You’ve heard it said over and over, “Knowledge is power.” When it comes to knowing what to do in a high-risk situation with lives at stake, this is quite literally the truth.
Recently, Northeast Tech Business & Industry Services put on a confined space rescue training class for members of the GRDA Police and Rescue Team and Pryor Fire Department.
“It’s important to keep technical rescue skills up-to-date because you don’t use them every day,” said Brandon Merritt, one of the instructors. “And when you need to use them, you want to make sure you can.”
Confined space rescue is considered high risk and low frequency, meaning you may not use the skills very often but when the situation calls for them, you need to know how to use them, said David Rice, Northeast Tech safety trainer. A few minutes in a confined space situation can mean the difference between rescuing and recovering. It is important to train frequently so you can know how to properly use the specialized equipment in these unique situations.
“The instructors were very knowledgeable,” said Matt Johnson, member of the GRDA Police Patrol and their rescue team. “After going through the training at Northeast Tech, I felt like I knew what to do in a confined space situation, and I could really help my team out if I needed to.”
Participants learned hazards, correct techniques of confined space rescue, air monitoring and rope rescue, said Merritt.
“Even if you don’t think you’ll ever need these skills, awareness is a great place to start,” Rice said. “Then you will know the safety practices people should be following when they are under your supervision.”
Johnson said the Rescue Training Center on Northeast Tech’s Pryor Campus was a top-notch facility that presented a lot of great opportunities for hands-on training.
Northeast Tech offers confined space training, plus a variety of other training programs through Business and Industry Services. To learn more about confined space training or book training for your entity, contact Daniel Shaw at [email protected] or 918-476-8252.
