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Training with a swift water rescue boat for 15 members at the Bartlesville Fire Department will continue Friday.

Public Information Officer Bill Hollander said they recently went through a two-day training at the City-owned Hudson Lake. That training was provided by Mid-America Rescue of Tulsa. Hollander said they are heading to Oklahoma City for the training this time around.

In OKC, there is a water channel at the training site where they can manipulate the hydraulic system, which is the swift water part of their training. The trainees from Bartlesville Fire will learn how to navigate the swift waters.

In their most recent training, the fire department learned how to make sharp turns in the boat, how to flip the boat back over if it capsizes, and how to re-enter the boat if they exit the boat to search for a flood victim or item.

Hollander added that the Bartlesville Fire Department will be certified to teach swift water rescue techniques. He said they can train the other guys in the department what they have learned.

In total, 99 water rescues were made after last spring’s historic flooding event in Washington County and the surrounding area. Hollander said the BFD has purchased a swift water rescue boat to match-up with their training efforts to prepare for the next flood disaster that may arise.

A static boat and a banana boat at the Bartlesville Fire Department were used last spring to perform water rescues when the historic flooding hit. Dewey resident Melvin Offutt lent out his air boat to help in swift water situations.

The BFD now feels as if they are outfitted with all the equipment they need in case a flood event like the one that was experienced with the Caney River and Sand Creek several months ago hits again. Training is just another way for them to be certified and ready.

(Photo courtesy: City Beat)