Emergency Management Helps Bring Water Rescue Training To Local Agencies

Local Firefighters and other emergency workers practice lifesaving techniques Saturday

With the flash flooding that left Oskaloosa residents stranded in their homes, Mahaska County Emergency Management wanted to make sure local firefighters and posse members had the skills to better serve residents with water rescue training.

Firefighters and Posse members got an early start this past Saturday morning with instruction held at the Oskaloosa Fire Department. With techniques on how to toss water rescue bags and how to control a victim in the water, the day provided a massive amount of information to the attendees.

Oskaloosa residents may wonder why water rescue would be so important that a class of this magnitude be scheduled and attended by so many in the county. Last years flooding left local residents stranded in their homes when Spring Creek quickly rose out of it’s banks on August 10th of last year. The 4 a.m. call found 9 residents stranded in homes and standing on their vehicles, while the creek topped Highway 92.

Training also involved time on the water for further instruction

Then nearly a week later, Mahaska County Emergency Management, along with the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office, rescued a local resident from her home that had all roads in and out of her home covered by water.

Oskaloosa Fire Chief Mark Neff said that even though the fire department handled the water rescues just fine last year, this class helps firefighters get even more prepared. “You don’t want to train when the emergency is happening, we need to be ready for it.” said Neff of the county wide training. “It brings everybody together so we’re all working on the same page.”

Oskaloosa Fire Department had 5 firefighters in the day’s training, but 8 others have recently been to similar training in Ottumwa. When completed, Oskaloosa will have 18 that will be certified water rescue technicians. “It’s been an ongoing thing.” Neff said of Oskaloosa Fire Department’s continued water rescue training. Neff went on to say that there will be continued in-house training monthly.

Jamey Robinson said that they are “making sure that responders are safe when they go out there.”

Oskaloosa Fire Department, Cedar Township Fire Department, Eddyville Fire Department and the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Posse all took part in the day’s training.