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Show , .A.; : . ; A , r . ;r : .., .... Tropic Volunteer Fire Department Chief Kerry Alvey and member Travis LeFevre show off the new high angle rescue unit that was i TROPIC Garfield County Search and Rescue capabilities will be greatly enhanced this summer as the Tropic Volunteer Fire Department Depart-ment places their new high angle rescue unit into operation. According to Tropic Fire Chief Kerry Alvey "the fire department, in conjunction with Bryce Valley Search and Rescue and Garfield County Search and Rescue worked jointly to secure funds and this vehicle, ve-hicle, to be able to offer new rescue techniques in the county." Alvey said a 1985 one-ton Dodge 4x4 vehicle had become available through State Lands and his department wanted to use it to carry extrication equipment to the scene of fire and rescue operations. obtained recently. The unit will carry rope rescue equipment as well as extrication equipment and offers new rescue techniques to the county. Tropic Fire Department Gets New Rescue Unit At about the same time, fire volunteers volun-teers were discussing the possibility of adding high angle rope rescue procedures to their training and capabilities ca-pabilities with the establishment of the new Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Department members felt there might be a tremendous tre-mendous need for such training in some of more remote areas. Bryce Valley Search and Rescue Commander Marlin "Slim" Francisco Fran-cisco met with Alvey and Garfield County Sheriff Than Cooper to discuss their desires to expand their training to include rope rescue. Sheriff Cooper offered some financial finan-cial assistance through moneys set up specifically for search and rescue related to impacts from the new monument. Subsequently the department obtained ob-tained the vehicle spending about $3,000 to paint it red with yellow department printing and emergency lights. About $11,000 was spent to procure the necessary rope and equipment for high angle rescue operations. The new squad unit will haul both extrication and rope gear to future emergency scenes. According to Training Officer Ron Harris, a three-day ropes training train-ing course will be offered the weekend week-end of Apr. 15-17 at the Tropic Fire (See RESCUE on page 5-A) RESCUE From Front Page Station and at Bull Valley Gorge. Fire and search and rescue members will participate from Boulder, Escalante, Esca-lante, Panguitch and the Bryce Valley Val-ley area. Part of the money secured for the rescue operations will be spent on the training. Harris encourages firefighters, search and rescue members, and emergency medical technicians across the county to sign up for and participate in the three-day training. If personnel from Escalante and Panguitch participate, rope rescue equipment will be placed in those communities. According to Alvey, "Bryce Valley Val-ley will now be the lead agency countywide for future high angle rope rescue operations but will always al-ways work directly under county search and rescue leadership." Alvey expressed his appreciation to Sheriff Than Cooper for assistance with funds for this project. |