Pike Township FD dive team practices rescues in Eagle Creek
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After nearly two years off, the Pike Township Fire Department Dive Team is gearing up to get back in the water, just in time for boating season.
They held dive training Friday at Eagle Creek Reservoir.
The dive team has been around for decades, but took some time off to reevaluate training and get new equipment.
Now they’re just a week away from being an active dive squad in west Indianapolis.
The training scenario was a person falling off a boat into the water of Eagle Creek Reservoir.
“Anything can happen, they either go underwater because they get tired, we’ve had people have cardiac events while in the water,” Pike Township Fire Chief Rob Saunders said.
The scuba diving firefighters from Pike Township had to work together to find the fictitious missing person.
“It isn’t just about diving, it’s also about support personnel, command of the scene and really just running through a whole scenario, making sure we’re ready for that first run when it comes out,” Saunders said. Saunders is proud to have the dive squad back in new gear and new training procedures.
Water rescues can be incredibly difficult.
“At the bottom it’s pretty much zero visibility,” he said.
“You can see your gloves and hands, but just outside of that it’s really hazy, and then outside of that it’s nothing,” Pike Township Fire Department Chief of Special Operations Craig Voight said.
Pinpointing where to even begin the search when arriving on scene is a major challenge.
Often witnesses can misjudge distance when they see a person go overboard.
“In these large bodies of water like Eagle Creek that’s probably one of the most difficult parts, the intial operation,” Saunders said, “It’s easy to get 20, 30, 40 feet off.”
Firefighters expect to make several calls to Eagle Creek over the summer months.
That’s why this training is critical for the new crews.
“This is our biggest body of water and we need to practice in here because this is where we’re at most of the time,” Voight said.
The divers practiced using their specialized equipment, like a communication cable that allows for the diver and boat crew to talk.
They want to be completely ready for the first water rescue call of the season.
The tentative date for the start of service is next Friday.
They will also be partnering with Indianapolis Fire Department on complicated missions.