Six CFR volunteers complete rescue swimmer course

CHELAN - Seventeen hours in water, plus a couple more in the classroom - that’s all it took six Chelan Fire and Rescue (CFR) firefighters to complete the extensive rapid rescue swimmer course.

The program which was implemented in 2011 by CFR was adapted from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) program, which focusses on scuba diving and is recognized worldwide.  

Lt. Shawn Sherman, rescue swimmer program manager, explained that at CFR they use West Pierce’s Rapid Entry Rescue Swimmer Program model.

The risks in Chelan are high since the town is surrounding a lake. “There are no lifeguards, the Sheriffs can’t go in the water and they do not always have their boat in the water. There is no protection for swimmers, boaters, skiers in the water anywhere and we recognize that risk,” said Lt. Sherman,

It is a requirement that all career staff at CFR goes through the rescue swimmer training. Right now there are seven. From there any volunteer that wants to do it can try the training, however not many succeed.

This year, 11 were registered and only six were able to complete the course due to the high intensity of it.  The six participants were able to learn different swimmer rescue techniques from Lt. Sherman and assistant instructors Firefighter Taylor Rains, Firefighter Troy Keene and Firefighter Adam Jones. “The most important thing we do in training is called drownproofing,” said Lt. Sherman. Drownproofing is method for surviving in water disaster scenarios without sinking or drowning.

Lt. Sherman described that, “essentially we stress out the student to the point they are either getting close to panicking or wanting to get out of the water. We keep at that for as long as possible while being safe,” he said. With majority of drownings happening close the shoreline within 30 feet, rescue swimmers must be able to be confident and competent.  

Masks, snorkel and fins are the majority of equipment used by the swimmers. “We do not use air for this, it is all free diving,” said Lt. Sherman. Instructors were able to teach the students to free dive not past the 30 feet mark. The course also consisted in taking night dives, Lt. Sherman mentioned that the last one took place on July 19. The night dives are needed to train them with no visibility.

CFR’s rescue boat, Marine 71 was also on water, it was operated by Fire Commissioner Russ Jones and Firefighter James Belch.  Swimmers learned how to enter the water from a boat. Mariner 71 is huge asset to the swimmers since now they have a way to access the water and get there faster. “We are really lucky to have that boat, it is an excellent boat,” said Lt. Sherman.

Firefighter Rains, who helped instruct the course this year, recalled his rescue swimmer training. “There’s a big difference between recreational swimming and having to swim to exhaustion,” Rains said. Over the last two years, he has seen big improvements when being in water, “before I was not comfortable in the water at all, now I am,” he explained. In September, Rains will be taking  a 40 hour PADI course.  

With these additional six rescue swimmers, CFR has doubled their rescue swimmer numbers.  Each year, CFR responds to two to three emergencies in the water.

As a reminder Lt. Sherman wants to remind parents to keep an eye on their kids when they are in the water. “Be as careful as you can, pay attention and have somebody that can call 911 at the very least and we have a program to get there as well,” he said.