11
DIVISION
news
Covering the Training and Safety Division including
Aviation, Wildland and EMS.
By Ryan Beckers and Local 935 VP Tony Siciliano
RIVER/FLOOD WATER RESCUE
KERN RIVER 2018 By Donnie Viloria, Photos by Jeff Garcia
In my opinion, river and flood water rescue is undoubtedly the most
dangerous call type that we respond to in the fire service. Though
moving water behaves predictably, it is simply overwhelming and
relentless; a great deal of skill and experience is required to man-
age the risk/reward calculations of these scenarios. Would-be res-
cuers, professional or otherwise, perish each year in the United
States because they lack the skills, knowledge or abilities to affect
a rescue in moving water.
San Bernardino County Fire USAR training cadre members have
been conducting river/flood rescue classes on the Kern River for
over 15 years. The “Killer Kern,” as it is known, affords instruc-
tors unique opportunities to create a wide variety of scenarios that
better prepare our personnel for what they are likely to encounter
during actual incidents. Of course, students do receive some valu-
able skills at a course conducted in a water park or on a “lazy river,
but there is simply no substitution for the real thing. Students must
be exposed to difficult situations in an effort to foster the appropri-
ate physical and mental response when the time comes.
HOT TOPICS
• In a welcome move, Battalion Chief Dave Meddles has
been reassigned to Special Operations Division 11 to handle
administrative duties for training. This addition provides the
proper level of overhead, allowing training officers to focus
on delivering their programs while relieving Division Chief Tim
Porter from having to manage training from afar. Welcome to
Chief Meddles and thank you for taking on the assignment!
• While the department continues to look for ways to move
into or construct a newer training facility, the decision was
made to make the current incarnation of Richard Sewell
Training Center as efficient as possible. Recently a major
revamping was completed, with the installation of new Drager
live training-burn containers to replace the obsolete Connex
buildings formerly on site, as well as construction of a new
modular office building to house all the training officers
in a central location. This will simultaneously allow the
EMS division personnel a little breathing room in their own
modular.
FROM SPECIAL OPERATIONS
Glen Helen Crews support this years green waste event in
the community of Wrightwood. This annual event promotes
making defensible space around your property.
52
FIREWIRE • Summer 2018
• Old Cajon hand crew was deployed to the early-August
Cranston fire in Idyllwild and then re-deployed to Northern
California for the Ferguson incident. It is likely the crew’s
biggest assignment to date, and their solid performance
serves as a huge step toward the goal of eventual typing as a
hotshot crew.
• Division 11 is still maintaining two fully-staffed inmate hand
crews in coordination with San Bernardino County Sheriff.
Assistant Foreman FSA III Andrew Flores was hired away from
the USFS, marking the first time that a full-time FSA level crew
member was hired from the outside.
San Bernardino County Fire Department personnel are encouraged to take their
initial certification class and then audit every three years to stay current. While
these skill sets are the most dangerous they are also the most perishable due
to the difficulty to replicate at the station or in a classroom. Look for advanced
river/flood rescue and rescue boat handling courses to be offered this fall and
early winter.
Battalion Chief Donnie Viloria serves as County Fire’s lead instructor for river and
floodwater rescue. He is currently assigned to the south desert Division 4. Firefighter/
Paramedic Jeff Garcia