LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - Lima firefighters learning the "ropes" on Wednesday for rescue procedures that take them above ground into the air.
The Lima Fire Department holding a training session for new personnel on the main stage of the Civic Center covering the use of ropes and rappelling. The session involved learning how to work with ropes and new equipment both in the air and on the ground.
Trainees less comfortable with heights were shown the help they can provide as ground personnel, including hooking up equipment that operates lower haul systems.
The training sessions have been going on at the Civic Center for the last five years, and organizers say the air conditioning and size of the building make the center perfect for training, especially in all kinds of weather.
"We have roughly 60 feet we get to work with in here to be able to do rappelling and other rope work and to get a little height, so they're familiar with it," said LFD Captain Matt Parker. "In the middle of the summer, we have air conditioning in here as well as the height, and it's kind of hard to be able to do that [train] and plan around it, whether we have rain or other things like that that end up hindering our trainings if we try to do something outside."
The LFD says roughly 45 out of their 70 personnel have worked with the department for five years or less. Training opportunities like this allow for newer personnel to learn or refresh themselves on how to handle specific situations.
"We have a lot of new personnel, and we're trying to train them up on the lot of the basics," Parker added. "This rope rescue, as well as several other rescue disciplines, are very advanced skills in some aspects."
Training was not mandatory, but workers were encouraged to attend the session to refresh their rope-work skills.
