Squad personnel participated in the monthly Rescue Services Unit drill Wednesday evening at the station.  Approximately 12 members participated despite the high heat and humidity. 

The drill started with an introduction to the Delsar Life Detector LD3 system.  The LD3 is an electronic device equipped with several types of portable sensors used to detect very faint sounds or vibrations from victims trapped in a collapsed building, trench cave-in, or other similar type of situation.  The sensors pick up sound and vibrations and are then used to triangulate in on the victim's location. Time is precious to an entrapped victim, and the LD3 greatly reduces the time needed to locate a victim.  After a quick in-service orientation, members went next door to the State Highway 12 construction yard and used the various sensors on the concrete rubble pile. 

The Delsar LD3 was purchased with the equipment for the new rescue truck, and compliments our existing SearchCam 2000 and Snake Eye camera systems used for void searches during collapse operations.

After working with the Delsar, members then geared up for a vehicle extrication drill.  Complete side removals and dash lifts were performed on each side, and then a simulated tunneling evolution was performed from the rear of the vehicle.  This simulates what might be required in a vehicle under-ride situation involving a tractor trailer or similar vehicle.

The evening drill concluded around 2200 Hours, with the temperature still hovering around 88 degrees.  Just think, five months earlier we were buried under two of the worst snow storms on record....Now an all-time record heat wave....