JEFFERSONVILLE  — Training in skills that you hope to never have to deploy is the essence of what first responders do. Agencies across the county, and beyond, train in various different skills that will aid them in responding to emergencies. 

In Roscoe, the fire department and ambulance corp. have implemented a drill that is starting to garner interest around Sullivan County, with other agencies reaching out to train.

The Roscoe Rockland Fire Department (RRFD) and Roscoe Rockland Volunteer Ambulance Corps (RRVAC) began the Firefighter Down CPR drill a few years ago. The drill familiarizes members of both agencies with the gear that firefighters wear, and how to quickly and efficiently remove it in case of an emergency.

The method saves time and resources, using the buttons and clips to remove turnout gear rather than cutting through it.

RRFD and RRVAC visited Jeffersonville’s firehouse on January 5 to demonstrate and train on Firefighter Down CPR.

Nate Routledge, First Assistant Chief of RRFD, compiled information into a Powerpoint presentation to take the drill to neighboring departments. In the slides, information and statistics regarding firefighter cardiac related incidents explains why this training is so important.

For example, first responders’ heart rates can increase anywhere from 20 percent to 100 percent of their resting heart rate when they receive a call.

Following the informational slides, members of RRFD demonstrated the different positions and the act of removing the gear quickly to begin CPR as soon as possible.

Once the demonstration portion was done, members of Jeffersonville FD and Jeffersonville Volunteer First Aid Corps (JVFAC) took over and tried it.

“I thought it was a great drill,” Jeffersonville Fire Department Chief John Mall said. “We’ve drilled on disoriented firefighters but not so much with cardiac related issues, so I thought it was very important.”

Ruth Ackermann, the Captain of JVFAC shared a similar sentiment. “I think it’s a great idea for training. It’s always nice when EMS and fire can train together.”

Sullivan County Fire Coordinator John Hauschild was in attendance as well, and said, “If we can save any firefighters then it’s worth it to train on. This drill is outstanding, even if it’s something you hope you never have to use.”

RRFD Chief Guy Baker has enjoyed sharing in-house training with other departments. “We shared the drill with Livingston Manor and it has expanded from there. Nate put a lot of time into this, and it’s easy to learn and share with other departments. I love all the interaction with other departments.”