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Lake firefighters train land-based crews at Waterwheel Marina
By REBECCA JACKSON, Smith Mountain Eagle
Fifteen members of the Franklin County Public Safety Fire/EMS got a chance Wednesday to fill the shoes of Smith Mountain Lake Marine Volunteer Fire and Rescue volunteers during a training exercise based at Waterwheel Marina.
Ten fire department members in four boats, with SMLMVFR Chief Jack Gautier presiding over an onboard demonstration of firefighting and communications equipment at the docks, also participated in the training session, which lasted three hours.
"We showed them medical supplies on the boats, how to run pumps and communications, then brought them out on the lake in shifts," said Capt. Al Busch, who participated in the training. "We covered coordination of locations for mutual assistance, because we may need them on the water, as well as the shoreline, how to load people on the boat out of the water, then onto ambulances waiting at the dock. They came to learn from us and see what we're up against. We may need them to use our radios and pumps. We hit waves and shot the deck guns. It's a totally different experience out on the water."
The group also covered how to team up on rescue efforts when it is not clear because of unmarked docks where an emergency situation may be located, according to Busch.
"Docks don't have street addresses on them, or identification, so that can present a problem in an emergency," he said.
Firefighters and public safety personnel gathered for a luncheon afterwards at Moosie's restaurant at Bridgewater Plaza, "just to get to know each other."
"We're communicating and working together for the welfare of the Lake community. We're all a team," Busch said.
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