Search and Rescue Training at Night

Eric and I had Tim and Casey do a night search and rescue drill.


First we had them tag the hydrant and flow some water.


They then had to do 50 swing with the sledge hammer.


Tim getting his SCBA mask on.


Almost ready to go into the building.


They check each other to make sure that they are both ready to enter a hazardous environment.


Crawling to simulate staying below the smoke they search for the interior door. Normally they would have a charged hose line with them but we've done this drill a enough times to have learned that when we do that we get water all over the building and it takes longer to clean up. Pretend they have a hose.


They then had to make entry into the building and search for the victim while on air (breathing from the SCBA). The rooms are pitch black except when I use the flash.


Crawling around the kitchen looking for the victim.


Having found the victim they then reverse course and follow their pretend hose out.


Dragging the patient is difficult. It's a lot easier if you carry webbing and use that to drag your victim.

Once outside I tested Firefighter/Paramedic Casey's ability to think while tired. I told him he now had a working full arrest and let him try to save the patient. This patient would not have survived but I think that it taught him a valuable lesson. As a medic you need to be able to function even when you are exhausted. It needs to be second nature that way when you don't have enough oxygen in your own brain (say from working in extreme conditions to the point of exhaustion) you can still try to save that person's life.