Medford, Ore — Firefighters deal with unique situations on a daily basis.
Some of those calls can be as dangerous for them As the civilians they’re trying to save.
Every move a firefighter makes on a call is calculated. Each second could be the difference between losing a life and saving one
“They put their ladder up, they go on in they have no water with them and their goal is to isolate that room grab a civilian and take them to safety,” said Melissa Cano, Medford Emergency Manager.
Medford firefighters are undergoing V.E.I.S. Training.
“Vent, enter, isolate, search, V.E.I.S., also a search tactic with a larger footprint than a residential home,” said Battalion Chief Tom McGowan.
The training is waterless and potentially dangerous. So firefighters depend on technology, and each other for their own safety.
“It’s gotta be executed very timely, it’s gotta be proficient, it’s gotta be efficient, so the only way to get to those levels of proficiency is to train and practice,” said McGowan.
V.E.I.S. is for especially unique scenarios, the kind where lives are in danger inside and outside the structure.
“They’re going up to the third story in this case, they’re going in with the assumption that the stairway is blocked, there’s no access through the front door, their only way in is through that window,” said Cano.
That’s when skills need to be at their sharpest.
“We take the time to make sure that our skills are polished on the drill ground prior to needing to use them on a real event,” said McGowan.
Polished, should the time come to save a life.
“The point is to make sure that they’re prepared for every situation. If that means one more life saved in the community, then they’re going to do whatever they need to do,” said Cano.
Today is the 2nd day of the 3-day training.
Medford Fire’s 3 crews are rotating training days so 1 crew is always on the clock for real life emergencies.
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