(Whitewater Region Fire Department photo)
Firefighters tasked with caring for communities at the heart of Renfrew County are getting a lesson in cold-weather rescues.
Personnel from the Whitewater Region Fire Department’s stations in Haley Station, Cobden, and Westmeath recently hosted Pembroke Fire Captain Shawn Morgan and Acting Captain Brent Verdiel for a special training session covering on-ice and surface water rescue awareness.
Their team touched on unified command and roles at the scene, equipment deployment, first steps when waiting for equipment and certified members to arrive, and the “1:10:1” rule of hypothermia: 1 minute to control your breathing, 10 minutes of useful muscle function, and 1 hour before recovery may not be possible.
Officials with the Whitewater Region FD call the evening a “genuinely educational” experience with a longtime mutual aid partner for rescues within their service area.
(written by Kasey Egan)