West Pierce Fire & Rescue announcement.
Last week, West Pierce Fire & Rescue (WPFR) hosted a Rescue Systems 1 class for its newest firefighters. Fresh out of recruit academy, these firefighters were able to learn from members of WPFR’s Technical Rescue team, who are subject matter experts. When it comes to trainings like this, learning from experts in the field is essential. This was also Firefighter/Paramedic Tony Sole’s last technical rescue class to instruct, as he is retiring soon after 31 years of service. He has been an integral part of the this instruction team and we are thankful to have such a strong group of individuals to pass on their craft.
WPFR is a part of a county-wide regional team called the Pierce County Special Operations Response Team (PCSORT), which is comprised of multiple local fire departments. While the incidents this team responds to are low in frequency, they are potentially very dangerous and labor-intensive. They demand many resources to perform these rescues safely, both for the patient and responding firefighters. When technical rescue calls are dispatched, all of the agencies within this team respond. This team trains together regularly to keep their skills sharp so they are ready to respond, no matter where in the county the incident is happening.
The scheduling of this class was timely, as WPFR will be participating in Cascadia Rising, set for June 14 and 15, 2022. This multi-state emergency management exercise focuses on the scenario of a 9.0 earthquake. Exercises like this not only helps WPFR prepare for response and recovery efforts, but reinforces the technical skills needed by firefighters to respond to such a large-scale incident.
