NEBCO Firefighters train in water rescue

June 16, 2010 at 6:13 p.m.

by SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Left, the NEBCO crew worked with members of the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew in transfering victims to the helicopter basket. “Each year we send at least three of our guys down for fireboat training. We do have two boats on the lake for boat or dock fires or water rescue,” Fire Chief Rob Taylor said. “I think it’s fantastic that our firefighters are willing to do this and take on the extra training.”
Left, the NEBCO crew worked with members of the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew in transfering victims to the helicopter basket. “Each year we send at least three of our guys down for fireboat training. We do have two boats on the lake for boat or dock fires or water rescue,” Fire Chief Rob Taylor said. “I think it’s fantastic that our firefighters are willing to do this and take on the extra training.”

ARKADELPHIA — Not only is the Northeast Benton County Volunteer Fire Department now operating VAS Ambulance Service Corp. with some paramedics on the truck, their firefighters also are continually training.

Four firefighters traveled to Arkadelphia on June 4-5 to attend the seventh annual Arkansas Fire Boat School sponsored by Arkansas Forestry Commission, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and the Arkansas Fire Academy.

Jon Testut, Martin Schoenecker, Jason Testut and Grady Allen attended the school this year and took NEBCO 872 - the 25-foot Boston whaler boat outfitted for fire and emergencies rescue - so they could participate as a team in the training scenarios.

The team trained in five different areas: Large Boat Defensive Maneuvers, Multiple Personal Water Craft Accident, Submerged Vehicle Search, Dewatering Sinking Vessel and Basket Transferring of victims to the U.S.

Coast Guard Helicopter.

They were chosen to be filmed in the Multi-PWC incident by the media.

NEBCO’s fire district covers the area east of Pea Ridge and Avoca to the Carroll County line, bordered on the north by Missouri and the south by Beaver Lake.

News, Pages 11 on 06/16/2010