Posted: Feb 6, 2010 7:53 PM by Kay Rossi/KRTV
Updated: Feb 6, 2010 7:53 PM
According to Great Falls Fire Rescue, confined-space rescues are not very common, but when they occur, it's critical that they are prepared for the challenge.
Protocol says nine firefighters must be present to perform the operation, and one of the major challenges facing them when entering a confined space is packaging the victim properly if they're injured or unconscious.
Training instructor Jamie Jackson explained, "There may not be anything wrong with them other than a medical condition like a broken leg or a broken arm, so it's important to package the victim so he can make it out of the space safely without further injuring him."
Other challenges include less oxygen, and even gases that could be trapped in a confined space.
Jackson says two-thirds of all deaths that happen in these rescues are the rescuers themselves, so it's very important that every member of his team knows how to properly execute these types of rescues.
He noted, "The scene is not the time to try to learn something."
Watch the team as they "rescue" KRTVs Kay Rossi in this video:
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