Local Rescue Groups Hold Joint Training Exercise
Saturday, September 7th, 2019 -- 7:30 AM
(Focus on Marshfield) -Local rescue groups performed a successful joint training exercise this week in preparation for the upcoming hunting season.The Clark County Mounted Search and Rescue, Thorp Fire & EMS, and Life Link III worked collaboratively to respond to a planned scenario of an injured hunter lost in the woods. Life Link III flew over the general area where the “lost” hunter, a volunteer, was known to be located. Because there was an injury, Thorp Fire & EMS was contacted and established an incident command. Life Link III communicated the hunter’s location with EMS, who relayed it onto the Mounted Search and Rescue team to pinpoint. Once found, the hunter’s injuries were assessed and radioed back to EMS, who were then escorted to the area to perform treatment and transport the hunter out of the woods. The purpose of the exercise was for three completely different entities to practice working together smoothly during a call, a feat which was accomplished well during the training. When available, Life Link III helps the department in missing person cases by providing aerial coverage.
During the training, Life Link III discussed safety around the aircraft and its capabilities. The use of the helicopter was also a test to see how the horses would react to a low-flying aircraft, all went well. Clark County Mounted Search and Rescue, supervised by the Patrol Division and consisting of 11 skilled volunteer members with various backgrounds, has trained to locate lost subjects via grid searches. The team trains once a month and members use their own horses and equipment. They respond only to incidents that are not criminal in nature or pose a firearm threat, in particular missing person cases.
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