Abilene firefighters get rescue training

About 25 feet below ground in a concrete hole used for an air-conditioning intake vent at Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum, an Abilene Fire Department firefighter feigned a neck injury, lying motionless on the cement floor.

Ten firefighters from the station wrapped up classroom instruction with hands-on exercises and confined space training. The first simulation took the team roughly 40 minutes to complete.

“It’s in its infancy,” said Larry Bell, battalion chief and rescue program director, of the training program. “What we’ve done up until now is planning, and now we’re putting that planning into action. This helps us learn the basics.”

Two instructors from Texas Engineering Extension Service, based in College Station, led the two-day, 40-hour training. TEEX provides comprehensive emergency and firefighter training worldwide.

A grant from Florida Power & Light, an electric utility in Florida involved in wind energy in the Big Country, helped pick up the cost. The grant allowed the firefighters to buy $15,000 worth of rescue equipment.

“When there’s trouble, people call the fire department,” Bell said. “Sometimes even a vehicle accident can be a technical rescue, like an 18-wheeler on its side.”

The other half of Station 6 also is scheduled to undergo training. The AFD serves parts of Taylor and Jones counties.
By Amanda Casanova, The Abilene Reporter-News
Video report from The Abilene Reporter-News