Monticello FD gets trained in trenches

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From the Times Herald-Record

Monticello FD gets trained in trenches

Times Herald-Record

July 08, 2007

Kiamesha Lake — It was July 2004. A man renovating a church in Monticello was trapped when the trench he was working in collapsed, burying him waist-high in mud.

The Monticello Fire Department responded to the collapse, but its firefighters could only wait for help from Orange County. Monticello had neither the training nor the equipment for a trench rescue.

"We were helpless," Monticello Deputy Chief Carl Houman said. "I thought, 'That's it. We need to get equipment and our guys trained.' "

Fast-forward to this weekend in a practice trench at the old Concord Resort ski hill. That's where Monticello firefighters are spending the weekend training to become Sullivan County's first trench-rescue team.

About 40 firefighters will be trained, Houman said. The equipment — a set of wooden panels, hydraulic struts and a trailer — was purchased with $20,000 worth of grants from state Sen. John Bonacic, R-C-Mount Hope, and Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, D-Forestburgh.

Creating a safe perimeter inside a trench isn't as easy as tossing in wooden planks and activating the supports. There are many factors that firefighters are being trained to recognize. Is someone buried? Did it rain recently? What kind of soil are they working in? All these variables count.

"They have to be safe, keep their eyes and ears open, and be aware," said Mike Melillo, one of the trench-rescue trainers.

Trench-rescue equipment also can be used in the aftermath of a structure collapse or flood to support a jittered building.

Until now, the closest collapse teams to Sullivan County were in Mechanicstown and Goshen, a drive of at least 45 minutes.

That distance proved to be a problem on May 6 of this year. That was when a 45-year-old plumber from Orange County was killed in a trench in Rock Hill, where he was replacing a sewer line. Federal regulations say a trench needs to be shored, but this one wasn't.

Monticello firefighters were already trained and had received a verbal commitment on the state grants. But without equipment they were left waiting for Orange County, again.

No more of that.

"I went back to the firehouse that night and said, "We just have to do this now,' " Monticello fire Chief Mark Friedman said.

The Monticello Trench Rescue Team will be online by Monday

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What departments have Trench rescue teams?

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I know Carl very well. Carl is an excellent fire officer and fire instructor whom I've had the priviledge to work with several times. Kudo's to their department for recognizing a need and getting the training they needed.