Backing out of a two storey building is no walk in the park, but last week it became part and parcel of training for Guelph-Wellington EMS paramedics.
Dozens of paramedics were literally walking the walls on Sept. 11 during a joint training exercise at the Fergus detachment of the Centre Wellington Fire Department.
The day included various issues involved in rescue operations in places such as the Elora Gorge Conservation Area.
Also included were sessions using maps to identify various areas within the conservation area, such as the high and low level bridges, the “punchbowl” and “hole-in-the-rock.”
One impetus behind the joint training session was the death of 15-year-old Bryce Hogg who died while tubing in the Grand River in July.
Over 100 people – aided by police and private helicopters and boats – searched the Grand River and its banks for over 80 hours following Hogg’s disappearance in the Elora Gorge.
Centre Wellington Fire Department training officer Jonathon Karn noted that during that incident water levels were four to five feet above normal conditions for that time of year.
Guelph-Wellington EMS paramedic field supervisor Joe Draper also went into detail regarding the chutes, where people typically launch their tubes to head down the Grand River.
Throughout much of the summer people can walk across areas of the river bed because, as Draper said, water flow is about five cubic metres per second.
During those conditions, the lower staircase is raised to restrict access to the river.
It is a far different story during high water and or early spring, when water flows can reach 100 cubic metres per second.
Karn said that while the Grand River is controlled by the Shand Dam, similar controls do not exist on the Irvine River.
During the outdoor training session on Sept. 11, Draper explained various aspects of the rescue gear, followed by the opportunity to rappel down the fire tower in Fergus.
Draper explained this was a joint training session of the Centre Wellington Fire Department and Guelph-Wellington EMS paramedics.
“We discovered a need for such training after we’ve done so many calls into the Elora Gorge,” he said.
Draper stressed it was not based just on this year’s calls, but over the history of both departments “… and there had never been any formal training.”
Draper is both a firefighter and a technician level instructor for rope rescue for the Centre Wellington Fire Department.
But Draper is also a supervisor with Guelph-Wellington EMS, which is why he was chosen to hold the joint session.
“We go through a lot of awareness training as far as the gorge goes,” he said.
Later paramedics were lowered by rope from the fire department’s training tower “just to see how it feels.”
He stated there are a number of unique aspects to rescues within the gorge.
“There are a lot of nicknames within the gorge – some of them are on maps, some of them are not,” Draper explained.
While all the response trucks have maps, not all the maps have the nicknames of various features within the Elora Gorge Conservation Area.
The training helped give emergency responders an idea of where they are going once they are inside the park.
Since Guelph-Wellington EMS paramedics work throughout the county, they need to be familiar with landscapes across Wellington.
“We try to keep them up do date,” Draper said “… especially someplace we go as often as the gorge.”
In total, roughly 50 paramedics took part in the training; 20 on Sept. 11 and another 25 to 30 on Sept. 13.
Draper said the participation represents about one-third of the service.
“Since the training is not mandatory, it is a pretty good turnout,” Draper added.
The day also included a minute of silence for the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.
