This is our Heavy Rescue at Salem FD. It's one of the specialized pieces of apparatus we have, and is operated by our Technical Rescue Team. It was originally built to be Engine 4, but has since been converted into a rescue. The personnel and equipment on this truck are used to respond to emergencies that are complex and technical in nature, including: Confined Space, Trench, Structural Collapse, Vehicle & Machinery, and High-Angle/Rope Rescues. On this particular day in June they are training with our Hazardous Materials team on rescuing injured workers at a high angle/confined space incident.
Engineer Brian Mitzel and his crew from Salem FD Engine 2 practice cooling a tank car at a Haz-Mat drill at DPSST. Keeping a safe distance is important, but high winds complicate matters.
Even when you have the latest in radio technology, often it's the face to face communication that makes painting the picture the easiest.