Firefighters Practice Trench Rescue

Local firefighters took a course in emergency safety Tuesday.

Members of the Zanesville Fire Department, Falls Township Fire Department, and other agencies came together for a trench rescue safety workshop. Zanesville’s Assistant Chief, Doug Hobson, said it’s pertinent to have these classes, as Zanesville has seen a number of fatalities as a result of a trench rescue or structure collapse in the last 15 years.

“These trenches are opened up all the time, whether it be the water department, the sewer department, Columbia Gas may be digging up a line,” Hobson said. “They do have work-boxes that they put in the ditches to keep them safe, unfortunately may be sometimes a guy may go outside the box.”

From 8 a.m until 5, students were able to practice saving a victim from a 20-foot long trench. In the event of a rescue, the weight of the soil imposed on victims is a major concern, but Hobson said if the rescue isn’t executed correctly, further engulfment or secondary collapse could pose a serious risk to rescuers.

“Life safety is a number one priority for us, we’ll get to the victim, we’ll get oxygen on them, we’ll get flowing fluids on him through an IV as quickly as possible, the big deal about having a victim in a trench is the pressure against the body,” Hobson said.

Hobson said the firefighters are expected to take another class in structural collapse next month.