Campus Storm Cleanup
September 7th, 2009
On the night of the July 21st a severe band of thunderstorms swept through the Big Sandy area. At the ALERT campus, power was knocked out and a number of trees were blown with some blocking roads. Sawyer crews were deployed to clear blocked roads during the night in order to allow the utility company to restore power. ERT and advanced training units gained sawyer experience throughout out the next day as they work to cut up the damaged trees both on campus and in the surrounding area.
ERT FireFighting
August 10th, 2009
During firefighting week of ERT, Responders take classes and participate in practicals that expose them to the basics of firefighting and prepare them for future service.
Men gain hands-on experience using fire extinguishers.
Gaining confidence using self-contained breathing apparatus, men travel through an obstacle course. This course simulates many fireground activities, including carrying hoses, heavy fans, climbing ladders, ventilating roofs, moving heavy objects and traveling through constricted areas.
Ladder exercises include victim removals by firefighting students.
Using different size diameter hoses and types of nozzles, men work with various handlines. Students must learn to control the nozzle reaction and how to maneuver with them as a team.
Master stream devices allow hundreds of gallons to be discharged per minute over long distances.
Vertical ventilation through a roof structure is practiced by ALERT men using power saws and hand tools.
Performing search and rescue inside a fogged building provides valuable experience for the low visibility situations they will encounter inside a structure fire. Victims must be located and removed from the building successfully to complete this exercise.
As part of a final scenario, ALERT men are faced with a live vehicle fire that they must extinguish.
Working together to apply the skills learned throughout the week, fire companies quickly knockdown and work to overhaul the involved vehicle.
ERT Sawyer Class
August 4th, 2009
In order to ready ALERT responders for future disaster relief, their second week in ERT is Sawyer class.
Under the instruction of Sgt. Jonathan Archibald, the men learned skills in chainsaw operation, maintenance, and safety.
Classroom sessions were accompanied by time spent in the field, putting the concepts to practice and refining technique.
Given the shifting weight and complicated dynamics often present with storm blown trees, a major area of practice is learning to read and work around the areas of tension and compression that can easily bind up chainsaws.
Use of safety equipment including chaps, helmet, eye and ear protection was stressed so that maximum safety can be maintained in potentially hazardous environments.
Once the groundwork has been practiced, men progress to felling standing trees. Learning to drop a standing tree in an accurate and controlled manner allows them to be confident in more complex disaster areas.
ERT High Angle Class
July 20th, 2009
ALERT Unit 41 began Emergency Response Training with a week of High Angle training.
This course is designed to give men the confidence and skills they need to operate safely and effectively while performing rope rescues. Many men learn to overcome or work through their fear of heights while learning to serve in this environment.
Many skills are practiced on the 40′ training tower located on ALERT campus. Responders gain experience in rappelling, ascending, patient packaging, and basket management while performing scenarios.
Faced with increasingly challenging scenarios, young men must control their own movements, stabilize victims who may be in distress, and transport them safely to an extraction point.
Those assigned to running the main and belay lines must plan ahead and manage their systems well to allow the rescuer to successfully assist the patient.
Completing the course with a final scenario and written test, the men completed High Angle Rescue course and emerge as new Rope Rescue Technicians. While building many new skills, High Angle is also one the most enjoyable classes for many in ERT.
Aquatic Unit in Miami, FL (Spring 2009)
April 9th, 2009
For the last two weeks the Spring Aquatic Unit have been training in Miami, FL.
Near the beginning of the trip we took a break from Underwater Photography class to participate in the NAPD Hull and Seawall class in Ft. Lauderdale. At the end of the Hull inspection the Captain and his crew showed us around the ship.
We finished the Hull class and returned to taking photos under water.
The second week the men went through the Tactical Diver course. It focuses on team work and advanced navigational training.
Aquatics Dive Trip – Athens, Tx
May 27th, 2008
