Park City Fire ups ante and skills with trench training course

Photo: Park City Fire District

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City Fire District firefighters participated in a Trench Rescue Technician certification course this past week. The course requires firefighters to demonstrate a variety of skills to become certified to perform organized rescues in collapsed trenches and similar environments, such as the construction site burial in Summit Park in August of this year.

In addition to demonstrating their skills, PCFD firefighters had to “construct a ‘size-up’ model of a collapsed trench, identify types and degrees of collapse, implement a trench emergency action plan, construct load stabilization systems, select appropriate PPE, lift load and gain assess to patients, coordinate the use of heavy equipment and place shoring and shielding systems.”

Thanks to this certification, Park City citizens can rest easier knowing that PCFD is now the expert in how to rescue individuals from these dangerous situations.

In the last 12 years, PCFD has reported having to perform four different trench rescues. These can include traditional trenches, confined spaces, collapsed structures, and similar emergencies. PCFD mobilizes its heavy rescue company to respond to these emergencies, which will now have even more in-depth training on trench and similar rescues.