Lott said. “You have to get your name on a list to get in, but we were able to get six guys there.”
Last week, the six GFT firefighters visited the South Bend Fire Department, known for their all-hazards emergency response service, including swift-water rescue. Lott said they have a training facility there located on the St. Joseph River that makes training as real as it gets.
One of the things first responders had to do before they were allowed to head to the river course was to take their life jacket off underwater in a pool.
“You get shoved down underwater and they don’t tell you when they’re going to do it so it actually feels like you are drowning for a minute,” Mellene said.
Thanks to the elite training, GFT now has fifteen first responders trained in swiftwater rescue with five firefighters on each shift able to help if there is a swift-water rescue need.
While Greenfield might not have a major rapidly moving river cutting through the area, there are lots of lakes, ponds and even smaller creeks that do overflow, creating the need to have experts in swift-water rescue.
“We do get flooding on some of these creeks and some people just can’t keep out of them and they won’t turn around and will go through high water with the chance of getting swept away and we’ve got to go get them,” Lott said.
While most of GFT responses are for vehicle and machinery issues, Lott said they do have plenty of calls for confined spaces and water rescue. Plus, the local first responders run backup for officials with the Indianapolis Fire Department on swift-water rescue, and several GFT rescue team members also cover water rescue situations all the way to the Ohio line.
“Our Hancock County Tactical Rescue Team is the backup for Indianapolis and they back us up,” Lott said. “We’ve helped them several times in the past couple of years.”
Known as an all hazards fire department, officials with the GFT said they take every chance they can to make sure their firefighters have the best and latest training in everything, including swift-water rescue training.
The IRRS was formed in 1983 through cooperative efforts of the South Bend Fire Department and the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources. Based in the heart of downtown South Bend, the training center allows firefighters from all over the USA to attend the five-day course.
“They built a really good facility there where they can control the speed of the water,” Lott said.
The site is so good, it has been the site of U.S. Olympic trials and World Class kayak events. The facility allows for realistic and controlled training that has become a premier training ground for swift-water rescue.
“It’s outdoors and it’s 2,000 feet long,” Mellene said. “They have a race river and the St. Joe river and they run side-by-side so you get to do rapid and normal rescue water training.”
