DEMANDS OF THE JOB Those emergencies can vary quite a bit , too .
Mike McCutcheon , division chief with the fire department , said the water rescue team makes about 25-30 runs annually . Ogden said the types of calls range from fires to stranded boaters , and sometimes more serious calls .
“ I don ’ t think people know what water rescue entails ,” Ogden said . “ It ’ s not just the Ohio River , it can be from flash flooding . We ’ ve had rescues from burst water lines , ice rescue , and more . We all have to be able and ready to respond for any of those water rescues .”
Some of those calls can also be something more familiar to fire departments – driftwood or boats occasionally catch fire , and they go out to help put them out . But according to Osborne , a fire on the water is a lot different from a fire in a structure on land .
“ It ’ s kind of hard to go out and train on a boat fire ,” he said . “ You can ’ t just go out and set a boat on fire and tell the guys to put it out . We like to train by maybe throwing a ring out in the river and keeping your stream on that , but even that doesn ’ t exactly prepare you for the real thing .”
But that consistent training — partially funded through grants — is what keeps the Water Rescue team ’ s skills sharp , Osborne said . Retired Coast Guard and Indiana Department of Natural Resources officers help make sure Jeffersonville firefighters are prepared , no matter what .
" It ’ s not just the Ohio River , it can be from flash flooding . We ’ ve had rescues from burst water lines , ice rescue , and more . We all have to be able and ready to respond for any of those water rescues ."
CAPTAIN CHAD OGDEN
JEFFERSONVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
22 Jeffersonville Fire Department / 150 years