A different space race

When a man fell into the auger at a rice dryer in Maxwell several years ago, local firefighters and the victim – leg shattered and physically trapped – waited helplessly until rescuers from Sutter County were called to the scene.

A year later, two men fell to their death in the auger at neighboring Princeton. Again, local firefighters stood by until firefighters skilled in confined-space rescue arrived from out of the area to remove the bodies.

The area’s firefighters were not capable of difficult industrial site rescues. But on Sunday, two dozen firefighters from Colusa area fire departments and municipal public works completed the training to become certified in confined-space rescue.

“Government regulations are strict,” said Williams Fire Chief Jeff Gilbert, who organized the event on behalf of the Colusa County Fire Chiefs Association. “Fire departments can get into a lot of trouble with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) if they make a call to enter a confined space without the proper training.”

Grain silos, tank cars, cat walks, storm drains, vertical shafts and underground pipes and containers are all confined spaces that have the most potential for injury or death to rescue personnel, according to Kent Freeman, senior trainer at California Health and Rescue Training in Roseville.

“Without training, it’s a game of chance – and the odds are stacked against them,” Freeman said. “There are many challenges to a confined-space rescue. The number one killer is atmosphere conditions, but even heights can be tricky if the rescuer is not used to it.”

Firefighters from Meridian, Colusa, Princeton, Sacramento River, Maxwell, Arbuckle and Williams, along with a few public works employees, took part in the training that included 40 hours of classroom time.

The training was concluded Sunday at Foothill Warehouse in Williams, where teams of firefighters practiced various rescue scenarios that involved confined spaces – including an underground rescue and silo rescue.

It was the first time local firefighters had seen or used the type of apparatus typically needed for confined-space rescue, including atmospheric monitoring devices and forced air ventilation systems, according to trainer Joe Tuoto.

While retrieving Arbuckle firefighter David Ambriz from an underground container 100 feet from the opening, an unexpected loss of air – not part of the training exercise – forced rescuer Jesse Cain of Colusa to reach for his backup air supply.

“It was only for a breath or two, but he did the right thing,” Tuoto said. “Training is vital in these situations. It can be the difference between life and death for the rescuers as much as the victims.”

After surfacing, Cain said the exercise was just a little harder than he expected.

“It’s a stressful environment,” Cain said. “But overall, the rescue went pretty smoothly. It gets easier with practice.”

Princeton firefighter Lester Swett said he also found the exercise challenging.

As the communications officer for the rescue, Swett had to learn how to maintain contact with the rescuers underground using an electronic hardwire system while maintaining communication through the use of hand signals with the rescuers operating the above-ground apparatus.

“It’s really hard to separate the two,” Swett said. “It gets a little confusing.”

Freeman and Tuoto, both fire captains with the Roseville Fire Department, said Colusa County’s newly trained rescuers will be able to handle the county’s industrial accidents without waiting for out-of-area personnel.

“They are as good as I’ve seen anywhere else,” Freeman said. “They received the exact same training as those in large urban departments – just more suited for the area. In Los Angeles, the scenario might be a petroleum company; around here, it’s agriculture.”

The training was sponsored by the Colusa County Fire Chiefs Association, said Gilbert, but was funded by local businesses.

“We never had this training because we never had the money to do it,” Gilbert said. “Foothill approached us and got the ball rolling.”

Gilbert said about 25 businesses in Colusa County each donated $2,000 to pay for the training.

Contact Susan Meeker at smeeker@tcnpress.com or 458-2121.